World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry stepped down from his role in charge of New Zealand on this day in 2011.

The announcement came eight days after the All Blacks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup on home soil following a narrow 8-7 win over France at Eden Park in Auckland.

The then 65-year-old finished with a record of 88 wins in 103 Tests, having been appointed to the position in December 2003.

“It’s been an enormous privilege to coach the All Blacks and I am exceptionally proud of how the team has added to the All Blacks legacy over the last eight years, involving 103 Test matches,” he said.

“I am also exceptionally proud of how they have developed an extremely professional and enjoyable culture and environment, and how they have reached out to people of all ages and put a smile on their faces, both here in New Zealand and overseas.”

Christchurch-born Henry was replaced by his assistant Steve Hansen, who helped New Zealand retain the World Cup in 2015 – the country’s third title.

He previously served as Wales coach, between 1998 and 2002, and also led the British and Irish Lions’ losing tour to Australia in 2001.

New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief executive Steve Tew said: “He leaves the All Blacks job as one of the greatest coaches in the game. His record is unsurpassed.”

Henry, whose first World Cup campaign ended with a quarter-final defeat to France in 2007, agreed a part-time role with the NZRU to mentor the nation’s up-and-coming coaches.

He then took up a similar position with the Argentina Rugby Union, while also working as an assistant coach for Los Pumas.

Eddie Jones said he wanted to continue as head coach of Australia and has not had a job offer from Japan after his resignation was confirmed.

Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said they had reached a “sensible” agreement with the former England coach as his nine months in the job came to an end.

Speaking to Channel 9 in Australia, Jones said he “never” had a job offer from Japan and criticised media reports of an interview ahead of a World Cup campaign which saw Australia crash out in the group stages.

“I’ve got no job to go to, no job offer,” he said. “My commitment to Australian rugby has been 100%. I did want to go on. Coaching a team is a bit like being in a marriage, you need commitment from both sides.

“I was committed to change the team. Rugby Australia at the moment cannot activate the changes, financial and political, to make real change in Australian rugby.”

He continued: “I don’t like to be in projects where I don’t think they can really get to where they need to get to and I’ve made that decision.

“Rugby Australia probably doesn’t think that and that’s where the unity of our project is not in the place it needs to be.

“Sometimes you go in the bank and blow it up but you don’t come out with the money.”

Former Wallabies flanker Waugh said he “took Eddie on his word” when he denied reports linking him with Japan.

Talking to a press conference in Sydney, Waugh said: “Our focus will be reconnecting with the Australian public rather than where Eddie’s going to be.

“We’ve come to a sensible conclusion, both for Eddie and for Rugby Australia.

“I don’t think it changes the position we’re at now, whether Eddie was to stay or go.

“This is hopefully a low point and a chance to reset. The most important thing is to unite.”

Jones will officially leave his role on November 25 and Waugh said Rugby Australia would take “however long it takes” to ensure they got the “best possible coach”.

He refused to be drawn on the position of chairman Hamish McLennan, who has faced criticism for replacing Dave Rennie with Jones on a five-year deal in January – weeks after he had been dismissed by England.

“Ultimately the board is responsible for this decision,” he said. “It’s speculation where we would have been if we had not made that call and Dave had stayed on.

“The results were not up to expectation. The board has made some bold calls. Hindsight is a wonderful thing… where we ended up was not good enough.”

Rugby Australia earlier confirmed Jones’ resignation as head coach following the Wallabies’ failure to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time.

“Rugby Australia can confirm that it has accepted the resignation of Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones, and he will depart the position on 25 November 2023,” a statement from the governing body read.

“Rugby Australia thanks Eddie for his commitment to the Wallabies in 2023, and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.

“Announcements regarding the future of the Wallabies coaching staff will be made in due course.”

McLennan had already vowed to continue in his role, telling the Sydney Morning Herald in a statement: “I came to rugby to find a way to fix it when it all fell over and despite the sad Eddie situation, this is another hurdle we’ll overcome.

“I want to stay to deliver the 2027 World Cup in Australia. That has always been the big prize for Australian rugby.

