THE English print media yesterday predicted a less than rosy future for the Irish team following Saturday's record defeat. However, the Sunday Telegraph rugby correspondent and former English forward Paul Ackford, controversially suggested that Ireland's number eight, Eric Miller, may have been targeted.

The whole of Ireland expected great things from the men in green after their inspirational win over Wales two weeks ago. But the expectation lasted 12 minutes. That was the time it took England to get rid of Eric Miller and for Ireland's chances to evaporate," he wrote of the Leicester player, stretchered off in the first half with concussion.

He continued: "Ireland do not have such a rosy future. Brian Ashton's organisational abilities will be put to the test over the next couple of weeks. . . At times Ireland were a mess, committing the type of howlers which self righteous schoolmasters would not tolerate from 15 year olds... At the moment, they are in a deep trough."

Mick Cleary, rugby correspondent with The Observer, appeared to be at odds with Sunday Times's analyst and former Australian coach Bob Dwyer.

Cleary wrote: "It was their frailty in defence which cost them dear though. Both wings, Topping and Hickie, had looked vulnerable and their attempts to counter attack from impossible positions were naive.

Dwyer's column says: "I thought that in lots of ways Ireland's defence was better than England's but by a huge amount England's attack was much better than Ireland's."

Stephen Jones, rugby correspondent with the Sunday Times, only picked out two Irish players who he felt had a good game.

"Two heroic centres apart - both Jon (sic) Bell and Maurice Field defended superbly - Ireland had a locker with no shots... Ireland were quite ruthlessly exposed. It made you wonder how on earth they had possibly won in Cardiff."

The Observer points to English tactics and a lack of quality in the Irish camp as reasons for the collapse. "Ireland did not have the class or considered support to make the best use of the opportunities. Their handling too let them down at crucial times. England had cleverly drawn the sting from the Irish, their forwards calmly mounting the platform for that murderous surge.

The Mail on Sunday's John Taylor concurs with The Observer.

"Hard as the brave Irish tried to wrest the initiative from them, England always had too much power and pace... They destroyed the Irish challenge by sapping their forward strength and taking control up front."

Will Carling, a columnist with the same paper, adds: "Jack Rowell knew our pace would cause the Irish problems. He knew they would close me down but in shutting me out of the game, space emerged in other parts of the field."

In today's Guardian, Robert Armstrong picks up on criticism of the Irish forwards.

"The inability of the Irish pack to impose a pattern of control meant that the well laid plans of their coach Brian Ashton to put one over on his Bath confrere, Rowell, rarely got the chance to flourish."

However he goes on to pick out a player from each side who excelled. "It was Grayson's rock like consistency under pressure and his cool unfancy distribution in attack that ultimately nudged England into plundering a six try win that left Ireland contemplating the melancholy wreckage of another false dawn...

"Only the Bristol lock, Shaw, got hustled out of his normal game by Jeremy Davidson, whose authoritive line out work should guarantee the Irish at least one forward berth on the forthcoming tour of South Africa."

The News Of The World typically let their headlines tell the story. "LANS-DOWNER" across the back page and "ASHES TO ASHES Brian's dream buried" on the inside pretty much summed up feelings in Dublin.