Graham Henry has blasted England's failure to use their 'top-drawer attacking players' and he has urged interim coach Stuart Lancaster to adopt a different approach to the RBS Six Nations.
Henry believes England will struggle to reach their potential if they continue to deploy the same tactics, claiming that the Red Roses are wasting talent and will struggle to score tries unless they start using their better players.
"England has top-drawer attacking players (but) they are seldom used. It sometimes seems that England are world champions at wasting talent," Henry told therugbysite.com.
"At national level and at club level English teams are far too worried about securing possession. They are obsessed with sealing off the ball carrier. They are paranoid that an opponent might steal the ball and so everyone jams on the brakes and seals off possession. It is fearful and often illegal.
"OK, so the opposition can't get at the ball, but there is no dynamic forward momentum and nobody is being shifted out of the defensive line. No wonder England had trouble scoring tries against the better teams at the World Cup."
Lancaster has taken over on a temporary basis while the Rugby Football Union search for a suitable successor to Martin Johnson and Henry believes he has a wonderful opportunity to change the policy they used at the World Cup.
Indeed, the World Cup-winning coach, who was linked with the vacant position, claims they could turn things around if they 'stick it to the opposition'.
"England has a back line to get excited about but they will never fulfil their potential unless the team can win quick ball," he said.
"This needs a total change of policy for the Six Nations. England must go to Murrayfield and stick it to the opposition. They have to smash the Scottish forwards past the ball instead of conservatively stopping at the tackled player in order to secure possession.
"A country with over a million players should be the best team in the world and England's potential in the backs is as good as it has ever been.
"Ben Foden's a good player, Chris Ashton is a handful and Delon Armitage has always impressed me. But how frustrated those players must get in a white shirt.
"England and the English clubs play a game based on fear and a generation of promising backs are dying on their feet. That has to change."