Tuesday 19 April 2016 17:13, UK
Saracens full-back Alex Goode believes the heartbreak of England’s early World Cup exit on home soil has helped spur English players to greater heights this season.
England became the first host nation in World Cup history to bow out in the pool stages following defeats to Wales and Australia at Twickenham.
That prompted the Rugby Football Union to part ways with head coach Stuart Lancaster but his successor Eddie Jones has helped revitalise the English game leading his side to England's first Six Nations Grand Slam title since 2003, earlier this year.
English teams have built on that success in Europe with five teams progressing to the European Champions Cup quarter-finals and three - Saracens, Wasps and Leicester - progressing to the last four.
Goode said to Sky Sports News HQ: "Maybe with the English sides, there was an element of frustration from the World Cup. Players just wanted to get out there and play well.
"I think over the last couple of years there has been a few unlucky sides who have come just short. Last year (Saracens) came just short in the semi-finals by a very fine margin. (English rugby) hasn't just revolutionised over a couple of months but it is great to see English teams doing so well.
"There were five in the quarter-finals and it sets a good precedent at the moment. English teams are doing well and the Grand Slam was fantastic. Hopefully year on year, teams get better and better and we can keep pushing."
At least one English side is guaranteed to contest the final at the Grand Stade de Lyon on May 14 with Saracens set to meet Wasps in the semi-finals at the Madjeski Stadium on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.
Sarries have come agonisingly short in this competition in recent seasons, losing to Toulon in the final two years ago and coming up just short in the last four, against Clermont 12 months ago.
While those losses were painful, Goode feels they will stand to help Saracens when they meet Wasps.
"We are lucky because we can draw on some big experiences over the last few years," Goode said. "We have had some semi-finals and finals. We have grown as a team quite a lot.
"We talked about how we didn't start as well as we could have against Northampton but hopefully we have rectified that and we will come out of the blocks nice and hard in this game."
The last time these sides met on February 14, Wasps pummelled Saracens on their own ground as they ran in eight tries en route to a 23-64 victory at Allianz Park.
That game fell during the Six Nations however, when both sides were without their international players, and Goode feels the outcome will be different this time around.
"They are a very dangerous side," Goode admitted. "We are under no illusions. We have got a lot of respect for how they play and what they did at Allianz Park.
"But we also know we are a top side. We have been here before. We can bring something to the game which other teams can't bring either.
"We will be very focused as to their individual threats that are very dangerous but as a collective unit we are hoping we can get on top and hopefully get a victory."
