Exclusive – Dallaglio: England need to discover players with the ‘x factor’

Lawrence Dallaglio says England head coach Stuart Lancaster will be seeking to discover players with the 'x factor' in their upcoming autumn internationals.

The former Wasps and England captain paid tribute to the job Lancaster has done since taking charge following the diabolical performance at the 2011 World Cup.

But he believes the current side, who begin their autumn campagin against Australia on Saturday before playing Argentina and New Zealand, are lacking star players in the mould of Wales' George North.

"If you want to win a World Cup you need a few players who can give you that 'x factor', that little bit of stardust that say a George North does for Wales and Northampton," he told talkSPORT.

"12 months ago a lot of these England players were at the start of their international careers, now they’ve started to become more established.

"The likes of Marland Yarde might get his first run out on the wnig, he’s definitely got that 'x factor'. The likes of Christian Wade, I know he won’t be playing this weekend but he’s got that 'x factor'.

"Owen Farrell did a fantastic job on the Lions tour, too. I do believe England are on track but they need that 'x factor' and real stardust that comes through.

"It’s alright having guys that work hard but you need to do things that actually affect the outcome of the game and that’s what Stuart Lancaster will be looking for this autumn."