“They would rather have had a win in the Six Nations and a Grand Slam as they easily could have done over the last four years.”
Moody’s comments came after Rob Andrew, the RFU’s professional rugby director, claimed Lancaster’s team would not be at their best for another two years.
“Is this team going to peak at this World Cup? I doubt it, to be honest,” said former England international Andrew. “I suspect this team will get better over the next two or three years because the age profile and the experience profile is going to grow.’
Moody believes Lancaster has blundered by leaving Kyle Eastmond out of his 31-man squad and that the inside-centre’s absence will have a big impact on George Ford’s performances.
Eastmond lost out to Brad Barritt — who will start this weekend alongside Jonathan Joseph — and Sam Burgess.
Moody said: “George is being asked to play the same way he does at Bath but without the tools he has at Bath in Kyle.
“When Jonny Wilkinson was in his pomp, he had two great communicators outside him in Mike Catt and Will Greenwood.
“George had another distributor in Kyle outside him at Bath but he won’t have that outside him on the international stage.
“He has Burgess and Barritt, guys who are wonderful ball-carriers but not necessarily great communicators. Then he would have had Joseph as his partner in crime outside.
“Not having Kyle will be very tough for him.
“Time will tell whether someone else can fit into that role but you wouldn’t want to be finding out in the World Cup. I suppose we will find out a little more in the Ireland game. Tough decisions have to be made as a coach but it would have been nice to give George the confidence of having those guys around him.”
Lewis Moody was speaking on behalf of the Jaguar Land Rover Academy of Sport workshop programme in partnership with SportsAid. For info, visit SportsAid.org.uk
