England - The Aftermath

It's a thankless task, but a necessary one nonetheless.

Picking through the wreckage of Friday night's humiliation at the Stade de France, I am compelled to look for positives and seek out a possible path to recovery, rather than provide you with an essay on how badly England performed.

However - for those seeking clarification - they were absolutely shocking.

The positives are few and far between. We didn't concede 50, and things can only improve. Small crumbs of comfort I know, but it's the best I can do.

Already, the media have gone into overdrive. I can't blame them, as there is no richer seam to draw from than that of English sporting failure. But for the occasional false dawn, underachievement is probably our greatest achievement.

I should probably make this clear. Brian Ashton has to stay. It is unfair that he should be made a scapegoat for such a poor display. Why single out one man, when the blame can be hung on the shoulders of so many?

Preparation was the key to England's success in 2003, four years of meticulous planning and preparation to be precise. Sir Clive Woodward had the backing of a Nation, and the grudging respect of the RFU hierarchy, Ashton was left with an alarm clock, the sound of which could be heard - loud and clear - from Paris on Friday evening.

Yes, mistakes have been made. Most notably regarding squad selection. Faith in the tried, tested and visibly faltering has - quite predictably - proved fruitless, yet hindsight is a wonderful thing. Those who think that disaster could have been averted simply by including a Haskell or a Cipriani in the touring party are wide of the mark.

Few have looked at the style of play, choosing instead to pick holes in the ageing patchwork. England are attempting to compete on the World stage, equipped with a club rugby mentality.

The application is there in abundance, the effort is also evident. However, for all the strained sinew, there is an overwhelming lack of confidence. South Africa were quick to take their chances, whereas our backline seemed intent on butchering every bit of decent ball they had. Putting boot to ball was almost comforting for a group of players who seem to have forgotten how to create the most valuable of commodities on a rugby pitch - space.

England are simply not good enough to be considered genuine World Cup contenders this time around. The grinding triumph of 2003 will never be repeated. The evolution of the game dictates that - allied to an imposing pack and metronomic kicker - teams have to possess unbelievable pace and fluency, as well as an element of surprise. The only surprising thing about Friday's performance from an English point of view was it's predictability.

It maybe an unbearable truth for some, but the class of 2007 is overburdened. Dwarfed by the shadow of past achievements and struggling to find the continuity needed to halt the slide towards mediocrity.

There is no easy answer. The cards have been shuffled too many times before. Thoughts of healing the rift between Club and Country have to be put on hold. England face a Pacific Island double-header, with games against Samoa and Tonga, tough games made even tougher by weight of expectation. Hopefully, we will see a fearless England, rather than a side who come unstuck in the spotlight.