Bad losers doesn't cover it... The last image of England's Rugby WorldCup team will be that of a sulking, spoiled bunch of over-grown children

·       England were favourites to win the World Cup but lost to South Africa32-12

·       They refused to applaud the referee but ultimately let themselves down

·       Eddie Jones' men crossed their arms and sulked and will be seen as badlosers

·       The coach set the example with his sly dig at Warren Gatland before thefinal

·       Inspired South Africa were playing for the trophy and the unity of theirnation 

Rippingoff their medals. Standing arms crossed and scowling as the South Africans werepresented with theirs.

Failingto bow in unison by way of courteous farewell to the Japanese people who hadbestowed upon them the privilege of playing on such a magnificent stage.

Pointedlyrefusing to applaud the referee who they thereby had the brass neck to try toblame for a defeat which was nobody's fault but their own.

England's disappointment of losing the final is not an excuse forletting themselves down

Itis the last image which stays with us the longest and for millions ofsports-lovers in this country the lingering memory of England at the RugbyWorld Cup is that of a sullen, sulking, spoiled bunch of over-grown children.

Badlosers doesn't cover it. Petulance doesn't come close. Disappointment isnowhere near an excuse for letting themselves down, letting us down, worst ofall letting our nation down.

Therugby brotherhood, as is its wont, has spent the best part of a week trying topass off this betrayal of grace with an airy wave of the hand and gushings ofsympathy for their anguish at losing the biggest match of their lives.

Passthe sick bag. If this is the worst that ever happens to them they should countthemselves very fortunate indeed.

Rugbyused to be steeped in good sportsmanship, compassion in victory and, perhapsmost importantly of all, generosity in defeat.

Firstand foremost, it was about playing the game. Followed by flagons ofcompanionship downed by winners and losers together.

Jamie George, Mako Vunipola and captain Owen Farrell show their dismayafter the defeat

Thatrespect has given way to self-serving ego and now, apparently, to the kind ofmoney which is blamed for football's malaise.

Fourof England's so-called stars - captain Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and theVunipola brothers - are key beneficiaries of the salary-cap scandal which hasbrought rugby's super-club Saracens crashing down beneath huge pointsdeductions and fines.

Theinvestigation into this case was led by Sportsmail and it isdisturbing that the findings of the official inquiry were delayed to preventunsettling England's World Cup campaign. How did that work out, gentlemen?

Inlight of this disgrace it is difficult not to suspect that much of the team'sbrattishness was rooted in the loss of the £82,000 bonuses each stood to pockethad they become world champions.

Thatis no justification, either, for their surly behaviour. Nor for the grudging,back-handed congratulations to the South Africans which had to be dragged outof them by the post-match interviewers. You know how it went: 'Well that's theway choose to play but ok they did it well.' New Zealand did not conductthemselves like that when England beat them in the semi-final.

Farrell smirked during the Hakka but beaten New Zealand wished Englandwell for the final

The Kiwis were gracious in defeat and clapped England off, wishing themwell for their final

Eventhough Farrell had smirked his insult at their Haka, the All Blacks smiled,embraced the victors, wished them well for the final and signed off from Japanby lining up for that traditional bow to their charming hosts. As did prettywell all the other teams.

Class.

Andremember, the Kiwis lost the World Cup. England merely failed to win it, yetwere bitter to boot.

Thatis the miserable impression they left behind in a country which not only put ona brilliant tournament but, to even greater surprise, offered more than Englandto the future of a game they have come late to love.

Therugby Japan played, at such lightning speed of hand and foot that it lookedlike a man-size Nintendo game, brought a new dimension to this sport. One whichthe old power-houses of Europe and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere willhave to add to their repertoire if they are to stay ahead of the game.

Englandended up an inferior version of South Africa's muscularity, energy, brutestrength and physicality, which is the core of both their traditions. That, bythe way, despite a starting pack heavier than the Springboks.

Billy Vunipola walks off the pitch covered in blood as England pondertheir missed chance

England players watch on as South Africa prepare to lift the trophy,most not wearing medals

Thishints at lesser determination, heart and spirit in the game which matteredmost. That and poorer tactical organisation, which will bring us to Eddie Jonesin a moment.

Theinitial difference from England's stand-out performance against the All Blackswas that they knew they had nothing to lose against the acknowledged masters ofthe rugby universe.

Thereal pressure came in a Final they were expected to win.

Thatthey bought into that excess of optimism seemed apparent in signs of growingarrogance and creeping complacency during the intervening seven days.

Self-aggrandisement,self-importance, self-entitlement... so often is this the way with Englandteams entering the varying fields of sporting combat.

