England’s efficiency towards Argentina was scrappy and irritating.
They have been inaccurate of their dealing with and, not for the primary time, one-dimensional of their tactical pondering.
However, there needs to be some stability and perspective.
The defeat by the Pumas isn’t the tip of the world. It could even assist the staff’s trajectory in the direction of the remainder of the autumn, the Six Nations and the Rugby World Cup subsequent 12 months.
You could possibly see from the beginning that England had a set thought about how the sport was going to be performed and one of the best ways to win it.
They’d seen the moist situations and opted for low-risk rugby with the ball in hand. They trucked the ball up across the fringe with one-out runners, making use of their heavy-duty carriers.
Quantity eight Billy Vunipola had 15 carries, greater than some other participant. Prop Kyle Sinckler was not far behind on 12.
However it appeared to be an finish in itself, fairly than getting used to open up area elsewhere.
Argentina’s staff have been completely suited to absorbing the wave of energy assaults, with the likes of Marcos Kremer and Pablo Matera glorious.
There was loads of ball and go ahead, however England have been inaccurate and lateral when it got here to exploiting gaps elsewhere.
There was by no means a sniff of an overlap, you by no means felt the joy of a wing with the ability to tackle his reverse quantity.
That’s at odds with how the membership sport has been going within the Premiership. Groups like Northampton, Saracens or Harlequins are ruthless at discovering chinks in defences and making it depend on the scoreboard.
If England weren’t going to be adventurous with the ball, it will have been higher to play with out it.
After they discovered they weren’t constructing sufficient of a cushion on the scoreboard, England might have switched up their kicking sport.
As a substitute of seeking to compete and regain the ball, they might have sacrificed possession for territory, kicked deep and requested Argentina if they might play out from deep of their half with a greasy ball.
That may create the possibilities for turnovers and penalties within reach of the road.
However, not for the primary time, there was an incapability to take the initiative and skim the move of the match mid-game.
England did not appear to have the ability to recognise the stress they have been coming beneath from the opposition and discover a answer. They appeared to be ready for instruction fairly than taking the sport by the scruff of the neck.
They’d management of the sport, however not the scoreboard and so they sleepwalked right into a harmful scenario the place they have been susceptible to a lapse in focus or a purple patch from the Pumas.
Coach Eddie Jones has talked about constructing resilience and flexibility. In September he visited US Navy Seals to find out about how they react to the sudden and nonetheless get missions achieved.
His England staff nonetheless have some solution to go on that.
Collectively it was a disappointing day, the outcome dictated that, however individually I feel there have been plus factors.
Wing Joe Cokanasiga was the stand-out within the backs. He was busy, hungry for the ball, broke the road and linked properly together with his team-mates.
Debutant Alex Coles was dynamic and ran good, intelligent traces to get previous that tight Argentine defence. His kick-off gathering was messy, however that was true of his staff basically.
Total it was a wake-up name to England. Mentally they did not look switched on sufficient, they have been wanting urgency and depth.
This week, vice captain Ellis Genge has promised some “uncomfortable conversations” are going to happen forward of Saturday’s assembly with Japan.
The Courageous Blossoms might be one other difficult opponent, New Zealand and South Africa will characterize a step up.
At factors within the sport on Sunday, England appeared like they wanted somebody contained in the staff to present them a verbal ‘kick up the bottom’ to clear their heads and get them pondering clearly.
That defeat may have performed the job simply as properly.
I am not writing England off for this autumn, by no means thoughts the Six Nations or Rugby World Cup subsequent 12 months.
Matt Dawson was talking to BBC Sport’s Mike Henson
