Former captain Martin Johnson says England face the toughest opening to an RBS Six Nations Championship in living memory next month. Their opening match is away to a resurgent Wales on 5 February, before France visit Twickenham a week later, and Johnson says it is a huge task.
"They have got a very difficult start, there is no doubt about that," he said.
"I can't remember a Six Nations when we had that sort of start. Ireland away will be another huge game as well."
England's task is not made any easier by the absence of key players such as Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Tindall, but Johnson says he believes coach Andy Robinson has sufficient resources at his disposal to deal with this.
 |  We do need to be careful about how many games these guys are playing over such a long period |
"There are a lot of injuries around which is going to make things difficult for England," he said.
"But, as ever, injuries give a chance for someone else to come in and play, particularly in the centres.
"There are lots of guys who have gone down but there are a few who can come in."
Johnson warned against reducing the intensity of domestic competition, but said measures needed to be taken to avoid player burn-out.
"The intensity of the games is a great thing because if you want to beat the best in the world you can't afford to have a soft domestic season.
"But we do need to be careful about how many games these guys are playing over such a long period.
"If players are playing for 11 months a year then there is no chance to recuperate and train properly and regenerate themselves."
MMIX
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