It's been a tough week at RWC: Lancaster

Hosts England have finished their disappointing World Cup campaign with a 60-3 victory over Uruguay at Twickenham.

Stuart Lancaster admitted it would hard to contemplate a future where he is not England's head coach but conceded: "I understand it's a results business."

England signed off for the tournament with a 60-3 win over Uruguay in Manchester on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) but the hosts are still struggling to deal with the ignominy of having been eliminated from the tournament following losses to Wales and Australia.

The campaign will be reviewed by the Rugby Football Union and Lancaster's post is under threat. But he insists he has not talked to anyone about his future and insists it would be tough to leave Twickenham.

"Anyone in my position who has worked since December 2011 to this point would say it would be hard to walk away from," Lancaster told a press conference. "But equally I understand it is a results business."

"It has been a tough week. I have obviously had the defeat to deal with and the players to get them in the right mind set for this game. There were a lot of things going on this week so I have not had time to sit down and chat with anyone about anything. There is a bit more space in the diary this week.

It was a case of the young and the old as England completed their pool with a ten-try win over the South Americans.

Nick Easter, the 37-year old No.8, scored a hat-trick as did the 22-year old winger Jack Nowell, whilst 21-year old Anthony Watson scored twice with another 22-year old, Henry Slade also getting on the scoresheet.

Lancaster was quick to praise the veteran Easter who he recalled for this year's Six Nations after four years in the international wilderness.

"His shift was fantastic - he belied his age and everyone is chuffed for him. He is a top bloke.

"To win big games at international level you need ball carriers and when he does what he does it really helps the shape of the team."

Captain Chris Robshaw predicted great things for the young backs.

"There is a huge amount of talent out there. They are not afraid to take people on and you always see something special. There is so much potential in the side and there are going to be great times to come," said Robshaw, whose own position will come under scrutiny after the campaign of defeat.

Lancaster said he was buoyed the support he and the England team had received in the week building up to the clash with Uruguay despite the hosts' failure.

Lancaster said: "I think anyone in my position who has worked since December 2011 to this point would say it would be hard to walk away from but I understand it's a results business.

"It's not just what's in my mind, there's a lot of other people who are going to have a say but it has been a tough week and I just wanted to get it over with.

"A lot has been going on this week, there have been a lot of people with opinions and what I have tried to do is make sure the culture of the team remains the same. Other teams under this type of pressure and scrutiny might have cracked but I don't think we did.

"It has been a tough week for the players and certainly the reaction of the crowd was a lift, I thought the crowd were brilliant tonight."


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Source: AAP



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