Outgoing England assistant coach Paul Gustard says he is confident they will win their three-match series with the Springboks and the 2019 World Cup.

Gustard will take up the job of head coach at English club Harlequins after the tour of South Africa.

Despite England having not won a series in South Africa, Gustard told Stuff.co.nz they can whitewash the Springboks.

‘Why not? Why think that we can’t do it?

‘We’ve got some very good players. It’s a new challenge. We want to respond after not doing ourselves justice during the Six Nations. We underperformed but we’ve looked at it, analysed it, critiqued it, red-teamed it, we’ve put it in a washing machine and tumble-dryer and brought it out again.

‘We’ve got a different product now that we’re giving to the players. It’s different for them and from that point of view, I think we’ve prepared appropriately to win 3-0.

‘I fully believe the team will continue to kick on and improve, and that on 2 November 2019, we’ll lift the World Cup’, Gustard added.

‘There’s always change with England. It’s another opportunity for the team to grow. It’s a difficult thing to walk away from your country, of course it is, but the opportunity to do this was just too good to turn down. It’s brilliant for me.’

Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images