Problems pile up for England

Jason Robinson tonight began the healing process after England's miserable Millennium Stadium experience - and told his ailing world champions: ''We have to stand together.''

Robinson became the first England rugby union captain since Will Carling to suffer defeat in Cardiff as Wales memorably ended 12 years of hurt.

Gavin Henson's silver boot paved the Welsh capital's streets with gold, setting up resurgent Wales for a realistic tilt at RBS 6 Nations Championship title glory this season.

England though, given that their next two games see them facing France and Ireland, are now unlikely to feature at the tournament's business end.

But on Saturday's dismal, uninspired evidence, one wonders whether they should even have been considered as genuine championship contenders in the first place.

By England's standards, their record since the World Cup final is abysmal, with seven defeats from 12 starts as Wales followed New Zealand (twice), Australia (twice), Ireland and France in claiming an increasingly available scalp.

The absence of injured stars such as Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall, Richard Hill, Lewis Moody and Martin Corry took an inevitable toll.

And while it might not quite be a case of back to the drawing board for head coach Andy Robinson, there is a clear need for some straight-talking and prolonged selection debate as England await the French at Twickenham.

Top of Robinson's list must be to find room for Olly Barkley, at fly-half or inside centre, closely followed by whether he should retain a strangely subdued Matt Dawson or fully blood England's probable 2007 World Cup scrum-half Harry Ellis.

Barkley, as Mike Catt did in the World Cup quarter-final between England and Wales 15 months ago, made a huge difference when he appeared as a second-half substitute, and they desperately need the Bath youngster's prodigious kicking game against France next Sunday.

And then there is the pack. Lock Ben Kay apart, none of the forwards offered anything approaching maximum efficiency. Those of a nervous disposition, should not visit England's Surrey training base this week.

''We have to work hard and make sure that we get it right. Things have got to gel - we are not in a business where you get time to do anything,'' said Jason Robinson.

''We've got a job to do, and we have got to make sure it happens. It didn't happen against Wales, and we paid a price for it.

''We cannot lose two on the trot, there is no doubt about it, and everyone has to have a look in the mirror and look at their own game. There are a lot of disappointed players who admitted they under-performed.

''Part of my job is to get them back up. We've got to stand together and take it on the chin,'' he added.

''I am sure if we pull together and work hard this week, we can get a result next Sunday. We are not just going to turn up and expect to win, we have got to work hard.''

Given that England prided themselves on operating in a no-excuses environment under World Cup mastermind Sir Clive Woodward, and now Andy Robinson, some serious soul-searching will be undertaken.

''Sometimes, it's hard to put your finger on why certain things don't work out,'' said the skipper.

''I thought during the game, we didn't get our field position right, and we just weren't smart enough.

''I think it's just basics. We lost the game by two points, we certainly didn't get thrashed, but we need to get our basics right, we need to get quick ball at times and we need to play the opposition down in their half of the field.

''Yes, we've had some changes, but so has every other team. We can't make excuses, we just didn't perform.''

Andy Robinson added: ''We played most of our rugby in our own half, and we were a little bit too conservative in our play.

''But it was a good Welsh side. They took the game to us, and their back-row did well, slowing our ball down. Wales deserved to win the game, but let's not over-react.''

Pre-match optimism among Welsh fans was tempered by a nagging concern whether their heroes really had the belief to nail one of world rugby's super-powers.

But Wales showed that superb autumn performances against New Zealand and South Africa, albeit losing ones, were no fluke, and Henson's 76th-minute penalty from just inside the England half gave an ordinary game an extraordinary finish.

Henson, and you just could not emphasise the point enough, was on a different planet. The most naturally-gifted Welsh player since Jonathan Davies produced a command performance.

His tackling - notably, two shuddering hits on England teenager Mathew Tait - was immense; tactically, he displayed pinpoint precision; and technically, there were no apparent flaws in his game.

But perhaps best of all, Henson performed with a nonchalance and in such a languid style that no-one would have been at all surprised had he popped over the road for a pint of Brains Dark and then returned just in time to kick England into oblivion.

Pressure? What pressure?

In comparison, England possessed nobody remotely approaching a Henson, although lock Danny Grewcock's reckless use of the boot on Wales scrum-half Dwayne Peel certainly provided a Jim Henson moment.

Grewcock was sin-binned, together with Wales captain Gareth Thomas for retaliation, yet the game, especially given some past encounters between two such fierce rugby nations, rarely threatened to boil over.

Wales, 8-3 ahead at half-time thanks to wing Shane Williams' 22nd Test try and a Stephen Jones penalty, couldn't extend that advantage, and when England fly-half Charlie Hodgson completed his penalty hat-trick, the visitors led by one point with time running out.

It looked as though England, despite conceding second-best in most areas, might finish ahead where it really mattered - on the scoreboard.

But up stepped Henson, and to misquote comedian Peter Kay, England were politely, but firmly, told to ''Gav it!''