We Let Country Down, Says England Captain

“I would like to stress there will be no hasty reaction to England’s performance in this World Cup”, said Ian Ritchie, chief executive of England’s Rugby Football Union – the world’s richest national governing body.

The Wallabies lauded their hero Foley.

England now have to beat Australia if they are to keep their World Cup dreams alive and Youngs is adamant they will make the quarter-finals.

What should have been an England line-out inside Australia’s 22 became a Wallaby penalty 25 metres in front of their own posts. They are the first hosts to be eliminated at the group stage since the inception of the tournament in 1987.

Faletau, his former Dragons teammate Dan Lydiate and skipper Sam Warburton will certainly be in for a tough test next week with England coach Stuart Lancaster hailing the Australian back row as among the best in the world.

“I don’t think I’ll ever come to terms with it personally because it was such a big thing”, he added. “It has been not just the group of death, but the group of hell, basically, for all of us”.

Vunipola is reported to have said that Farrell did the coaching, not Lancaster, and made England play like a rugby league side. Everyone put so much effort in.

“Last week we let Wales of the hook, but today we were comprehensively beaten”.

Robshaw accepted he would be under pressure as well. We got a lot of momentum and we closed out a very good win.

Yet England still ended up apologising for letting everyone down – just as they did on their return from in New Zealand four years ago.

“I think this week we have had to answer a few tough questions”, said Robshaw.

“We have gone cycle after cycle and what we want to do is look at the criteria for a successful England management?”

“I thought Pocock was outstanding on the day”.

“I feel a lot for the fans”.

The Australia coach could have been forgiven a hearty celebration having emerged from the fevered atmosphere of a hostile Twickenham with a record-breaking 33-13 win that moved them safely into the quarter-finals. We need to reflect on the perspective of all of that. It was a special win (against England), but as soon as Monday comes we will be preparing for Wales.

For good measure the Wallabies also set about destroying the English scrum, sending it rocking back to gasps from the Twickenham faithful, as even that last refuge of superiority was routed. The two-time champions got past Scotland 34-16 at St James Park in Newcastle in north-east England and top the pool with 11 points.

South Africa will take on the United States on 7 October at the Olympic Stadium in their final pool game.

England World Cup-winning flanker Lewis Moody agreed wholeheartedly that Lancaster should be retained and hopes the RFU learns from its mistakes of the recent past.