“More destabilisation will just make matters worse, just when we’re about to break through. Life is not a continuous line of perfect calls and success.”

Jones won just two of nine Tests in charge against Georgia and Portugal in the World Cup where they suffered losses to Fiji and Wales.

Rugby Australia has accepted the resignation of head coach Eddie Jones following the Wallabies’ failure to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Jones will officially depart the position on November 25.

The former England coach’s departure just nine months into a five-year contract had been widely reported in Australia amid further speculation he is heading for a second spell in charge of Japan.

“Rugby Australia can confirm that it has accepted the resignation of Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones, and he will depart the position on 25 November 2023,” a statement from the governing body read.

“Rugby Australia thanks Eddie for his commitment to the Wallabies in 2023, and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.

“Announcements regarding the future of the Wallabies coaching staff will be made in due course.”

Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh is set to hold a media conference on Tuesday to address the fall-out from Jones’ upcoming departure.

Chairman of Rugby Australia Hamish McLennan had already vowed to continue in his role.

McLennan told the Sydney Morning Herald in a statement: “I came to rugby to find a way to fix it when it all fell over and despite the sad Eddie situation, this is another hurdle we’ll overcome.

“I want to stay to deliver the 2027 World Cup in Australia. That has always been the big prize for Australian rugby.

“More destabilisation will just make matters worse, just when we’re about to break through. Life is not a continuous line of perfect calls and success.”

McLennan played a key role in bringing Jones back for a second stint in charge of Australia, the 63-year-old replacing Dave Rennie just a month after being sacked by England following five wins in 12 Tests in 2022.

But his return turned sour with just two wins in nine Tests – against Georgia and Portugal in the World Cup where they suffered losses to Fiji and Wales.

The failure to get out of the group stages for the first time came against a background of Jones denying he took part in an interview with the Japanese Rugby Football Union, both during and after the World Cup.

Despite multiple news outlets reporting that he was poised to meet officials in Japan next month for a second interview, Jones has repeatedly told the media that he was committed to Australian rugby.

Jones told the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday: “(I) gave it a run. Hopefully be the catalyst for change.

“Sometimes you have to eat s**t for others to eat caviar further down the track.”

The chairman of Rugby Australia has said he will not quit following the resignation of coach Eddie Jones.

Rugby Australia has yet to officially announce Jones’ departure in the wake of the Wallabies’ failure to reach the knockout stages of the Rugby World Cup, but Hamish McLennan vowed to continue in his role as he described the “sad Eddie situation” as a “hurdle we’ll overcome”.

The former England coach’s departure just nine months into a five-year contract has been widely reported in Australia amid further speculation he is heading for a second spell in charge of Japan.

McLennan told the Sydney Morning Herald in a statement: “I came to rugby to find a way to fix it when it all fell over and despite the sad Eddie situation, this is another hurdle we’ll overcome.

“I want to stay to deliver the 2027 World Cup in Australia. That has always been the big prize for Australian rugby.

“More destabilisation will just make matters worse, just when we’re about to break through. Life is not a continuous line of perfect calls and success.”

McLennan played a key role in bringing Jones back for a second stint in charge of Australia, the 63-year-old replacing Dave Rennie just a month after being sacked by England following five wins in 12 Tests in 2022.

But his return turned sour with just two wins in nine Tests – against Georgia and Portugal in the World Cup where they suffered losses to Fiji and Wales.

The failure to get out of the group stages for the first time came against a background of Jones denying he took part in an interview with the Japanese Rugby Football Union, both during and after the World Cup.

Despite multiple news outlets reporting that he was poised to meet officials in Japan next month for a second interview, Jones has repeatedly told the media that he was committed to Australian rugby.

Jones told the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday: “(I) gave it a run. Hopefully be the catalyst for change.

“Sometimes you have to eat s**t for others to eat caviar further down the track.”

Ben Youngs enters Test retirement comforted by the belief that England’s future is in safe hands after an encouraging World Cup.

Youngs made his 127th and last appearance in Friday’s bronze final victory over Argentina and ends his 13-year international career as the nation’s most capped men’s player.

