Owen Farrell paused to consider his answer, head bowed, eyes sunken, processing the trauma. The right words didn’t immediately come, because there weren’t any right words, really. Not after a record home defeat. Farrell has endured his fair share of lows in an England shirt – the early 2015 home World Cup exit, the Yokohama final defeat four years later – but never a home humiliation quite like this.
“Obviously the result and the scoreline are hugely disappointing for us,” Farrell said matter-of-factly, like an insurance appraiser poking a pen at a pile of rubble. “I don’t think you ever expect to lose like that at home as an England team. You don’t expect to lose like that anywhere as an England team. It is a tough one to reflect on.”
