Twickenham man running out of patience with shoddy England

Unlike captain Steve Borthwick, England's disenchanted rugby supporters did not need to "wait for the video" to cast the judgement on Saturday's record 42-6 mauling by South Africa, and it was a generally damning verdict.

England have been playing at Twickenham for 98 years and the tradition of the convivial pre- and post-match drinking to anticipate and analyse the game is almost as long.

But there was something in the cold air on Saturday and it was not just the wafting aromas of roast beef and port.

"Cipriani thinks he's got it all; the babe girlfriend, the magazines but his head's not right and he can't even do the basics of flyhalf play," said one fan after the 21-year-old gave away a try by having a kick charged down for the third time in his fledgling international career.

There was little sympathy either for his lively-but-erratic halfback partner Danny Care, while few believed Borthwick's uninspired brief reign as captain would carry on in to the New Year.

Interestingly, there was no clamour for the return of injured Jonny Wilkinson for the Six Nations, with more supporters interested in giving Toby Flood a run in the number 10 shirt in a desperate hope for some clean, crisp passing.

Johnson said after the game that there was "no 50-cap cavalry coming over the hill and these are the best players we have got."

Most fans accepted that, though there were widespread grumbles over the attitude and aptitude of those on duty.