It ended as it began for England, seven weeks of French adventure bookended by wins over Argentina. If their last tango in Paris was occasionally executed with the elegance and elan of a tipsy wedding guest with two left feet, then they can take heart from having again found a way to victory.
England’s players will return to club duty having won six of their seven Rugby World Cup matches. Third spot may ultimately be a disappointment for the squad given how close they came to shocking South Africa, but it is a considerably higher finish than some would have feared.
