Monday 28 September 2015 09:25, UK
Sky Sports pundit Stuart Barnes has slammed England's performance in their 28-25 defeat to Wales in Saturday's pivotal World Cup match at Twickenham.
Barnes has criticised several aspects of England's play, including their lack of discipline after they conceded a number of penalties which allowed Wales to stay in the Pool A game through the boot of Dan Biggar.
However, he was particularly scathing about the decision not to kick for goal in the closing stages when England were awarded a penalty out wide.
A successful kick from Owen Farrell would have secured a draw but England skipper Chris Robshaw opted instead to set up a line-out in the corner from which they were kept at bay by the Wales defence.
Barnes told Sky Sports News HQ: "Their decision-making was poor, their use of the bench wasn't very good and their work at the break-down was terrible.
Chris Robshaw's decision was one of the worst I have seen in 40 years of playing and broadcasting.
"They concede penalties and they just talk about discipline, what they don't understand is they are just not handling the concept of the break-down.
"And in the end Chris Robshaw's decision was one of the worst I have seen in 40 years of playing and broadcasting.
"Farrell hadn't missed anything. It looked like he could back-foot it with his left foot through the posts from the touchline, he was kicking that well.
"A draw for England wouldn't have been great, but with the Welsh and their walking wounded state, the English would have looked at that and said 'two points for us, two points for Wales - that keeps us in pole position'.
"Wales would find Australia very hard, let alone Fiji. A couple of English players after the game have said to me 'well we would only have got an extra point if we had drawn it'; it wasn't about that, it was bringing Wales down to two points.
"England didn't think and that is the constant issue with this England team - their inability to think on the hoof."
