The Six Nations tournament brutally exposes the weaknesses of competing teams, with no chance for recovery once faced with defeat. England's struggle against Ireland in particular highlighted their decline, losing seven of their last nine tests. Despite a spirited first half, their inability to respond after halftime illustrated their current limitations. The transition of England’s former fitness guru to the winning Irish team added an ironic layer to England's struggles, leaving the Rugby Football Union concerned about their future performance as they face a daunting, competitive road ahead.
...there are no play-yourself-in pool games, no one-off-the-mark half-volleys. The opposition want your guts from minute one and, particularly away from home, there is no hiding place.
...If you are not quite at the level of your opponent, even for a relatively short period of time, the scoreboard rarely lies.
England are increasingly mired in sporting quicksand. The more effort they expend to extricate themselves the deeper they seem to be sinking.
...the mental and physical energy required to hold firm in the opening 40 minutes left them powerless to respond when Ireland's bench upped the ante.
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