Australia stand between England and the semi-finals of the World Cup. George Smith, the limpet-like Wallaby openside flanker, stands between England and a creditable crack at a Wallaby team that is long odds-on to deprive England of the title they have carried with such burden for so long.

So dominant has Smith been at the critical contact area in the months leading up to and during the pool stages of the tournament – in contrast to the passive nature of the entire England team’s breakdown work – that the image of him taking on whatever England throw into the collision and winning already appears an indelible memory six days before the match transpires. Put it another way, if England keep on as they are, they are in for the mother of all hidings.

Friday night’s win against Tonga guaranteed that England survived the pool stages, that was about it. Martin Corry was less than inspiring in his postmatch description of the effort. “We stuck to our process, to our disciplined game plan,” he said. “Stuck” just about sums up the painfully slow progress the team is making, not towards the final but a clutched credibility.

The pack appears to be playing on ploughed fields while their opposition are running on ground good enough for The Derby. The net result is continued calamity at the contact. In Lens, the United States made England’s back row look ponderous and lightweight at the same time, so bad were the world champions at either winning quick ball or turning opposition ball over.

The Springboks only made the malaise look epidemic-like, while any signs of gradual improvement against Samoa in Nantes were consigned to the wishful-thinking bin by Tonga. The Pacific islanders ran out of steam in the final 20 minutes, but that had more to do with the fact half the side play the game at an inadequate regular level. Those who play in New Zealand and France made England look a lumpy old unit for the full 80 minutes.

Their back row was a step or three ahead of England all evening. In Nili Latu, Finau Maka and Hale T-Pole, they admittedly possess one of the most balanced back rows in the competition, but that alone does not justify the monopoly of turnovers which prevented England from making much, if any, progress on Friday evening.

Lewis Moody, alone, playing at openside, a position he has often been mistakenly asked to fill, rather than at No 6, where his exuberant physical bravery makes him a more natural performer, had the zip to tangle with Latu while the rest of the pack churned the Parc des Princes up. There were shades of Lens and the trailblazing efforts of Tom Rees, which foundered on the back of inadequate support from his fellow back-rowers and midfield.

Belted and battered from one side of Paris to the next, his refusal to ease off his accelerator enabled Moody to stand out in the back five of the pack. Nick Easter made fetching carries from the restarts and his deft handling was one of the more eye-catching facets of England’s play, but his lack of pace is telling at this level. Australia next Saturday is another two or three levels up on Tonga and the one-paced nature of his game will be ruthlessly exposed. The same applies to Corry.

Asked about England’s areas of improvements in this World Cup, the captain didn’t think England could look at one particular facet. There is, I guess, something in that. He went on to say: “From where we were two weeks ago we have improved dramatically.” Ah, still stuck in the same slow thought processes, Martin. The flaws of the back row are as fundamental now as then and Smith, with his unique ball-stripping ability, will humiliate England unless there is radical change at the breakdown.

If England are to avoid such a humiliation they should get a metaphorical sack and dump ponderous phrases and assertions such as “stuck processes” in it. The world champions are bogged down in slow thinking as surely as sluggish limbs. Moody stood out, not for any technical excellence but for his sheer bravura and “have a go” attitude. No amount of time on the training field between now and next Saturday is going to give England an edge in this vital area where team and tactics remain head-banging blunt.

Moody’s zest makes him the first name on the back row, although that honour will probably belong to Corry, who, like Easter, will be seen as a solution rather than one of the problems that both men’s lack of bite at the breakdown makes them.

If fit, Tom Rees should play at No 7, although his habit of being swallowed by the biggest and best marks him as prey for the crouched, clattering figure of Smith. Rees is light on Moody’s anarchic tendencies, but has pace and the capacity to get to the breakdown faster than any Englishman. If two of them can at least reach the ball-carrier quickly, England have a hope of knocking the hovering presence of Smith off the precious possession which England must protect with their rugby lives. There is a lack of penetration that limits dreams of winning down to a narrow strategy of keeping the ball for long periods and kicking it with incessant accuracy into the Australian 22.

Smash into contact and run like hell after the high balls. England could study the old-fashioned Irish kick-and-chase game from the dim and distant days of Lansdowne Road. This means the No 8 might as well be the quickest available back-row forward left. Easter, Corry and Lawrence Dallaglio all fall short in the speed department, so Joe Worsley it is. The hour is arriving for England to stop thinking about contact situations and start sprinting into them. Moody is the man.

Stuart Barnes won 10 caps for England between 1984 and 1993

How the rivals shape up

Since winning the World Cup in 2003, England have struggled to maintain the heights they reached in the final against Australia. The two countries have played against each other five times since the final in Sydney and England have won only once. They will meet again on Saturday in the World Cup quarterfinals. The outcome is likely to be won in four key areas of the game

Kicking game Their use of the ball is chalk and cheese, far and near. Australia’s Chris Latham and company have booming boots which give them distance and accuracy when kicking out of hand. England, in contrast, are mere honest hoofers and are not able to drive their opponents back with a kicking game

Lineout Australia have two locking giants in Nathan Sharpe and Dan Vickerman plus a jumping option in Rocky Elsom, right, at the back of the lineout. England have Martin Corry as a wildcard target, but Ben Kay will need to play the best game of his life to match the Australian jumpers

Attack Something in white needs to click for England. Their attack relies on solo runs by the likes of Paul Sackey and Josh Lewsey. Australia come in great Wallaby waves, with danger everywhere

Confidence A few months ago, confidence was shattered in both camps. England have slowly recovered theirs but Australia are now soaring with optimism and have grown stronger as the tournament has progressed

Which referee? The teams play with contrasting styles and the appointment of the referee for the quarterfinal will be important. England would prefer an officiall who rewards their skill and power up front. They would therefore like the match to be handled by either Alain Rolland or Alan Lewis, both of Ireland, who would give England a chance to use their strength. Australia would favour an official who evened up the scrum. The New Zealand pair, Paul Honiss and Steve Walsh, would get their approval

England v Australia since 2003 Rugby World Cup final

England P44 W19 D0 L25

Australia P49 W30 D1 L18

England have used 84 players (40 backs, 44 forwards)

Australia have used 64 players (30 backs, 34 forwards)

England low point Losing 25-18 to Argentina at Twickenham in 2006, part of a seven-match losing streak, the worst in England history

Australia low point Defeat in each of the four games of the 2005 TriNations, part of a seven-match losing streak including a first defeat by Wales for 18 years

Head to head since 2003 Jun 2004 Brisbane Australia 51 England 15 Nov 2004 Twickenham Australia 21 England 19 Nov 2005 Twickenham England 26 Australia 16 Jun 2006 Sydney Australia 34 England 3 Jun 2006 Melbourne Australia 43 England 18