AFTER guiding England to a semi final victory over France at the last World Cup, Brian Ashton has warned the 2011 side they must show mental strength and start producing the goods tomorrow or risk a quarter final exit.

Ashton, who was a rugby coach at Stonyhurst College during his time as a history teacher at the Ribble Valley school in the 1980s, was England’s head coach in 2007 when they overcame widespread criticism in the early stages to reach the final.

The current side have also endured a turbulent World Cup campaign – as much for off-field issues as their performances on it – ahead of tomorrow’s quarter final against France in Auckland, kick-off 8.30am British time.

And Ashton says England must now put everything else to one side and start to perform – as they did four years ago when they shocked Australia in the quarter finals and then beat the hosts before losing to South Africa 15-6 in the Paris final.

“They’ve achieved what they set out to do, which was qualify,” the 65-year-old said. “But by their own admission, the management and the players have said it, they’ve not performed quite as well as they would have wanted to.

“Now it’s got to the quarter finals it is like the boxing ring, there is no hiding place.

“In 2007 we used the Muhammad Ali comment against George Foreman. He said he was going to shock the world, and we used that as our vision.

“Arguably we were one video referee decision away from winning the World Cup.

“When we played France we had beaten Australia in the quarter finals so were feeling confident.

“France had just beaten New Zealand and they were on home territory, so I think they felt they already have one foot in the final.

“But we had beaten them in the last competitive match before that. Mentally we always felt we had the upper hand.”

Ashton says blanking out external pressures was an important factor in 2007, but insists that players must take responsibility for their own actions off the field.

“When players say they are bored, that’s their fault. They should find something to do,” he said. “Players expect other people to find something for them to do but it’s their responsibility, no-one else’s.”

After leaving the England job in 2008, Leigh-born Ashton is now working as technical director at Fylde, where he spent time as a player.

He has fond memories of his time at Stonyhurst, a school that has produced the likes of Kyran Bracken, Will Greenwood and Iain Balshaw.

“I was there between 1980 and 1988 and when I was there I taught Kyran Bracken history,” Ashton said. “I think he was probably a year too young for the first team at the time but his older brother was actually the scrum half.

“I enjoyed my time there and I’m pleased to be back in the north west now.”

But Ashton’s attention will be firmly on New Zealand tomorrow, with France going into England’s crucial quarter final clash on the back of a shock group stage loss to Tonga.

“France have lived up to their stereotypes in this World Cup, you don’t know what to make of it when they lose to Tonga,” he said.

“People always say France have one big performance in them at a World Cup. They haven’t produced it yet.”