There is no point trying to hide away from it: England’s defeat by Wales at Twickenham last weekend was a body blow they could well have done without. Brian Ashton was justified in expressing satisfaction with the way his side played in the first half of the game – I was deeply impressed with their rugby at that stage, especially the defensive work at the breakdown, which was bang on the money – but those of us who have coached the national team know that these matches are overwhelmingly about winning. Victory is pretty much the be-all and end-all. Expectation is always there at this level, and it has to be met.

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