“Getting better.” “Learning process.” “Hard lessons learned.”
None of it seemed to wash for Andy Farrell at the England base in Bagshot. The former player and assistant coach to Stuart Lancaster once again went through an agonising inquisition. "Suffer" was the theme etched on his face.
Sunday was a day for the players to return to their families, as much to console them about the fallout from England’s humiliation as to get their own heads out of the black hole of self-criticism and public recrimination. On return, they could hardly have expected things to have improved.
What greeted them was more allegations, continued questions and additional speculation over player and management futures.
Farrell would not say if he was one of the two coaches under investigation by World Rugby for a breach of match-day protocols by illegally approaching referee Roman Poite and his officials at half-time during England's match against Australia.
He wouldn't say if his future with the England team was untenable and he wouldn't say if he had too much influence on the selection of rugby league convert Sam Burgess at centre.
More than anything, he wouldn't say, whether as a father to Owen Farrell, he favoured his son over George Ford as the first-choice England outhalf. That question he answered with a despairing, wounded look.
There was nothing to win, no ground to be reclaimed and nothing positive to take away from a bleak 40 minutes.
Depending on what you read, the team has lost the English economy more than half a billion pounds, but more importantly it has lost hearts and minds. An overreaction maybe, but not right now, not in England.
“There’s devastation in the camp,” said Farrell, following a doleful theme set out by Lancaster on Sunday. “We feel that we’ve let everyone down. We are aware of the devastation for all concerned.”
Little interest in apologies
There was little interest in team apologies or expressions of hurt, or even in the future and the foundations laid down by Lancaster.
“All I know is there is an investigation going on. At this point in time, I’ve nothing to comment on. We’ve a process going on. Let the process take its course,” he said about the approach to officials.
Farrell is thought to be one of the coaches. “I don’t actually know what the allegations are,” he added.
Defending the position that Lancaster had had the final say, Dublin-born Kyran Bracken was then brought into the plot. It was the former England player who made the allegation on radio that Farrell pushed for the inclusion of Burgess over centre Luther Burrell.
“A player is in selection meetings now,” quipped Farrell. “You know how the process works: the four of us get together, we have discussions on selection and you all put your tuppence in, and Stuart makes the call.”
Bringing back your son for Wales – was there a conflict of interest there, he was then asked. “Come on,” answered Farrell.
The equally adamant retort from the floor was that Farrell “would have to have a heart of stone not to [have a conflict of interest]”.
“I think I’ve just answered that,” he said. “The head coach makes the final decision, and that’s that.”
Farrell also held to the idea of a review taking place after the competition, which, for England, is after the weekend’s final pool match against Uruguay. He emphasised that there would be no immediate mass resignations or sackings.
Part of the thinking is that if the Rugby Football Union (RFU) was to sack Lancaster's team or if they were to resign, the furore would dominate World Cup coverage and almost sideline the tournament.
Possible successors
Speculation about who would be the next coach would begin in earnest, and already a Clive Woodward and Eddie Jones double act, Northampton's Jim Mallinder, former South African coach, Jake White and New Zealand assistant Wayne Smith have been mentioned as possible successors.
“We’ve good leaders at the RFU. They will do the right thing. Now we are all mourning together. But we’ve got to man up. We’ve got to do a job. We will try our best to put on a performance [against Uruguay] that will put a wry smile on faces,” said Farrell.
“People will try to define us with two defeats. But the disbelief for me was the week before, in the Welsh game,” he added, before going into what could have been construed as a farewell soliloquy for Lancaster.
“He’s the hardest-working Englishman I’ve ever met. Internally, we know the score. It has been an absolute privilege to work for the guy. A process will take place. Ultimately, it is taken out of our hands.”
Second chances are rare in management, as rugby is seen to move closer towards football with quick fixes. As England now prepare to shut up shop at the once beloved Pennyhill Park Hotel to move north to Manchester, they can expect the temperature to cool further. “Everyone is hurting,” said Farrell. “They are hurting because they know they hurt the people.”
