Monday 5 October 2015 14:59, UK
England will begin the build-up to their final match of the World Cup amid revelations of squad disharmony and unrest over the club's management.
It has been reported in many of Monday's papers that the hosts' campaign, ending against Uruguay on Saturday with a group-stage exit, has unfolded against a backdrop of unrest over the influence of backs coach Andy Farrell and selection of cross-code centre Sam Burgess.
No 8 Billy Vunipola, ruled out of the tournament last week by a knee injury, is reported to have spoken at a Q&A on Thursday night in which he made similar claims - although he has since refuted that on Twitter.
Reacting to the 33-13 defeat by Australia that dumped England out of their own World Cup, head coach Stuart Lancaster declared there is "no division in the coaching team" and insisted the final decision in picking the side was his alone.
However, it has been reported that some players felt that Farrell and not Lancaster has been effectively running England with the desire to use Burgess proving divisive because of his lack of union experience.
The management repeatedly pointed to Burgess' performance during the gruelling 10-week summer training camp to justify his participation, but their faith was apparently not shared throughout the squad.
Vunipola denied reports on Sunday night that he had expressed views against the England management, tweeting: "Hearing some rumours that I've been saying negative stuff about England. Laughable!"
He added: "I would never say anything negative about the boys or staff. We gave everything we had, just wasn't enough and we all take responsibility."
Former England international Kyran Bracken hosted the Q&A and he said: "While Billy Vunipola had an opinion, it was taken completely out of context. We've all known that Andy Farrell is much more involved in the coaching than everyone thinks. In fact, Billy said he had a huge respect for Sam Burgess and the aura he has."
Sky Sports pundit Stuart Barnes pinned the blame for England's demise firmly at the door of Lancaster and his team.
He told SSNHQ: "The management is not good enough and because the management is not good enough the players have failed when it mattered most.
"People keep saying Clive Woodward's 2003 team was so much better man for man - that's true - but players improve with the quality of coaching and I don't think we have seen any improvement with this group of players. It's been like a giant rollercoaster and the big worry has been there's been no clear linear progress."
Many critics have laid into Lancaster and his coaching team of Graham Rowntree, Andy Farrell and Mike Catt, but one man sticking up for them is Will Greenwood.
The former England centre and 2003 World Cup winner said: "I suspect a lot of people are really angry at the way we are now holding a tag that no one else has got which is a host going out in the pool stages and all sorts of abject words being thrown around this squad.
"But do I believe [Lancaster], alongside those guys, can improve and can come back and be stronger? Absolutely I do."
Lancaster fears he will forever bear the scars of having presided over England's worst World Cup performance.
It has taken only 16 days for a tournament launched amid high expectation to be reduced to rubble by successive defeats by Wales and Australia, who between them amassed 61 points at Twickenham.
The Rugby Football Union will launch an inquest once the World Cup is over, mindful that the review should not divert attention away from an event that has otherwise been very well received.
"I'm the head coach and we didn't get out of the pool. This is going to sit with us all forever - players, coaches, management," Lancaster said.
"I don't think I'll ever come to terms with it personally because it was such a big thing. We lost two games, but they were crucial games and ultimately that let us down."
