Beaten, bruised England are not in crisis mode yet

Defeat by South Africa was to be expected but the Six Nations looms as kill or cure for Borthwick's project

- Robert Kitson

A little perspective is always useful at times like this. How many people, for example, genuinely expected England to beat the world champions, South Africa, on Saturday? A good side winning an absorbing game of rugby does not necessarily mean the gallant losers are totally hopeless. England's autumn has certainly been full of drama but is it really a full-blown crisis?

A 'crisis', in sporting terms, refers to the indisputable point at which a team start to perform so far below expectations that there is no discernible hope. Yes, a fifth defeat on the trot is uncomfortable for a supposed top-tier nation. Yes, they continue to tail off in the final half-hours of too many big games. A limp finish is increasingly what springs to mind when analysts lie back and think of England.

History, at this juncture, is also worth consulting. England have statistically endured far worse autumns; in 2008, the last time they lost at home to the southern hemisphere big three on consecutive weekends, the aggregate losing margin was a grim -76. Compare and contrast that with this month's equivalent figure of -16 and three cracking contests which, even given today's inflated ticket prices, gave spectators full value.