WELL, this is a desperate business. When these autumn internationals started we may have felt that today would be the day when we were suggesting ways in which England could beat New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday. Where are we now? We are trying to find one area of the pitch, even a tiny area, where England can possibly match the flying All Blacks.

One thing is for certain. If New Zealand play with such verve and pace and so relentlessly as they did in Cardiff, and if England are as big a shambles as they were against South Africa yesterday, then the new record set yesterday for a margin of English defeat at Twickenham will last one week, and in passing, it could be that this weekend represents the high water mark in all of rugby history in terms of the superiority of the major southern hemisphere teams over the north.

What was so remarkable about both South Africa and New Zealand yesterday was their exuberance. We are grimly used to watching European teams touring at the end of the northern hemisphere season on their last legs, with feeble teams, and, frankly, trying to do nothing more than escape with less than a 50-point hammering. Yesterday, it seemed as if New Zealand and South Africa had by far the fresher legs, which was absolutely staggering.

Naturally, freshness is a state of mind as well as body. I expressed the fear at the start of this autumn programme that the extra hours and days and weeks which the England team have spent ensconced in their Bagshot headquarters would produce a careworn team with a lack of clarity and purpose. That is exactly what has happened, because if you can assess states of mind from the side of a rugby pitch, then England played as if almost terminally confused – whereas New Zealand, down in Cardiff, seemed to have clear heads and a wavelength.

If England discuss their weaknesses in the week before New Zealand arrive then they have a bewildering variety from which to choose. Their lineout is feeble, their scrum lacks authority, their breakdown lacks conviction. James Haskell, inset, apart, where was the power in the ball-carrying?

It goes on and on. Some real conviction in the attacking play would be welcome because at the moment, and even though they are now under the control of Brian Smith, the much-vaunted backs coach, the England back division plays as if going through the motions, turning the pages of a playbook. Danny Cipriani may have had a reasonably disastrous day yesterday, but, to his credit, at least he was always trying to play off the cuff, at least trying to take advantage of opportunities which arose even though his execution was poor.

Martin Johnson declared last night that he already has his best players out on the field. If he does, then the outlook is as black as night. But of course, he is wrong, and he should use all his wiles to get around the regulations which appear to force him to select only from the England elite squad.

For a start, I would bring into the back division Josh Lewsey, Danny Hipkiss and Harry Ellis, all of whom, as I wrote in October, should have been in the team from the start of this autumn programme. If only Mike Tindall and Olly Barkley were showing the faintest semblance of form, I would also play them. Ellis can be guaranteed to give a little more protection to Cipriani and be a little more direct and less flighty than Danny Care.

The tribulations of Phil Vickery were plain to see yesterday, and England should restore Andrew Sheridan and Matt Stevens, albeit with a rocket launched in the direction of the Stevens backside, to encourage him to show his true ability. It is also time to jettison both the locks of yesterday, Steve Borthwick, because he has been entirely ineffective, and Tom Palmer, because he does not have the power. Simon Shaw should start and, alongside him, bearing in mind that England need rapid and even short-term solutions to avoid humiliation, bring in Danny Grewcock, who, even at a relatively advanced age, can be guaranteed to bring some kind of snarling intensity to proceedings. Frankly, one growl from South Africa up front yesterday, and England ran a mile. Dylan Hartley is another obvious choice for Johnson, and the Northampton hooker must be given a starting chance.

New Zealand have no such problems and it will be fascinating to see if they deem it necessary to field their first choice side. They put out their reserves against Scotland and that shadow team would have been easily good enough to beat England on yesterday’s form. New Zealand are improving all the time in the scrummage, and somehow, Ali Williams and company are conjuring a return from what appears to be a rather feeble lineout.

It is said that England, the nation as well as the rugby team, is at its best with backs to the wall. That would be comforting, if only England had some backs. A week is a long time in both politics and sport, but it is impossible to see that England, without major changes, without a new approach, and without a vigorous clearing-out of their own minds, can come close. That is a forbidding thought, considering that, only a few weeks ago, we were demanding that England be good enough to win all four of their games, in what has become a bitter autumn.

- ENGLAND have to beat New Zealand convincingly on Saturday to have any chance of securing fourth place in the world rankings and seeded status for the 2011 World Cup. The draw is on December 1.

World rankings (last week)

1 (1) New Zealand
2 (2) South Africa
3 (3) Australia
4 (5) Argentina
5 (4) England
6 (6) France
7 (7) Wales
8 (8) Ireland
9 (9) Scotland
10 (11) Fiji