Stuart Lancaster: England's tour to South Africa is a stepping stone on journey to 2015 World Cup I asked Lancaster how he thought he could squeeze a result on the tour. After all, England have lost a run of seven Tests against the Springboks, and you have to go back to 2000 under Clive Woodward to find the last time England won on South African soil. "The mindset is crucial," Lancaster said. I think England have approached end-of-season tours in the past feeling sorry for themselves, thinking it's the end of a long, hard season. I talked to the players during the Six Nations about getting ready for the tour and asked them what would be different this time. I think it was Dylan Hartley who said, "It's because we're talking about it now." Before, some players have taken the view that the season finished at the end of May and the tour was an add-on. If we have the mentality that we're going to go there to front up, then that's how we can begin to acquire the appropriate physicality. Get that right and you have a contest. Another consideration which could derail the trip is a collective lack of experience of all things South African. Graham Rowntree, who was there in 2009 with the Lions, reckoned that there were just three of the squad - Mike Brown, Toby Flood and David Strettle - who had toured in England colours. That elephant in the room includes Lancaster himself who set foot in the country only a couple of weeks ago when he travelled to Durban to try to land Wayne Smith as his attack coach. But Lancaster, being Lancaster, has a plan to counter his lack of local knowledge. He has hired a spy. I wanted to know more about the texture of the country, the feel of the place, so I asked a guy to write a report on the culture of South African rugby, what makes them special as a rugby-playing nation, as well as providing analysis on the Bulls and the Stormers and on Heyneke Meyer [the new Springbok coach] and his probable coaching team. It made me aware of where rugby sits in the South African psyche, the impact of winning World Cups and how it seems to draw the nation together. Whilst I was there I saw the column inches devoted to the sport in the newspapers. Here we are dominated by football. There it was rugby. I also bought and read the autobiographies of Butch James, Victor Matfield, John Smit and Jake White [South Africa's World Cup-winning coach in 2007]. It will certainly be a learning experience for me, but so was going to the Stade de France to play France and taking on Ireland at Twickenham. I hadn't done either of those six months ago. The payoff is typical Lancaster. Just when he fesses up to his lack of hands-on experience to furnish reasons to downgrade England's chances still further, he comes up with examples to encourage belief again. And belief, the man on a mission, is central to Lancaster's view of himself and his vision generally. In a recent hour-long radio phone-in he used "journey" so often as a way of encapsulating England's progress towards the 2015 World Cup that I suggested there was a touch of the evangelist about him. "That's too strong a word," he said. I do genuinely believe that the journey we're on as an England team is towards 2015. I said to the players it's about trying to get the power of the nation behind you. If we can do that, the negativity which can surround international sport and can damage and bruise the players disappears. I'm trying to create breathing space for the team to grow because when I've seen England at their best there is no better nation in the world when it comes to supporting their team. So I'm not evangelical, but I do believe there is an additional element which creates a rugby team. Look at New Zealand in the World Cup final against France. It was the power of the nation pushing them from behind which got them over the line. If it's the other way round, if the nation perceives the team is not worthy of trust and respect, then it becomes very, very difficult. As for the man himself? He requires calm to create the karma. "I'll let you in on a secret," Lancaster says, wrapping up the interview. "During the Wales week I could feel the pressure so I rang Lisa, my PA, and asked, "Can you find me somewhere to walk round?" ""What are you talking about?" she said. I need a mountain or a lake, somewhere I can go to get some peace and quiet. Anyway, she found a place and it was just what I needed to clear my head. It gave me the perspective and space to make some decisions. In South Africa one of the challenges for me will be finding that time.