Stuart Lancaster: Australia match ‘must win’ for England

He expects a better determination of their status on Monday, a rest day for Wales.

The result puts Wales firmly in charge of Pool A, while realistically England must now beat Australia next Saturday to avoid a nightmare exit before the quarter-finals.

Liam Williams was stretchered off with a concussion, Hallam Amos departed with a suspected dislocated shoulder and Scott Williams with a knee injury – all unlikely to feature against Fiji on Thursday. We then lost players as we were going along, and we were behind twice by 10 points. But we will make a comment on that later on.

Defence coach Edwards said celebrations on the bus home from London didn’t go overboard – “the players were restrained but the management were quite lively” – because they are still fired up by their devastating semi-final loss to France four years ago.

“There’s a lot of frustration in the changing room and that frustration has to be turned into a positive mindset”. Wales finished that game with a flyhalf at fullback, a wing at centre, and a scrumhalf on the wing.

“We’ve got a massive game now to build to”, said Lancaster.

If Wales beat Fiji and Australia, they go through. The decision backfired as Wales’ pack snuffed out the danger with a big shove.

The three points could have sealed a valuable, draw but captain Chris Robshaw instead opted for a line-out in the hope of scoring a match-winning try. “We will just look at that later”.

“Once we review the game we can then get into Australia and get our heads down and work towards Saturday”.

“The job (of advancing from Pool A) is only half done”.

In seems nearly churlish to mention it, but Wales knew from past experience that French referee Jerome Garces would not require a second invitation to punish their indiscretions at scrum-time, and so it proved once more. “So, we will be putting out a pretty strong team against Fiji, showing them the respect they deserve after they have played so well so far in the competition”. We weighed up the options, we wanted to go for the win.

The injuries and uncertainty over Wood have intensified the size of the challenge that Lancaster faces in picking up his squad following the calamity of the defeat by Wales.

Gatland was choked as he spoke on the field after the game, in a rare display of emotion. Edwards defended their planning.

“Obviously, they’ve got their own threats at the breakdown in (David) Pocock and (Michael) Hooper, they’ve got a talented back line, but I think our boys will be ready”. It’s our World Cup final next week.

Carling, who led England 59 times, is scathing of Robshaw’s “unbelievable” decision and of the selection against Wales, but saved his most savage criticism for the failure by Lancaster – a former schoolteacher – to empower his leaders.