There will be the usual postmortem into just what’s so wrong with England after another World Cup failure.
Wrong selections? Does coach Shaun Wane need to bite the bullet? Not enough quality in Super League? The truth is, all of that is irrelevant. More than at any level, in international rugby league, everything boils down to taking your chance. Being ruthless. Too often in the decades without any glory, England - and Great Britain before them - have simply not taken their opportunity.
Not because wrong selections were made. Not because the coach was the wrong man. And not because there’s not enough quality in Super League. Just fleeting moments that can change destiny. That’s the only difference. And England tend to fall on the wrong side of them. Everyone now bemoaning Wane’s selection of Michael McIlorum wasn’t whining when he helped England cruise through to the semi-finals. Jack Welsby isn’t suddenly to be jettisoned because of one bad game.
