Martin Johnson hits back at 'ill-informed' critics

Martin Johnson last night rounded on England's "ill-informed" critics and insisted his squad are in rude health ahead of this summer's tour Down Under.

England's spirited display in their defeat by France on the final weekend of the Six Nations has given Johnson renewed confidence his players can put up a strong showing in June.

He says the build-up to the 2011 World Cup begins in earnest with his team's five-match tour, which takes in a pair of Tests against Australia, two midweek fixtures and a game against the New Zealand Maori in Napier.

And despite England's uninspired performances for much of the Six Nations, the emergence of Dan Cole, Ben Youngs, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden has left Johnson optimistic about the future.

"We have a good foundation for the summer tour and heading into the autumn series," said the team manager.

"Now some of these players understand what it means to be a Test-match player, the work involved, not just in Test week but also the preparation required.

"We're starting [World Cup] build-up mode with this tour. It's very important for a lot of players because it will give some guys, who haven't had much opportunity to play, the chance they want."

England finished third in the Six Nations, one place lower than in 2009, but Johnson feels the flak flying the way of his fellow coaches is unjustified.

"You see the criticism thrown in by people and you think, What the hell do you know about it? You may have heard something second-hand but what's your knowledge based on'," he said.

"The coaches have done a fantastic job in the face of ill-informed criticism."