But Woodward has upped the ante for autumn Test appointments with Australia, South Africa and Canada by admitting that serious questions will be asked if England get it wrong on their return to fortress Twickenham.

When you put all the players on a bit of paper, and we get them all back in September and October and do some proper work with them, then I think we can turn it around very, very quickly, said Englands head coach.

As the days and weeks go past, we will get very excited about what awaits us in November. We are not going to go backwards. Weve proved that we can win a World Cup and I think that we can do it again, but thats a long way away.

Weve got to really front-up in November and move our game on very quickly, which I think we can do when we get all the main players back, everything calms down and everyone is fresh.

All three November Tests are looming as massive matches for everyone concerned.
Weve got to make sure now that going forward, we make the right calls, and thats what I fully intend to do.

If we get those November games right, then I think what has happened here will be forgotten, but if we get those wrong, then I think there will be serious questions asked about what is going on.

Ive never failed to deliver yet when we have prepared properly. When we havent prepared properly, weve lost.

Against sides like the All Blacks, France and Australia, you cant cut any corners when you play them when they are at their best and hope to win.

Come November, we will be prepared properly. Weve got the training days sorted out with the clubs now and we have got to really look forward.

Woodward has no intention of hiding from what has been a miserable three weeks in Australasia.

His team lost 51-15 to Australia and 36-3 and 36-12 against the All Blacks, continuing a poor post-World Cup run of form that has realised just three wins from eight starts.

But he is relishing the likely return of injured players like Jonny Wilkinson, Phil Vickery and Lewis Moody, together with refreshed summer tour absentees such as Jason Robinson, Will Greenwood and Ben Kay.

Once we lost that Six Nations game to Ireland (in March), it was difficult to get the whole momentum back, and its carried on since, he added.

Its not a case of starting again. I think we know where we are, we are a pretty experienced group now.

I genuinely thought that with the team we had, if we got it right, we would have half a chance down here. But we were just lacking in preparation - bits and pieces that we normally get right were just way off, and thats when you lose.

For us, 2002 and 2003 were just two great years, and in 2004 weve got the backlash of all that success, because you just cant keep it going for that amount of time.

The big thing to me, being very rational about it, is to try and get some sort of global season so there are no excuses from either side. When they (Australia) come to Twickenham, and when we come down here we are all at the same level, just like the World Cup.

Thats why the World Cup is such a great tournament, because you all peak at that one moment in time.

I dont know the ramifications of moving down that line (global season). If it will ever happen, I havent a clue.

Weve now got to see whether this group of players are mentally tough enough to follow in the footsteps of a pretty special group (Englands World Cup squad), who worked incredibly hard to achieve what they deserved to achieve.