Courtney Lawes has also confirmed he is bowing out of the Test arena and Jonny May is very likely to follow suit, while Dan Cole and Joe Marler are nearing the end of their time at the top.

The departure of so many experienced stars – three of them cap centurions – points to an uncertain future, but Youngs believes England can leave the World Cup with confidence.

“There will still be a lot of guys playing who have vast experience and who will be playing with the guys that will now start learning Test rugby,” the Leicester scrum-half said.

“We have some really good leaders, some guys who have been there and done it and dragged the others along with us, along with coaches who gave us a really clear plan.

“It was a plan that suited the team and what we needed right now, which was stripping it back a little bit.

“Marcus Smith is not inexperienced because he’s got a huge amount of experience for someone of such a young age and he’s now finding playing full-back a little bit different for him.

“You’ve got Freddie Steward, Ollie Chessum, George Martin, you’ve got a lot of guys who are going to continue to grow.

“You then marry that up with the guys like Maro Itoje, Ellis Genge and Jamie George who will still be there.

“It’s about getting that blend and continuity in the group, and also we’ve got good coaches.

“And there is that Englishness in us when our backs are against the wall. It’s a bit of bloody-mindedness – ‘right boys, we’ve got no option, we’ve got to roll our sleeves up’.”

South Africa retained the men’s Rugby World Cup on Saturday evening with a nail-biting 12-11 victory over New Zealand at Stade de France.

Here, the PA news agency picks a team from the best performing players in the tournament.

15. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand): Two-time world player of the year set the standard for a playmaking full-back.

14. Damian Penaud (France): Daredevil wing who topped the try-scoring chart until Will Jordan ran amok against Argentina.

13. Waisea Nayacalevu (Fiji): The Islanders’ skipper stood out in a backline full of lethal runners.

12. Bundee Aki (Ireland): A player of the tournament candidate through his powerful running, clever lines and slick footwork.

11. Will Jordan (New Zealand): Ruthless finisher who is in the company of greats such as Jonah Lomu after amassing eight tries.

10. Richie Mo’unga (New Zealand): The game’s most complete fly-half with the creativity to match his game-management.

9. Aaron Smith (New Zealand): One of the World Cup’s smallest players is also among its smartest.

1. Ox Nche (South Africa): The Springboks’ strongest scrummager may be on the bench but what an impact he makes.

2. Mike Tadjer (Portugal): A front row all-rounder who was especially influential in the shock victory over Fiji.

3. Ben Tameifuna (Tonga): Monster tighthead prop weighing in at 23st 11lbs yet has the carrying prowess to match his scrummaging.

4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa): A snarling enforcer and still the game’s dominant second row despite an off-night against England.

5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland): Ever-present for Ireland who provided fight whether playing at lock or in the second-row.

6. Courtney Lawes (England): A back-row warrior with a sharp rugby brain excelled in the biggest games.

7. Jac Morgan (Wales): Blockbusting flanker who showed maturity beyond his years to lead Wales into the quarter-finals.

8. Ardie Savea (New Zealand): Pushed very close by England’s Ben Earl but Savea is a class apart.

South Africa’s victory over New Zealand in the World Cup final was forged in their national psyche, according to some of the stars of their successful title defence.

Hosts France, England and the All Blacks each fell by a single point to a Springboks side who do not know when they are beaten, establishing them as rugby’s ultimate knockout specialists.

New Zealand overcame the red card shown to their captain Sam Cane for a dangerous tackle to take an enthralling final to the wire and even had opportunities to snatch South Africa’s crown.

But the repeat champions – now the most successful nation in men’s World Cup history with four titles – defended magnificently to ensure they they will return home on Tuesday as heroes.

Prop Ox Nche, the destroyer of England’s scrum in the semi-final, said: “It shows our resilience. In South Africa that’s what we are made of.

“When you think we are down that’s when we come out and shock you and show you that we can achieve anything.

“I don’t know how to describe this feeling – it is a feeling that is out of this world. If we stay united we can achieve anything. That’s what it means to me.”

