Talks between the Rugby Football Union and the clubs are finally close to a binding conclusion - but that is too late to help England's campaign, which kicks off against the USA in three weeks' time.

RFU chief executive Francis Baron confirmed the structures have "not been ideal" for England since 2005, when the original agreement essentially became "out of date".

It is no coincidence, therefore, the squad head to Versailles ranked a lowly seventh in the world.

England have lost 15 of their last 16 away matches and now have just three weeks to right the wrongs of their recent back-to-back Test defeats to France.

Head coach Brian Ashton has spent the summer constructing a ferocious defensive attitude and a huge pack of forwards - but England lacked any magic with the ball in hand and failed to score a try in either game.

That is what could ultimately make the difference in France over the next two months.

Andrew insists no stone is being left unturned as England try to make up for lost time - and he is confident Saturday's 22-9 defeat in Marseille is not a true reflection of what is to come at the World Cup.

"You need to look at England in the context of what has happened in the last 12 months - the coaching changes that have taken place, the issues we had in the Six Nations and surrounding the South Africa tour," said Andrew, the RFU's director of elite rugby.

"England have probably had only five weeks of rugby preparation this summer. They have chosen to train incredibly hard in Test match weeks, which is not usual, in order to make up for lost time.

"It is no surprise Brian (Ashton), the coaches and players themselves are a little bit frustrated. The last two weeks haven't taken them where they want to go.

"Clearly, there are some creative and finishing issues they will have to work on in the next few weeks. Big games are won by small margins and England need to find a way of unlocking one or two half chances.

"They have still got a lot of work to do and a lot of catching up to do - but there is a huge determination to do that.

"I'd be surprised if there is a group of players who have worked harder anywhere in the world than England. They have put an enormous amount of foundation work in and they are incredibly determined to deliver on the big stage.

"I am very confident England will give a good account of themselves."

The summer tour to South Africa taught Ashton a valuable lesson ahead of their World Cup meeting on September 14 - that England would not be competitive without size and experience.

Andrew is confident England now have the foundations from which to launch their campaign in a ferocious group which also features the hard-hitting Tongans and Samoans.

"We know the challenge South Africa will pose and we know from our experiences in the summer what is required to face down the that challenge," he said.

"Physicality, defence and set-pieces are vital at a World Cup. New Zealand have pulled their game in over the last few months.

"The England coaches have worked really hard to put those basic foundations back into our game so we can compete with anyone on that forward front.

"The platform is there. If you don't have that you have got no chance - but we also have to turn the possession and territory into points.

"Clearly Brian and the coaches will be working hard on that over the next three weeks."

A large part of Andrew's brief since joining the RFU has been to help broker a lasting solution with the clubs that ensures England can be competitive on the world stage.

Baron and RFU management board chairman Martyn Thomas are set to meet with representatives from Premier Rugby next week in the hope of finalising a new long-term deal, maybe even before the World Cup begins.

All financial issues and the arrangements for England access have been agreed upon - but one major sticking point is the length of the deal.

The RFU found themselves handcuffed to the last Long Form Agreement when they wanted to implement changes in 2005 and are anxious that some leeway for re-negotiation is built into the new deal.

"The programme for the 2007 World Cup was put in place in 2004 but the way the game has evolved made that four year programme out of date by the middle of 2005," explained Baron.

"We did our best to make changes but we weren't able to get all the modifications we required and we were left with a structure that wasn't ideal.

"We have made massive strides on this agreement. We are now down to a handful of issues which, by their very nature, are difficult and prickly but we want to sign on the dotted line as soon as possible."