'I have never seen England on a charge like this'

It was a year out from the 2003 Rugby World Cup and I remember being down to Australia at Twickenham.

Following a Wallabies try, Martin Johnson got us all under the posts and was not interested in charging down the kick.

We were behind and all that mattered to him was winning territory in the next five minutes.

He made it clear we had to be more aggressive in defence, stay in Australia's 22 for as long as possible, and see if they could handle the pressure.

We produced an excellent final 20 minutes and Ben Cohen scored the try to overcome what was a 31-19 deficit.

The reason we then came back in the World Cup final against Australia was because of what had gone by in the years before.

The more difficult it is for this current England squad, the better. Coming from 12-0 down to defeat New Zealand could be the vital touchpoint they use on their journey to the next World Cup.

Maro Itoje, along with 30 other players, will remember what happens in different scenarios.

I watched Itoje walk down the tunnel with the referee at half-time, and he was having a very mature, informative conversation all the way back into the changing room.

Roll back even two or three years and Itoje is not doing that as captain - but there is something different in what he is bringing to the squad.

It is very low-key with him, it is so much easier to follow leaders like that rather than abrasive, more obvious leaders.

Sometimes those guys don't have the ability to cover all the different characteristics. I can see how Itoje is able to adapt to his players.

When the final whistle went on Saturday, Henry Pollock was bouncing around, jumping on Ben Earl's back.

Itoje was just shaking hands, cool as you like, and Pollock ran at him and they embraced.

It was like a clash of how you would celebrate a big win, but Itoje is able to adapt to his players.

Leadership in difficult moments does make the difference in the biggest Test matches. It is about nailing those key decisions and moments.

George Ford's decision to take back-to-back drop-goals right before half-time is your perfect example.

I am buzzing about this England team, as I have never seen England on a charge like this before a World Cup.

I don't believe any England team has been in this good a position in terms of strength and depth, leadership and the ability for individuals to win games.

Overall, there is now a stark contrast between where England are and where they have been over the past decade.

Steve Borthwick had to develop as a Test coach himself, and that was always going to take time.

Ollie Lawrence is turning into a player who is starting to offer more than Manu Tuilagi.

When fully fit and firing, Tuilagi was so difficult to stop - and I don't think Lawrence has that capability to the same extent.

But he is showing a much wider skillset, with the soft hands for Fraser Dingwall's try as he drew the attention of three players.

He has an ability to shift before and after contact. That try was not just a nice set-piece move.

When players like Tuilagi and Jason Robinson attract that much interest, it means there has to be opportunity elsewhere. Lawrence has shown he can be that threat but also a decoy runner.

His comeback is also remarkable - not that long ago, when you did your Achilles, that was a done deal.

Dingwall, in his facilitator role at inside centre, also helped to get the best out of Lawrence.

In those big arenas is where you get to see players like Dingwall, who often go under the radar, shine.

Players like Will Greenwood and Richard Hill - one of England's greatest - would quietly go about their business but in really important ways.

Dingwall has that ability to read the game superbly.

Things happen even faster against the best teams, and he supplied a couple of nice offloads and carries to buy Ford time.

He also helps provide that direction - he will be supplying a lot of commentary to Ford and that is the stuff no one sees.

If he keeps developing in that role, then England are answering a question we have all been asking since probably the days of Greenwood.

People need to take the opportunity to spend five minutes just watching what Dingwall does - the simple things done well that create opportunities and space for those around him.

Pollock is bringing people on his journey with his mindset.

Ellis Genge, Will Stuart and Tom Curry are not known for their light-heartedness on the field, but they all had a beaming smile before coming on.

It felt like a "this is our moment" type of vibe.

They are all turning into Pollock - not completely, of course - but adopting elements of his approach.

The bench are bringing all the energy and impact, with Pollock leading the charge, and everyone gets swept up into this vortex that he creates.

It ramps up the intensity, and when you have just been smashed about by England for 60 minutes that is incredibly difficult to compete with.

South Africa do it more like for like and sometimes change roles, whereas England have a rhythm with the types of players who come on at the moment.

England have 30 players who are comfortable either starting or being on the bench.