Australia...51 England...15: In theory, England should have left Australia numb with disappointment after the third comprehensive drubbing of a fraught summer tour.
In reality, the players' overwhelming emotion as they stagger home today will be relief; finally their endless season is over and they can cease the arduous job of dragging the carcass of their World Cup victory from pillar to goalpost. It is now patently obvious this was a tour too far for the English.
When England flew out of Sydney last November as world champions they skipped up the plane steps intent on drinking the aircraft dry. This time, they were too bushed to give a XXXX about anything much at all.
In consequence, this was a kangaroo court in which England were effectively doomed before they arrived. Clive Woodward always swore he would never repeat the experience of 1998 when he toured these parts with even less success.
Now history has, to some extent, repeated itself and there is a limited amount of time in which to pick up the pieces - England succumbed by an aggregate try margin of 14-2 to their antipodean friends. England's autumn programme features Twickenham fixtures against Canada, South Africa and Australia; should they lose the last two, it really will be tin-hat time.
"If we get those games right what happened here will be largely forgotten," insisted Woodward yesterday. "If we get them wrong there will be serious questions asked. If it doesn't go well in November then, yes, it'll shake my faith in what I'm doing."
He still believes England have been a victim of post-World Cup circumstance, holding the view that losing Martin Johnson, Neil Back, Jonny Wilkinson and Phil Vickery to retirement and injury has intensified the hangover.
Of all the post-tour sound-bites, however, the most accurate came from his assistant Phil Larder, who described England's defensive effort as "a massive embarrassment" and refused to deal in diplomatic niceties.
"I look at some of the players who I know are champion players and that wasn't a fair reflection of the players I know," insisted Larder bluntly. "Our defence is based on enthusiasm, but there were too many players who were just running on empty.
"They've got massive hearts and massive enthusiasm, but they've just got nothing in their legs. I just think they're being asked to do far too much."
If the International Board wishes to safeguard the integrity of touring those words should be pinned to the wall of their Dublin offices.
AUSTRALIA: Roff (ACT); Rathbone (ACT; Henjak, ACT, 73), Mortlock (ACT; Latham, Queensland, 55), Giteau (ACT), Tuqiri (NSW); Larkham (ACT), Gregan (ACT, capt); Young (ACT), Cannon (NSW; Paul, ACT, 24), Baxter (NSW; Dunning, NSW, 74), Harrison (NSW; Vickerman, ACT, 64), Sharpe (Queensland), Samo (ACT; Roe, Queensland, 49), Waugh (NSW; Smith, ACT, 68), Lyons (NSW). Tries: Rathbone 3, Paul 2, Tuqiri. Cons: Roff 3. Pens: Roff 5.
England: Lewsey (Wasps); Voyce (Wasps), Catt (London Irish; Barkley, Bath, half-time), Tindall (Bath; Waters, Wasps, 64), Cohen (Northampton); Hodgson (Sale), Gomarsall (Gloucester; Dawson, Wasps, 46); Payne (Wasps; M Worsley, Harlequins, 60), Regan (Leeds; Thompson, Northampton, h-t), White (Leicester), Shaw (Wasps), Borthwick (Bath), J Worsley (Wasps; Corry, Leicester, 55), Hill (Saracens; Lipman, Bath, 74), Dallaglio (Wasps, capt). Tries: Hill, Dallaglio. Con: Hodgson. Pen: Hodgson.
Referee: P O'Brien (New Zealand).
