Former England captain Will Carling has backed Ian Ritchie's criticism of the team's failure to win the Six Nations.

The Rugby Football Union chief executive described four consecutive second-place finishes in the tournament as "unacceptable" following their latest disappointment.

Carling believes that Ritchie has done the right thing by demanding more from the players ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

"His criticism is harsh - but it is also true," he told BBC Sport. "You have got to set the bar high and aspire to it. What Ian has said is right, not from an arrogant point of view, but from the resources that England has and from the standard of the Premiership. Ian, quite rightly, is putting pressure on the players.

"The players are the one who have got to be driving the team, leading the team and taking responsibility. Every minute of every game is important - it's not just the finale. When you're playing for England everyone wants to beat you. You have got to have intensity and focus in every moment."

England start their Rugby World Cup campaign on September 18 when they play Fiji at Twickenham Stadium.