Ashton books Englands place in the quarter final.

Waking up this morning to read the sports headlines, you would be forgiven for thinking that England had crashed out of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Disappointment, poor performances, players on the front pages of the papers as well as the back.

Now forgive me for stating the obvious but England, without playing well have just topped a pool including the team who finished third last time out, won against the auld enemy, always tricky in the conditions presented, and gave a stuffing to Georgia and Romania. We have the tournaments top try scorer in Chris Ashton, and found a genuine world star in Manu Tuilagi.

In tournaments passed, the All Blacks swept all before them playing wonderful running rugby before falling at the final hurdle. 1995 springs to mind as a Jonah Lomu inspired team destroyed all before them before losing to the host nation, South Africa. Winning ugly is a phrase that has been used in Martin Johnsons reign before, but winning is winning. Ask any New Zealander what he’d rather see. Yes we would all like to see the running rugby, balls pinged out wide for the speedsters to round five defenders before seeing them swallow dive into the corner, but let’s be realistic. Rugby is now fully global and the gap is getting smaller. Some teams will still get an old fashioned spanking, but the massive wins by 100 plus points are now down to 60, and this gap will continue to narrow as the smaller nation’s progress apace. Small margins separate the good from the great and much of that is purely psychological.

Injury may prevent Wilkinson from improving his impressive resume vs France

We cannot hide behind the obvious. Jonny Wilkinson has not kicked to his usual high level, but let’s not get away from the fact that the ‘usual high level’ is sublime. Against the Scots he was asked to nail long range efforts in wet blustery conditions and he fell short, a couple by a whisker. His first drop goal attempt was poor and he will admit this, but his second was superb. The clamour for Toby Flood after his ten minute cameo where he supplied Ashton with the pass for the winning score before kicking a touchline conversion will not go unnoticed but Wilkinson is much more than kicking goals. His tigerish defence and big hit tackling surpasses some of his forward colleagues and will make the decision to drop him that much harder.

Elsewhere Matt Stevens was given a lesson against Ewan Murray, but a better prop he will not face again in this tournament. Mike Tindall continues to hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The British press seem to love to derail an English player/team. Any scandal is pounced upon, especially when the spotlight is so acute. Once again the press seem to be obsessing over a players private life when really they should be more concerned about getting behind the side at a time where the World Cup is about to hit the most exciting and treacherous phase. To be in a place such as New Zealand is a dream for most, but the players simply cannot be expected to cocoon themselves in their rooms for the duration of the tournament which hopefully will last for as few weeks longer. They may well have crossed some boundaries, but the management have dealt with the issues and that really should be that.

Tuilagi may hold the key to beating the French.

If England are to progress further in this tournament, then the discipline on the pitch must be sharpened up. Too many penalties and free kicks conceded once again. The French, despite being in as bad a state as I can remember, (having been outplayed all over the pitch by the Tongans), will not be so forgiving. France are the most mercurial side in world rugby, capable of beating the best and losing to the teams really here to make up the numbers. No disrespect to Tonga as it was a sensational performance but they really are in the third tear of international rugby right now.

The winner will play either a resurgent Wales or a newly confident Ireland for a place in the final. All four European teams will rightly be justified in seeing a uniquely winnable route to play one of the southern hemisphere giants. England have beaten all three this year and should rightly be cast as favourites to progress, but Johnsons men will need to discover the form and confidence of the Six Nations and then some if they are to make it three consecutive final appearances.