Slammed shut

Lancaster’s young guns were left shellshocked by a rampant Welsh team who crushed England 30-3, the biggest margin in the fixture’s 130-year history.

It was an epic capitulation from England, far more alarming than the loss they suffered in Dublin two years ago when they were also on the verge of a Six Nations clean sweep.

Sir Clive Woodward – who lost three grand slam deciders before getting it right in 2003 – has ratcheted up the pressure by suggesting England’s ‘bubble has been burst’ and that Lancaster should rethink his long-term strategy.

Woodward said: “To me, coaching England is (about) your next game. You are picking a team to win on Saturday. It is not about too much development. He has to take that on board now.”

But in the wake of this soul-destroying defeat at a rocking Millennium Stadium, Lancaster promised he would continue the slow road to the 2015 World Cup that he began when he took the job in December 2011.

“We had a World Cup squad, the majority of whom were post-30 and we had to start again at some point,” said the former Leeds and England head coach.

“We took the decision to start again, to build a side. We’ve had some ups and downs, we’ve lost some games – although we haven’t lost one like this before. But I still think it is the right philosophy.

“No team goes unbeaten in international rugby, as Wales can testify. You can’t lose your nerve when something doesn’t go your way.”

Much of what had been impressive about England in recent weeks had been their squad depth, but that was ruthlessly exposed in an outrageously one-sided title decider.

Chris Ashton’s woes on the wing continue and their back five were outmuscled by Wales’s formidable and experienced quintet, led by Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric.

“What we need to create with England is greater strength in depth,” said Lancaster.

“We missed Ben Morgan as a ball-carrier up front and Billy Vunipola, possibly, who will come through.

“We’ve got some younger wingers who we want to have a look at on the summer tour, but it’s about finding the right place and the right time to give them experience.

“Look at Wales; they’ve got some big lads in their back five who were excellent. The physicality of their back line, we need; we haven’t too many athletes like that in the English game.”

England now have to stew on this calamitous finale for two months before reconvening for their summer tour to Argentina.

Even then, that squad will comprise primarily younger players with men such as Owen Farrell and Chris Robshaw expected to be part of the British and Irish 
Lions’ squad to tour Australia.

Lancaster will not get to work with his full squad again until November.

“That’s a real disappointment,” said the head coach.

“There will be lads away with the British Lions in June so we will take probably a younger side to Argentina and we will also take the lessons from this.

“I’m hoping we will lose some players to the Lions, which will give us a chance to bring other lads in.

“I spoke to Steve Hansen (New Zealand coach) after the All Blacks game and he said it was difficult when you lose your last game because you’ve got so long to think about it and stew on it.

“For us, we don’t meet again until May 21. That is a long time to think about it, I can assure you.”

In that time there will be no end of issues to concern himself with.

England looked desperately unable to compete with Wales’s energy and power throughout the game, and even though they only trailed 9-3 at the break, there was a sense that the red rose were fortunate to still be in touch.

“We only had one ball from our scrum and I don’t know how many penalties and free-kicks against us,” said Lancaster of a key area in which England were dominated.

“The breakdown then became an area of concern for us, so we ended up not contesting it too hard for fear of giving penalties away, and that then gave them quick ball.

“When they’ve got good runners coming on, we couldn’t get off the line, so that compounded it.

“What I thought Wales did particularly well in our 22 was retain the ball, which meant they took the legs out of us after our six-day turn-around.

“That started to tell and the heavy runners Wales brought to the party told. We struggled massively in the last 20 minutes.

“It was hugely disappointing to have lost. The perspective is that we’ve won our last five games, but (in Wales) we got beaten by a better side.

“I don’t think I should be criticising the players in the immediate aftermath. We are absolutely gutted to have lost a game and they worked their socks off, but on the day the experience of the Welsh side told.

“We’ve got to take it on the chin, learn the lessons and move on.

“It leaves a huge motivation to make sure it doesn’t happen again because it is a desperately disappointing place to be.

“It’s a difficult one to take at the moment. Long-term, I think we will be better for it, but no one wants to be happy losing.”