article_snippet: But a fourth successive year as runners-up left the national team shattered, with the national team gallant role in epic sporting drama serving as meagre consolation.
article_snippet: A torrent of quick lineouts and tapped penalties, heads-up running and off-loading made for a stirring sight but, while the real damage had been done a week before, there were also fresh faults.
article_snippet: Still, criticism must be tempered in the context of a 20-point thumping of a French team which bore no resemblance to the rabble of previous weekends.
article_snippet: But it was shame those other teams weren’t a bit more resilient.
article_snippet: The performances of George Ford, Jonathan Joseph and Nowell have generated optimism, and while inside centre remains a problem position, in most areas there are now multiple options.
article_snippet: The likes of Manu Tuilagi, Joe Launchbury and Alex Corbisiero face a battle to reclaim lost places.
article_snippet: Finishing second again suggests they are stuck on a plateau but, in certain respects, this performance represented telling and timely progress.