Victory was made possible by four first-half Handre Pollard penalties that saw the fly-half – who was only an injury call up to the squad in mid-September – finish the World Cup with a 100 per cent kicking record.

“This team has a never-say-die attitude. The second half was more containment and limiting the damage. Even though they scored, we limited them to five points,” Pollard said.

It can now be argued that a South Africa team that has amassed back-to-back world titles and defeated the Lions in 2021 is the greatest of all time and there is no question they lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy the hard way.

Full-back Damian Willemse is delighted to have triumphed on behalf of a nation that is besieged by problems.

“We do it for the people of South Africa. We do it for each other. We do it for our families. People don’t really have the money but they have made their way here to support us,” Willemse said.

“I’m really proud of everyone for putting their bodies on the line and sacrificing themselves.

“That is what we have to do to win a World Cup. It is really special to be part of it. I am just really proud to be South African.

“We knew it was going to take a massive effort to beat the All Blacks. They are a great team who have been in great form these past few weeks.

“The red card did change the game from a technical point of view, but we knew the All Blacks weren’t going to die.”

Eddie Jones has resigned as Australia head coach, according to reports in the country.

The 63-year-old former England boss was in charge of a disastrous World Cup campaign, which saw Australia fail to reach the knockout stages for the first time in their history.

During the tournament in France it was reported that Jones had held talks to take over Japan for a second time, despite being less than than one year into a five-year contract which was set to expire after the 2027 World Cup.

Following the reports, Jones told the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday: “(I) gave it a run. Hopefully be the catalyst for change.

“Sometimes you have to eat s**t for others to eat caviar further down the track.”

There was no confirmation from Rugby Australia on Sunday morning.

New Zealand captain Sam Cane admitted he was feeling “so much hurt” after he was sent off in Saturday’s 12-11 World Cup final defeat by South Africa.

Cane’s yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Jesse Kriel in the 28th minute of a dramatic clash at the Stade de France was upgraded to red by the bunker review system.

It was the first time a player had been dismissed in a men’s World Cup final and although the All Blacks showed heart to overcome the setback and score through Beauden Barrett, they could not pierce South Africa’s defence again.

“So much hurt right now. It’s actually hard to find the words to explain it,” Cane said.

“It’s hard because you are feeling so much hurt, but at the same time you are so proud of the group in how they fought back.

“We really gave ourselves a good shot of winning that game. I think it speaks volumes of the group as a whole.”

A despondent Cane refused to blame the officials led by referee Wayne Barnes or the bunker review system for a decision that left New Zealand swimming against the tide.

“At the time, I wasn’t even aware (of the head contact). It sort of caught me off guard because of the fact he stepped back,” Cane said.

“But we’ve been at this tournament for two months now and anything around the head has ramifications.

“I’m not here to discuss whether it was right or wrong. It can’t be changed. It’s something unfortunately I am going to have to live with forever.”

New Zealand head coach Ian Foster stood by his skipper and insisted the high tackle was not a red card offence, adding that Siya Kolisi’s challenge on Ardie Savea in the second half that was a yellow only was equally severe.

“We’ve all seen the way Sam has contributed to the game, to our team behind the scenes, and it’s fantastic,” Foster said.

“He’s worthy of being captain of the All Blacks, which is an honour and a privilege, and he has carried that magnificently. I’m incredibly proud of him and proud to coach him.

“There was an intent to wrap and there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of force in the contact.

“The hit on Ardie had a lot of force going into that contact and had a direct contact on the head. The game has got a few issues it has got to sort out. That’s not sour grapes.

“You’ve got two different situations with different variables and one is a red card, one is a yellow card. That’s the game.

“We got the same behaviour from that TMO (Tom Foley) that we got during the Irish series last year. The same TMO. We expected what we got.”

South Africa defended their crown through four Handre Pollard penalties, all of them coming in the first half, to win a third successive knock-out game by a single point.

It lifts them above New Zealand as the most successful side in World Cup history with four titles.

“There aren’t a lot of things going right in our country and we have the privilege to be able to do what we love and inspire people in life, not just sports people,” Kolisi said.

