Henry Pollock sends clear England World Cup message after 'buzzing' draw

Following the tournament draw, the Northampton Saints star admitted the squad were "buzzing" with the way things had fallen, before revealing there is only one objective over the next 12 months.

Pollock has never been shy about his ambitions, and with many believing England have landed the most favourable side of the draw, Steve Borthwick's squad will head to Australia knowing they have a genuine opportunity to end a 24-year wait for World Cup glory.

While there are still plenty of hurdles to overcome, England have avoided defending champions South Africa, New Zealand and France until a potential final, prompting many fans to label their route as the easiest of any major contender.

England have been drawn in Pool F alongside:

England will be overwhelming favourites to top the group, although Wales and Tonga are more than capable of causing problems if Borthwick's side are below their best.

If England win Pool F, they are expected to face the runners-up from Pool A.

The most likely opponents are:

On paper, it represents one of the kinder last-16 fixtures available.

Victory there would likely set up a quarter-final against either:

Australia will have home advantage and are expected to improve significantly by 2027, while Japan have a history of upsetting tier-one nations at World Cups.

England's projected semi-final opponent would come from the other side of their half of the draw, with the favourites including:

Both sides have caused England problems in recent seasons, but neither possesses the same World Cup pedigree as South Africa or New Zealand.

Only in the final are England expected to encounter one of the tournament's heavyweight favourites.

The likely finalists from the opposite half include:

Those three nations are widely regarded as the biggest obstacles to lifting the Webb Ellis Cup, meaning England have avoided them all until the last possible stage.

For Pollock and England, the draw has only strengthened belief that 2027 could finally be the year they return to the summit of world rugby. The expectation inside the camp is no longer just to compete – it's to win the World Cup.

You've got just 5 minutes on the clock – no pressure!