#RugbyWorldCup

We are out. England have not made the quarter finals. All those dreams have gone. All the anticipation pre tournament has been spent. The tournament is barely half through and the host nation, one of the tournament favourites and my country have been beaten twice in a very tough group. You have to smile. It is what makes sport a great thing to follow - an emotional roller coaster. Shame it did not last a bit longer.

So what of England. Well they gave 100%. They tried their hardest. Everyone involved carried themselves well and they and we should be proud. The three matches, Fiji, Wales and Australia were all tense games - real competition in the best sense.

But what went wrong? England are probably the best resourced team in the world. We have a massive population to draw on and few countries if any have as many rugby players. Our team is made up of players as big, as fast and as fit as any of the others. Our planning has been meticulous. The sports science behind the team - cutting edge.

My theory! All those assets are also liabilities.

Too many players to choose from - no one is secure - everyone knows one blip and they are on the bench. Does this constitute a positive pressure  - doubtful - is it an inhibitor - probably. Does it give time for players to really bond - to build implicit trust - to give to the team selflessly.

Resources and planning and preparation - no stone unturned. A specialist coach for every aspect of the game. Maybe it is a case of disect a cat - you no longer have a cat!

I think England were perhaps too professionally prepared. Too much to think about perhaps. When any team in any sport are playing well - in the zone - it flows. Spontaneity and second sense are what is often needed to break through rather than just a well rehearsed game plan which is ultimately compartmentalised and inflexible. It is hard to create a "club" mentality in such a large expectant international team set up.

A couple of other things. Of course all England players are proud to wear the red rose and sing the National Anthem. They are playing for their country. But on a wider point the English for some reason seem to fail to feel that intense sense of patriotism that say the other home nations or just about any other country seem to display. Englishness is low key - even confused. The English players may sing the National Anthem (we need one of our own!!) but not with the intensity of other countries players. When margins are tight this extra patriotic dimension rather than just winning might be a factor.

The other point - Stewart Lancaster - the England boss. I like him and wish him to stay on in his role - but only marginally. When you look at say Gatland, Cotter, Cheika or several other International Head Coaches they have something of the Pit Bull about them - a sort of controlled aggression but on the edge. Lancaster does not seem like that. Does he have to be?

So England are out but their matches were great emotional entertainment. Up until now I offered little cheering support, if any, for the other home nations. Now I am with them - particularly the Welsh and even the Scots. The Welsh can go on and do really well - but subject to their injury list. The Welsh are rugby to their core. It is in their DNA. It is a working class game. They will be going crazy in their working men's clubs especially as they beat us English. (would it be churlish to mention they have New Zealand manager and his assistant is English - ha!