RUGBY PREVIEW: England’s Last World Cup Game

For England’s Rugby Football Union, the sport’s wealthiest national governing body and blessed with one of the game’s largest playing bases, the word “disappointing” doesn’t do justice to the scale of the reverse.

England’s early exit from the Rugby World Cup could be blamed on a lack of forward planning that left them devoid of tournament experience.

The RFU denied they had made contact and a spokesman for Mallett stated on Friday afternoon that his words had been misinterpreted.

Mallett coached the Springboks from 1997 to 2000 and spent four years at the helm of Italy before his reign ended in 2011.

Burgess, 26, was not included in the matchday 23 for England’s final Pool A match against Uruguay in Manchester this weekend. “I enjoy my job anyway too much”.

The latter, by contrast, have 17 players who have been to the World Cup before, two more than Wales, who are joint-second with South Africa on the list among this year’s likely contenders. To the suggestion that an overhaul was needed, he said: “Personally I would say no, but I would say that, wouldn’t I, because I built it”.

“I have a little bit of concern, but I’m confident that once they come home to Bath their mojo, excitement and enthusiasm will be back”.

England’s World Cup campaign concludes on Saturday against Uruguay in Manchester after defeats against Wales and Australia meant they became the first host nation to fail to make the knock-out stages in the tournament’s history.

“Whether we agree or disagree over selection, we’ll do it professionally, privately and in the way it should be done”.

Feeding them will be scrumhalf Danny Care, making his first Rugby World Cup appearance after a broken foot ruled him out in 2011.

In the written decision published by World Rugby, Farrell and Rowntree are found to have exchanged words with assistant referees Marius Mitrea and George Clancy over the scrum, a department of the game in which England struggled.

“In the whole of the north west there’s one game, which wasn’t a true match”. You can’t underestimate what he has done for this squad to build those foundations, which we can’t go back on now as a squad.

The incident led to Lancaster ruling the Anglo-Samoan centre out of his plans but Cockerill said: ‘There are lots of Kiwis who misbehave.

Over 2,000 supporters were canvassed by bookmakers William Hill with 63 per cent saying England were hindered by their policy of not picking overseas players.

In weeks to come, the talk will still be why England lost 33-13 to Australia at Twickenham last Saturday, a week after losing 28-25 to Wales at the same ground.