By Andrew Baldock, PA Sport Rugby Union Correspondent

Australia have got two, New Zealand and South Africa one apiece, but England are still missing from Rugby World Cup's roll of honour following four failed attempts.

Maybe that statistic is about to change though, with Clive Woodward's men among the favourites for glory in Australia.

Since the World Cup took centre-stage on rugby's global calendar 16 years ago, England have failed to deliver.

They came desperately close in 1991, losing 12-6 to Australia after a gripping final at Twickenham, but one semi-final exit and two-quarter-final eliminations complete an overall disappointing picture.

Captained by the Wakefield wing Mike Harrison, England were among 16 nations that arrived wide-eyed with expectancy at the inaugural 1987 World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

Pre-tournament form had hardly made the nation sit up and take notice though, with England finishing bottom of the 1987 Five Nations Championship and scoring just two tries in four games.

England's opening game was against Australia at the Concord Oval, Sydney, and in truth, Harrison and company never really got to grips with New Zealander Keith Lawrence's refereeing. He was particularly severe on the lineout, and England conceded a damaging 19 penalties in total as they lost 19-6.

England remained in Sydney for their remaining two pool fixtures, and a worrying try-drought finally ended through a 60-7 demolition of Japan, with Harrison claiming three touchdowns and his fellow wing Rory Underwood, two.

The USA were also comfortably despatched - flanker Peter Winterbottom grabbing two tries in a 34-6 success that proved to be the final Test match appearances for centre Fran Clough and lock Steve Bainbridge.

The pool stages completed, England faced a quarter-final showdown with Wales in Brisbane, and what an anti-climax it proved to be.

England were abysmal, beaten 16-3 by a Wales side for whom scrum-half Robert Jones was an outstanding tactical controller as the red rose brigade found itself sent packing.

Four years later, and England were on home soil for the second World Cup.

Will Carling had been installed as captain by manager Geoff Cooke some three years earlier, and the squad oozed experience, containing the likes of Rob Andrew, Richard Hill, Wade Dooley, Brian Moore and Dean Richards.

As in 1987 though, England lost their opening fixture as reigning world champions New Zealand defeated them 18-12 at Twickenham.

England, having clinched a Five Nations Grand Slam earlier in the year, backed themselves against the All Blacks, but a Michael Jones try and four Grant Fox penalties sealed their fate.

Carling knew that England could afford no slip-ups against pool rivals Italy and the USA, and his players did not let him down.

Italy were beaten 36-6 - centre Jeremy Guscott grabbing a try double - although the match will be remembered more for the Azzurri's dire ball-killing tactics that saw them concede 37 penalties.

The USA followed suit, brushed aside 37-9 as Carling broke Bill Beaumont's 21-Test England captaincy record, then it was off to Paris for a quarter-final clash against France.

Wing Nigel Heslop and number eight Mike Teague were early victims of some unsavoury French foul play, but England kept their cool and secured a famous 19-10 success, with Carling and Rory Underwood scoring tries.

A semi-final against Scotland at Murrayfield guaranteed Europe its first World Cup finalist, and a predictable forward-dominated war of attrition ensued. England's pack eventually got on top, and Andrew's second-half drop-goal clinched a 9-6 win.

November 2, 1991 - the biggest day in English rugby history - saw England take on Australia for the title of world champions.

But England blundered with their tactical approach, opting for a wide game instead of using their juggernaut pack to bludgeon Australia, and the Wallabies, helped by a mighty defence, seized the moment.

New South Wales prop Tony Daly scored the only try as Australia built a nine-point interval lead, and England were left to reflect on what might have been.

Carling was still England captain by the time World Cup 95 in South Africa came around, while coaching responsibilities were with Jack Rowell, who had built Bath into British rugby's most successful club.

England, once again Grand Slam champions in World Cup year, were based on the coast in Durban for their three group games, and match-day weather proved typically British - wet.

A stuttering performance against Argentina produced a 24-18 win - Andrew booting six penalties and two drop-goals - and Andrew, this time in an unexpected role of captain after Carling was injured, landed another 17 points during an unimpressive 27-20 victory over Italy.

England had hardly set the pulses racing, but there was a much-improved display against Western Samoa, with Rory Underwood scoring two tries in a 44-22 success.

Australia were next up in the quarter-finals at Cape Town, offering England a chance to avenge their World Cup final defeat four years previously, and a game of high drama unfolded.

England led 13-6 at half-time, helped by Tony Underwood's breakaway try, but the battling Wallabies, largely through their skipper Michael Lynagh, clawed back to 22-22 before Andrew dropped an astounding 45-metre drop-goal in injury time to clinch a truly great victory.

The question now was could England do it again in a semi-final clash against New Zealand, also in Cape Town?

Thanks to All Blacks wing phenomenon Jonah Lomu, the answer was a resounding no.

Lomu scored four tries, including a stunning opener when he ran straight through Carling, Tony Underwood and Mike Catt, while All Blacks number eight Zinzan Brooke dropped a 40-metre goal. It was that sort of day.

England, 35-3 down at one stage, showed plenty of character during the closing quarter, with Carling scoring two tries, but the damage had been done as New Zealand won 45-29 to send England into a meaningless third place play-off game against France, that resulted in a predictable 19-10 deat.

Clive Woodward had been England coach for two years when World Cup 99 kicked off at Wales' Millennium Stadium rugby home.

As in 1991 and 1995, English fans had high hopes of success, and an opening 67-7 victory over Italy did little to extinguish such fervour.

But cometh the hour, cometh the All Blacks, and in particular, that man Lomu.

Once again, England could not cope with Lomu or New Zealand, and a 30-16 Twickenham defeat consigned them to a stamina-sapping midweek quarter-final play-off against Fiji, even though Tonga were ruthlessly dismantled 101-10 in their final group game.

England got past Fiji 45-24, but it was a physically draining game, and Woodward's men limped into Paris for a quarter-final against South Africa just four days later.

Whereas the Springboks had a clear week to prepare, England found themselves facing Fiji before heading to France, and South Africa looked by far the fresher side in securing a 44-21 success, helped by Jannie De Beer's extraordinary world record five drop-goals.

England had no answer to De Beer's startling accuracy, and they could have no complaints about the result either, as rugby's biggest prize once again eluded them.

Will 2003 see England conquer the rugby world? On paper, they will never have a better chance, but it's what happens on grass that matters.