Incommon with the less discerning minority of the tens of thousands of theirsupporters who trekked to Tokyo, they drew a false equation from Englandbeating New Zealand who had defeated South Africa.

Justbecause A beats B and C beats A it doesn't necessarily mean that C beats B.

Led by captain Siya Kolisi, South Africa were playing for the unity oftheir once divided nation

Cheslin Kolbe scores the second try for the Springboks to add gloss totheir win over England

TheSpringboks were a different style proposition to the All Blacks. They wereempowered also by a far higher sense of purpose.

Ralliedby their first black captain, South Africa's most racially integrated team yetwere playing not just for their third World Cup but for the unity of theirdivided, strife torn nation, striving to inspire a belief that anything ispossible for all to achieve. Even those from the poorest townships.

Thiswas a lofty ambition which England failed utterly to comprehend in their hourof defeat. When Itoje called this the worst night of his life he had nounderstanding of Siya Kolisi saying that he grew up dreaming not of lifting theWebb Ellis Trophy but of where his next meal might come from.

Asfor the head coach, Jones set the preening example. The sly digs at his oldnemesis Warren Gatland, the smug grins after the semi-final, the false aura ofinvincibility, all ended in him being out-coached by South Africa coach RassieErasmus.

Andwhile we're at it, Mr Jones, where was Danny Cipriani when the critical momentcame with England desperately needing to find a stroke of genius?

Mario Itoje, who called the loss the worst night of his life, walks offthe pitch heartbroken

Eddie Jones set the example for England players and gave them a falseaura of invincibility

Asfor the money factor Eddie, after all, is an Aussie mercenary. There was nopatriotic disappointment for him.

AsEngland headed for home and a desultory welcome at Heathrow airport Jones madeclear his distaste for 'four more years kicking stones down the road.' The RFU,keen though they are not only to hold him to the last two years of his contractbut to keep him on to the next World Cup, should listen and cash him out now.

Probablyhe will stay on if they pay him enough but they should pay heed, too, when heputs into words the only thing he got right last weekend - this team isfinished.

Jones said his team were 'finished' after the final and plans to rebuildfor the Six Nations

Theharsh reality is that this England team has missed its moment and that preciousfew of even the younger guns will be as eager, intense and fired up almost halfa decade hence. By then expect a free-flowing Franco-Japanese emergence ofelectrifying rugby at high velocity to have excited, invigorated and evolvedthe 15-man game, leaving England behind unless they are willing to adapt.

Allthe hype about the Jones boys being bigger, stronger, faster in France 2023 isas misplaced as the cheer-leading en route to and in Japan by some quarters ofthe media. This was redolent of the jingoism which surrounds England's footballteams as they set off for yet another World Cup flop.

SirClive Woodward, still England's only Rugby World Cup-winning coach, was one ofthe few to warn against expectations of an easy win over the Springboks, notleast in these pages. Although my old friend did not go quite so far as topredict a South African victory. How could he after England had ended the AllBlack supremacy?

Willie le Roux and Frans Steyn toast to their success with their medalsduring the ceremony

Thatsuccess might have remained in the forefront of English minds had their rugbyas well as their conduct not ultimately let them down.

Instead,the final image of England playing in Japan is of Farrell flat out on the grassafter missing a tackle on the smallest player on the pitch, looking back inanger and disbelief as little Cheslin Kolbe danced away for the try whichdeepened defeat into humiliation.

NoMartin Johnson, he. No Bobby Moore.

Farrell looked flat out on the grass after missing a tackle and watchingKolbe score the final try

The 28-year-old returns to England empty handed as he and his team-matesland in the UK

Theregard in which Farrell is held by some as an exceptional captain remains amystery.

Quitewhy he called in one of those huddles on the pitch when it was all over isstrange. I have no idea what he has to say in those closed circles but givenhow tongue-tied and monosyllabic he is at interview it his hard to conceive ofhim as Churchilian.

Nor,as far as I am aware, have we heard a peep from him about how he and most ofhis troops disowned their medals.

England players walk past the Webb Ellis trophy and they prepare toreceive their medals

Asrecollections of every Olympics should have reminded them, while silver is notas good as gold it is better than bronze and certainly preferable to nothing.

Notonly these players but their game itself will ignore the social media torrentcomprising everything from dismay to disgust at their dishonouring of rugby'sWorld Cup and their discourtesy to the Japanese.

Cometo think of it, Fast Eddie was right about something else. They have plenty tolearn.

Notleast, manners.

Halvor Rosholt