Phil Vickery is delighted with the new coaching deal for England's staff © Getty Images

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World Cup-winner Phil Vickery has backed the Rugby Football Union's call to give the four England coaches new deals which take them through until 2020.

The announcement sees Lancaster and his trio of assistants take charge of England for next year's World Cup and the global gathering in Japan in 2019. For Vickery, who captained England in the 2007 World Cup, he feels coaching stability is integral to long-term development both for the players and the team.

"What Stuart's done has been fantastic and there is a real bonding in and around that England team," Vickery told ESPN. "One of my big issues with the current state of rugby is the length of playing and coaching contracts - usually one or two years - but this shows the individuals they are valued which I think is brilliant.

Pressure still on Lancaster despite new deal

• While this is great news for the England coaching quartet, it is a gamble on the Rugby Football Union's part. When England run out for the first time in their home World Cup against Fiji on September 18, 2015, the pressure on their shoulders will be comparable to the expectation surrounding the 2003 crop.
• When England fell short in the 1999 World Cup, Clive Woodward faced a nervous wait to see if he would be re-appointed. He did not have the luxury of a bumper deal. As it transpired, the RFU decided to give him a chance to make amends four years later. The same went for New Zealand in 2007. Graham Henry was seen as the man who had once again presided over an All Blacks team who had choked at the key moment. But despite the covetous glances from Robbie Deans, he was handed a new deal with the mission of guiding New Zealand to glory on home soil in 2011. He managed it, but he did not have the benefit of a security blanket.
• Make no mistake about it, this deal will not take the pressure off the England coaches.
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"One of the reasons I'm not in the game is because I don't want to get back to that constant noose around the neck mentality because of the time restrictions. I think it's a huge positive they have got that long and it's a great statement of intent from the RFU.

"I think the RFU is trying to be a proactive, positive body and what Stuart has done has been fantastic. The challenge now for Stuart and his staff in the next six years is to keep things moving forward and fresh and I back him to do that. I think it's a real statement of intent."

Rugby offers cautionary tales on long-term deals being handed out prior to World Cups. Ireland boss Eddie O'Sullivan was given a new contract prior to the 2007 World Cup which would have seen him through to 2012 but such was their wretched campaign, he was gone after the following year's Six Nations. Vickery does not have any fears over a recurrence of events for the England coaches and applauds the long-term vision.

"Ultimately the challenge for the coaching team is to build on the great work they have done and this England team is improving. They are growing in strength and depth and I see a management and an organisation that is looking at the medium and long-term picture.

"Look at the Under-20s, how good the young lads are who are coming through and there are a lot of positives. The English game is in a good place with the English qualified players being championed. Just look at how Exeter are playing. The whole picture is positive."