If England's 36-0 mauling by the Springboks was the last time we see Robinson in international test match action then what a way to finish. What a desperately sad way to close the career of a player who walked with the legends of rugby league and whose twinkle-toed running saw him cross the rugby divide with barely a break in his stride. With him goes the last reminder of four years ago, a time when people were praising a 15-man England performance without a weakness as they swept aside South Africa 25-6 in the World Cup group match in Perth.

How the mighty have fallen.

In England's case through the trap door of mediocrity.

Embarrassing is not the word.

Humiliating comes close. Yet not even the performance encapsulated the present chaotic state of English rugby quite as well as the press conference in the immediate aftermath of Friday night.

Coach Brian Ashton sat beside captain Martin Corry, muttering platitudes and falsehoods . . . such as the insistence it was a much better performance than the week before when they beat the USA. It was sport's version of Mr Magoo meets Mr Bean as Ashton, in a suit and out of his comfort zone, handed Corry hospital passes. "You answer that one Martin, " he said to a question searching for the whereabouts of England's spirit.

The questionner might as well have been attempting to locate the molecular code for DNA. None of which is meant to be gratuitously pessimistic.

After all, England are still in the tournament and, who knows, with faster ball, the return of Jonny Wilkinson or Olly Barkley and a performance 1,000 per cent improved in Nantes next weekend they might stand a chance of squeezing past Samoa. They might, but the truly depressing aspect of this England side is that you sense no one believes any more. Not the coaches, not the players and certainly not anyone looking on.