Stuart Lancaster has said he will be considering his future in the wake of England’s historic group-stage exit from the Rugby World Cup.
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It could have been even worse for the hosts with Michael Hooper wrecking a strong attacking position by clearing out at a ruck with too much force, but as the players trooped off at half-time the England head coach, Stuart Lancaster, faced the most important team-talk of his global career, knowing it could be his last that actually mattered.
Questions have also been posed regarding Ian Ritchie, the chief executive of England’s governing Rugby Football Union.
“I would like to stress, however, that there will be no hasty reaction to England’s performance in this Rugby World Cup”.
It is the first time both England or the World Cup hosts have failed to reach the knockout stages.
The Wallabies and England are old rivals and the margin of defeat was the greatest yet in a World Cup between these foes.
Lancaster took over after England’s ill-fated World Cup campaign in 2011, when the team’s disappointing displays on the field ” it was eliminated by France in the quarterfinals ” were overshadowed by a string of embarrassing off-field incidents.
“A lot of people have written us off, and we have demonstrated that character when we are under pressure”.
“It’s all about winning this weekend, building a performance to put us in the place to win this game – if not we’re out of this tournament”, said Farrell.
“I look at England in the last four years-we haven’t won a (Six Nations) championship and we’ve had a poor World Cup”, Carling told BBC Radio on Sunday.
Following losses to Australia and England, Fiji are desperate to salvage a few pride against a Wales side buoyed by their stunning 28-25 victory over England inspired by a kicking masterclass from fly-half Dan Biggar.
“The first thing that happens next is that there’s a game next week against Uruguay and we need to focus on that”, Ritchie added.
“The last 20 minutes Australia dominated and deserved to win”.
Australia were by then 17-3 ahead thanks to Foley’s second try.
“With 15 minutes to go [of England versus Australia] it was like I was sitting in the box myself. This is going to sit with us all forever – players, coaches, management”, Lancaster said in the aftermath of the stunning defeat on Saturday by the Wallabies.
As players we didn’t quite get there.
He said: “Yeah, obviously I think I’ve got to”.
Lancaster, asked what he would have done differently, said: “Win the Wales game”.
“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”. So you’ve got what he’s done for the past three years or what he has done in the World Cup.
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“He is a massive player for Wales at this moment in time and a real go-to man. He has taken the team by the scruff of the neck and he makes good decisions”.