“Where I come from, I couldn’t dream I could be here today. We come from different walks of life. I had my own goals and ambitions.

“I want to look after my family, I want to give back to my community. You need to come and see South Africa to understand.

“When we come together nothing can stop us, not just in sport but also in life.”

New Zealand captain Sam Cane became the first player to be sent off in a World Cup final as South Africa retained their title with a nail-biting 12-11 victory at Stade de France.

Cane was shown a red card for in the 28th minute for a dangerous tackle on Jesse Kriel but the All Blacks responded with character and resilience to take the champions to the wire on a wet Paris night.

Beauden Barrett ran in the first try ever scored against South Africa in a World Cup final as the final quarter approached but, with Richie Mo’unga unable to add the conversion, New Zealand still trailed.

Jordie Barrett then missed a tricky long-range penalty that would have toppled the Springboks and despite furious late attempts to strike from long range they were unable to break through the green wall.

Jamie George has urged the Rugby Football Union to give England players a voice when devising the ‘hybrid contracts’ that are expected to be signed off by the end of the year.

The RFU wants to tie 25 players to the contracts that will give head coach Steve Borthwick greater control over frontline members of his squad, who would also continue to be employed by their clubs.

The deals would help keep England stars in the Gallagher Premiership, but while George applauds the increased collaboration between club and country, he insists players should be consulted before they are formalised.

“We just need a bit more clarity around them. It is hard for us because you hear the whispers and you might get excited about it, but at the same time we have to focus on the job at hand,” the Saracens hooker said.

“What I do have is a huge confidence in Steve to make sure we get this right if those central contracts or playing contracts do come in.

“It could be a great thing for English rugby, but it has to be done right. Steve will do it in the absolute right way that does not take away from the club game because that’s something that means a lot to me.

“Hopefully there will be plenty of player influence as well because there are a lot of very intelligent guys in this changing room who have a lot of things to say and care a huge amount about the English game and its development.

“You can see that in the way that a lot of the older guys are speaking about the future of this team and hopefully the RFU use us and we will be heavily involved in those conversations.”

All conversations will take against the positive backdrop of England’s encouraging performance at the World Cup, which saw them finish third after toppling Argentina in the bronze final.

An ugly win was secured six days after their agonising semi-final defeat by South Africa – a result that caused George even greater anguish than losing in the 2019 final to the same opponents.

“This week has actually been a really difficult week – probably the hardest week of my career. I was just sat in my hotel room hitting waves of sadness,” George said.

“I’m still gutted about last week if I’m completely honest and that is going to take a long time for me to get over.

“To be able to come away with a medal is really important. It’s really important for this team, it was really important to send off some absolute legends of the game in the right way.

“But it was also important to send a message to the English public that we will still fight for everything.

“It wasn’t pretty, it was probably one of the scrappiest games I’ve been a part of. But we are coming away with a medal.

“It’s not the colour we wanted and that will give us huge inspiration going into the Six Nations.

“Our foundations are strong. We’ve shown that we can fight and we can put our best foot forward against the best teams in the world.”

Exeter showed their 11-try thrashing of defending Premiership champions Saracens on the opening day of the campaign was no fluke as they managed an equally emphatic 43-0 victory over last season’s beaten finalists Sale.

Despite losing a host of internationals during the summer, Exeter’s new young guard once again showed they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Sale went into the game having won their first two matches of the season, but they were strangely off colour as an error-strewn display saw them suffer their biggest ever defeat to the Devon side.

Exeter got off to a dream start with a try inside the first two minutes. An initial surge by hooker Dan Frost earned a penalty, which was quickly taken, and England Under-20 number eight Greg Fisilau finished off on the blindside, with captain for the day Henry Slade slotting a superb conversion.

The England centre added a penalty soon after to put the Chiefs into double figures.

Sale had the wind behind their backs in the first half, but it was the Chiefs who continued to dominate territory, and they notched a second try just before the midway point of the half, with a catch-and-drive effort from Frost, after Chiefs did well to splinter Sale’s maul defence, and it was improved by Slade.

