Gatland delighted to emerge from group of hell

Luther Burrell, an ever present under Lancaster over the last two years, lost out on selection for the final 31 to Burgess and there was sympathy for a player who had been overlooked because of the perceived aura and big game experience of his rival.

Lancaster’s position as head coach of the national side has come under severe scrutiny following the team’s exit from the World Cup at the pool stages.

A 33-13 rout by Australia – a record losing margin to the Wallabies at Twickenham – condemned England to becoming the first host nation to exit the tournament at the group phase.

Lancaster admitted after that he may be jobhunting soon.

“I would hope the players would be supportive in the review”, he said.

Coach Stuart Lancaster accepted the consequences before the match if England didn’t get out of its pool for the first time.

Ritchie, however, accepted no change was not an option after such an embarrassing display on home territory.

“We will sit down together and look at it as well as look at what we need to do differently”.

Both England and Australia had, until recently, a policy of not picking foreign-based players.

Change is inevitable after England slumped to their worst performance in World Cup history, admits Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie.

Ritchie said the RFU had no plans to follow Australia’s lead.

“I’d like to say we were right in the fight to the end but we weren’t, we were desperately clutching at straws and trying to salvage something from a game that had gone”, said Wood.

“Stuart Lancaster is a very likeable, admirable guy, but I sense we’ve hit a ceiling”.

“It’s the Wales game that will haunt them”.

Head coach Stuart Lancaster and his assistants now face an uncertain future, but they have the full backing of Wood.

However Lancaster, whose contract with the RFU runs until 2020, was clear that a decision over his future would not be taken before next Saturday’s match with Uruguay in Manchester.

“But this time I haven’t got any questions”. That ends their World Cup campaign. “This isn’t a time to rush into things, it’s a time for calm, rational, considered reflection about what can we learn, how can we move forward, what can we do to improve. I need to get the team ready to play Uruguay on Saturday and that’s my priority”.

Is this really less than a month since England paraded on stage with Take That at a gala send-off and Lancaster expressed his belief that England would win the cup?

“For us to come out here and compete against such a quality England side with everything to play for at Twickenham, the home of rugby, it’s just reward for the work we’ve put in as a squad”, he said. “Credit to Australia and apologies to everyone else because we’re absolutely gutted”. Not quite a year ago, the England pack forced 13 penalties, and carried Morgan over the line twice for tries in another victory for English muscle. It’s going to be a good team and I want the country to stay behind the team because they are good lads.

“And Jonno being the person that he was wouldn’t have other people fall on his sword, so he stepped down, which I think was a huge mistake for the RFU not to retain him”.