England have never lost to Samoa, a country with a population smaller than Northampton's, but defeat in Nantes today would not only effectively seal their fate as the first English side to bow out before the tournament's knock-out stages, but also invite further global ridicule.
Should Brian Ashton's team continue to perform shambolically, such a grim scenario cannot be ruled out.
Samoa, in fact, are more of a threat than that statistic makes them seem and might have given England a serious hurry-up had the pair met on the tournament's opening weekend.
The ferocity of the first half-hour against South Africa in Paris was extraordinary and the Springbok forwards were merely stating the obvious when they declared them to be tougher adversaries than the English.
If Martin Corry's men prove unable to lift themselves, the captain can expect to spend the first week of October back in Melton Mowbray rather than preparing for a quarter-final in Marseille.
Little wonder, then, that Ashton is almost imploring a reshuffled side to show they are capable of rather better than they have so far delivered. "This is the biggest game of the World Cup so far . . . if the players can't get excited by that, we're in the wrong place," he stressed yesterday. "A win is the prime objective, but, given what we've done in the previous two games, a better performance is also a must."
Ashton knows enough about Samoan outhalf Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu from his Bath days to be aware he is no kicking-obsessed pivot, and Michael Jones has already reminded his own team their World Cup campaign will be over prematurely unless they can unsettle the English early on.
It prompts the question of whether England, for all the deserved criticism of their efforts so far, would not be better sticking to a forward-orientated game plan and squeezing Samoa at scrum and lineout, as Tonga did to such telling effect.
To weave pretty early patterns and throw floated passes with Brian Lima in the opposition midfield is akin to suicide, and an open, unstructured game would certainly not bother the runaway juggernaut that is Alesana Tuilagi.
Ashton is not that daft, but, equally, he wants his players to be more alert to possibilities in front of them: "We've talked about getting more balance into our game and the evidence on the training field suggests that is firmly fixed in everyone's minds."
Ashton has sought to transform the anxiety of recent weeks into positive adrenaline, and with Jonny Wilkinson back at the helm, England should be able to capitalise on any slippage of South Seas discipline.
"Both of us have a lot to play for," muttered Ashton.
ENGLAND: J Lewsey (Wasps); P Sackey (Wasps), M Tait (Newcastle), O Barkley (Bath), M Cueto (Sale Sharks); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), A Gomarsall (Harlequins); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), G Chuter (Leicester), M Stevens (Bath), S Shaw (Wasps), B Kay (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester, capt), J Worsley (Wasps), N Easter (Harlequins). Replacements: M Regan (Bristol), P Freshwater (Perpignan), S Borthwick (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), P Richards (London Irish), A Farrell (Saracens), D Hipkiss (Leicester).
SAMOA: L Crichton (Worcester); D Lemi (Bristol), S Mapusua (London Irish), B Lima (Bristol), A Tuilagi (Leicester); E Fuimaono-Sapolu (Bath), J Polu (North Harbour); K Lealamanua (Dax), M Schwalger (Wellington Hurricanes), C Johnston (Saracens), J Tekori (Waitakere), K Thompson (Otago Highlanders), D Leo (Wasps), S Sititi (Docomo Kansai, capt), H Tuilagi (Perpignan). Replacements: T Fuga (Harlequins), F Palaamo (Leeds), J Purdie (Wellington), A Vaeluaga (Bristol), S So'oialo (Harlequins), J Meafou (Scopa), L Lui (Moata'a).
Touch judges: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand) and Alain Rolland (Ireland).
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland).