Young full-back Tom Wyatt was proving rock solid under the high ball for Exeter, while their scrum was having much the better of the Sale eight.

The Sharks thought they had got a foothold in the game when Cobus Wiese drove over in the 27th minute, but he was adjudged by excellent debutant referee Joe James to have been held up, while Tom O’Flaherty knocked on soon after when trying to ground the ball after a handling mistake close to his own line by Fisilau.

Exeter made the most of that double reprieve by securing the try-scoring bonus point before half-time.

Tight-head prop Josh Iosefa-Scott finished off another driving maul in the corner, and then Slade latched on to a wayward Sale pass to send former Wasps winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso racing over beneath the posts, with Slade adding the conversion for an incredible 29-0 interval advantage.

Both sides struggled to string passages of play together in the wet conditions in the second half.

When Sale did threaten the home line, the Chiefs defence proved more than a match.

The Chiefs put the icing on the cake when an excellent run by impressive second row Lewis Pearson saw him offload to replacement scrum-half Niall Armstrong to run in try number five, with Slade adding the kick for a personal 11-point haul, and their dominant scrum rounded it off with a penalty try as Exeter completed their first Premiership shutout since 2014.

Exeter Chiefs showed their 11-try thrashing of defending Premiership champions Saracens on the opening day of the campaign was no fluke as they managed an equally emphatic 43-0 victory over last season’s beaten finalists Sale.

Despite losing a host of internationals during the summer, Exeter’s new young guard once again showed they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Sale went into the game having won their first two matches of the season, but they were strangely off colour as an error-strewn display saw them suffer their biggest ever defeat to the Devon side.

Exeter got off to a dream start with a try inside the first two minutes. An initial surge by hooker Dan Frost earned a penalty, which was quickly taken, and England Under-20 number eight Greg Fisilau finished off on the blindside, with captain for the day Henry Slade slotting a superb conversion.

The England centre added a penalty soon after to put the Chiefs into double figures.

Sale had the wind behind their backs in the first half, but it was the Chiefs who continued to dominate territory, and they notched a second try just before the midway point of the half, with a catch-and-drive effort from Frost, after Chiefs did well to splinter Sale’s maul defence, and it was improved by Slade.

Young full-back Tom Wyatt was proving rock solid under the high ball for Exeter, while their scrum was having much the better of the Sale eight.

The Sharks thought they had got a foothold in the game when Cobus Wiese drove over in the 27th minute, but he was adjudged by excellent debutant referee Joe James to have been held up, while Tom O’Flaherty knocked on soon after when trying to ground the ball after a handling mistake close to his own line by Fisilau.

Exeter made the most of that double reprieve by securing the try-scoring bonus point before half-time.

Tight-head prop Josh Iosefa-Scott finished off another driving maul in the corner, and then Slade latched on to a wayward Sale pass to send former Wasps winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso racing over beneath the posts, with Slade adding the conversion for an incredible 29-0 interval advantage.

Both sides struggled to string passages of play together in the wet conditions in the second half.

When Sale did threaten the home line, the Chiefs defence proved more than a match.

The Chiefs put the icing on the cake when an excellent run by impressive second row Lewis Pearson saw him offload to replacement scrum-half Niall Armstrong to run in try number five, with Slade adding the kick for a personal 11-point haul, and their dominant scrum rounded it off with a penalty try as Exeter completed their first Premiership shutout since 2014.

Steve Borthwick has made increasing depth in certain positions his priority having begun planning for the Six Nations even before the World Cup bronze medals had been presented to his England players.

After the heartbreak of falling to a late penalty in their 16-15 semi-final defeat by South Africa six days earlier, England dug deep to edge Argentina 26-23 in front of a hostile crowd at the Stade de France on Friday.

It was a sign of the team’s growing resilience that they were able to climb off the canvas to deal with motivated opponents playing to restore reputations battered by their capitulation to New Zealand.

Borthwick now has a solid platform off which to build for the Six Nations and the most pressing duty post-World Cup is to compile his review of the tournament before discussing his finding with his coaching staff in a fortnight’s time.

