Disaster averted but England must start again with Six Nations ahead

Bronze was the reward for bloody-mindedness but Borthwick must now set in place along-term plan

- Gerard Meagher

In the coming weeks, the Rugby Football Union's panel of experts will convene to review the World Cup campaign. Players will be invited to give their feedback, presentations will be made to board members, and boxes will be ticked.

To save them some time, file this campaign under "disaster averted". An ageing, proud squad gave it a lash but came up short against the eventual champions. The RFU chief executive, Bill Sweeney, said: "I think we did a brilliant job of managing expectations." Credit to Steve Borthwick for formulating a plan inside 10 months that took his side to within a point of the Springboks, but do not be fooled that English rugby is back on an even keel. Reaching the semi-final after a dismal Six Nations and even worse warm-up campaign was a victory for bloodymindedness, a platform from which to build, but it papers over cracks across the domestic game.

A host of senior players are calling time on their international careers, Borthwick has a tranche of younger players around whom to build when it comes to the Six Nations next year - none more so than Ben Earl, England's standout player in France - and, while he is said to favour evolution rather than revolution, it will be a squad in transition. The coaching staff too because Felix Jones, fresh from a second World Cup triumph with South Africa, is arriving and Kevin Sinfield is expected to depart.

"Steve and the coaching team came in last December and the meticulous way he goes about planning and preparing the team showed through," Sweeney said.