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The 2003 winners’ failure to advance beyond the group stage for the first time left a “sense of deep disappointment”, Ritchie said.

World Cup hosts England face Uruguay in Manchester on Saturday in their final Pool A fixture, but are already condemned to an early exit.

England’s last Pool A game against Uruguay in Manchester next weekend has turned into an encore, and for all intents and purposes the host has been kicked out of its own party, the biggest and potentially best Rugby World Cup.

All that remains for England is to contest a dead rubber against Uruguay, amid what appears sure to be a flat atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium next weekend.

The tournament hosts can not reach the last eight from Pool A after Australia applied the killer blow with Saturday’s 33-13 win at Twickenham, a week after Wales had drawn first blood with their momentous victory over England.

Bernard Foley’s two tries and 18 points with the boot shattered errant England’s hopes, with Owen Farrell’s late sin-binning confirming head coach Lancaster’s nightmare scenario.

“Wales top the pool with 13 points, but if England beat Australia at Twickenham tomorrow and then secure the bonus point against Uruguay a week later the hosts will proceed as winners on 15 points”.

World Cup oblivion awaits if England lose for a second time in a fiercely competitive Pool A to become the first host nation to exit the tournament at the group stage, a fate made possible by the 28-25 loss to Wales.

However, New Zealand had themselves to blame as a litany of errors crept into their game after the initial spell and they failed to get any flow and continuity in their game. A couple of lovely offloads from Sonny Bill Williams and Conrad Smith had the Lelos scrambling, and when...

The breakdown threat will originate from a different source on Saturday, however, with fetchers supreme David Pocock and Michael Hooper present in the Wallabies back row.

When asked if his entire time with England hangs on this week, Lancaster said: “I think that’s fair to say”.

The former Argentina hooker has succeeded, with Australia showing a marked improvement in the set-piece and the maul during the Rugby Championship. The Welsh win means that England have to beat Australia tomorrow evening at Twickenham.

Although much of Wales’ 23-13 Pool A victory over Fiji at the Millennium Stadium was not pretty, first-half tries by Gareth Davies and Scott Baldwin – plus 13 points from Dan Biggar – saw them home.

I reckon needing a specialist openside at a World Cup should count as an exceptional circumstance, to allow Lancaster to pick him. At times, when the flak was flying at its hardest after his ill-fated decision to go for a lineout rather than kick at goal, Robshaw must have...

The Welsh squad received a visit from former world boxing champion Joe Calzaghe at their training base on Tuesday evening.