England’s head coach has indicated that part of the review will focus on the lack of options in some areas of the team – primarily front row and inside centre.

“I’ve already started looking forward to the Six Nations. The planning is in the early stages and already started in my mind,” Borthwick said.

“Naturally at the end of World Cups there are always some players that decide their time as a current England player will come to an end, but the age profile of the squad is strong.

“If you look at the semi-finals last week we had seven players who were 25 or under – more than any other team in the semi-finals.

“And there are a number of exciting young players that didn’t make the 33-man squad but who were part of the preparations over the summer.

“We know that the distribution positionally of those players isn’t necessarily even. We know there are some areas where we’re a bit thinner than others.

“I need to make sure we’re doing some work and finding some depth in those keys positions.

“That’s going to be part of my project over the next period of time along with my coaches.”

Theo Dan performed well against Argentina but the knockout games against Fiji and South Africa were deemed too big a stage for the rookie hooker, forcing Jamie George to start and finish both games.

The Springboks loss revealed that England do not have the scrummaging props to equal veterans Dan Cole and Joe Marler, while inside centre has long been a position of scarcity beyond Manu Tuilagi.

What the team will not lack in the Six Nations, however, is an an identity with second row Ollie Chessum revealing strong bonds have been formed over the last two months.

“We spoke about finishing this tournament and making sure England was in a better spot than it was when we came in,” Chessum said.

“We had a very up and down summer series and there was a lot of umming and aahing and we really felt we needed to find ourselves and that is exactly what this team has done.

“We have found our identity, we have found what we are about as a team. We have got a great group of players and a great group of people in this squad.

“We showed everyone that we can compete with the best up there. We fell short last weekend but we have come away with a medal.

“The boys are looking forward to a well-earned rest, but everyone has loved every minute and it is a shame the tournament has come to an end

“It is going to be weird waking up in my own bed on Monday and not in a hotel with the lads!”

Steve Borthwick signed off an encouraging World Cup after England edged Argentina 26-23 at the Stade de France to claim third place.

The Pumas paid the price for allowing England to build a 13-0 lead and while they fought back to control the second half, Borthwick’s men held their nerve to send scrum-half Ben Youngs into Test retirement with a bronze medal.

Their only defeat at France 2023 was the agonising 16-15 loss to South Africa in the semi-final.

“I’m delighted for the players to get the win after they have worked so hard,” Borthwick said.

“We won six games out of seven and lost one game by one point to the current world champions and current world number one, which shows the progress of the team. It shows how the team has built during the tournament.

“Playing finals games at World Cups is important. In the last two World Cups this group of players have played six finals games and won four of them.

“Clearly we want to be in the final and winning the gold medal. That wasn’t to be, but having finals experience has been important for this squad.

“The players should be very proud of their efforts and the challenges they have overcome. While things haven’t been perfect, they find a way to win games.

“Now we didn’t last weekend – we lost by a point, which will hurt for a long time. But when the players have found themselves in tough circumstances they have found a way to win.”

With all neutrals at the Stade de France supporting Argentina and with Red Rose fans making the trip across The Channel in small numbers only, England played in the most hostile atmosphere they have encountered at this World Cup.

Captain Owen Farrell was booed throughout and most noisily when he was lining up penalties and conversions.

“I wasn’t surprised. It’s usually like that here. When you play against France in Six Nations here, they don’t cheer you when you’re having a shot at goal!” Farrell said.

“It’s a bit different here in France to how it is over in England when a kicker’s taking a shot. But that’s what it is – just different. That’s no problem.”

Argentina head coach Michael Cheika felt that his Pumas did not get the rub of the green with referee Nic Berry, especially at the scrum.

“The game could have ended differently especially when you look at the final 15 minutes,” Cheika said.

“We did everything we could and we deserved more, both in terms of result and refereeing.

“Three or four scrums we were dominating and despite that we got no reward for it. For me that was very surprising.

“To be here on October 27 is very positive for the fans and for us. What is missing for us is excellence. It’s hard to accept losing this game and draw any positives from it.

“I believe that our trajectory over this World Cup will make Argentinians proud. We will come back stronger.”