Mick Cleary: where did this new England come from?

Steve Borthwick's side were down to 14 men early on but made light of the fact against the Pumas.

KICKING ON: England's George Ford scores a drop-goal.

Who were these (14) guys in blue? The same hag-ridden, trauma-afflicted, downbeat lot in white who had slogged through a miserable August shorn of hope and purpose? Well, yes, give or take, this is that mob of last-chance-salooners with the exception of those who had drawn the ire of the headmaster and been banished to the sidelines for their indiscretions. But more of Owen Farrell later.

Perhaps England should elect to play in their change strip for the rest of the tournament. The change, of course, has come from within not from without. The transformation is one of heart and soul as much as it was also of muscle and bone on a sweaty night in Marseille. (Or a sweary night in Marseille if you were Pumas’ coach, Michael Cheika for his team were quite simply dreadful). England found the grit and gumption and togetherness that has eluded them for so long. They also found a fly-half with a deadly boot. But more of George Ford later.