It was hard not to wonder, looking at the England supporters glancing at the ticking clock at Murrayfield on Saturday, whether they were praying for enough time for England to claw themselves back into the game, or simply wishing for the end.

Limp, dull, turgid, brainless, all adjectives used so liberally in the aftermath that you’d have been forgiven for thinking you were reading a review of Kerry Katona’s latest TV show, not a report on a rugby match.

To call it a rugby match was a misnomer in any event. To do so requires that some rugby is actually played.

Scotland were equally as guilty of the lack of ambition that turned the game into such a tiresome procession of minimal advance followed by error followed by penalty followed by kick, but at least their discipline was made of stern enough stuff to deny England the chances to achieve parity.

On England’s part, there were some all too familiar lapses in that department, notably from Andrew Sheridan, who undid much of the praise heaped on him over the last 12 months by conceding some senseless penalties in the second half.

Much as sides used to fear the slightest indiscretion against England anywhere south of the half way line, the bald statistic of 30 consecutive successful three-pointers from the boot of Chris Paterson has seen that mantle passed on to a Scotland side deeply grateful for the presence of the Gloucester man amongst their ranks, so scant is their ability to garner points that come in bunches of five.

He will miss one day, but not from anywhere England coughed up opportunities on Saturday.
In Dublin, Wales at least proved they were willing and able to create. They are operating on what looks like a simple plan.

Their second row and back row clatter the ball up into the opposition and their backs put pace and width on the ball once the piano shifters have established momentum.

In the midfield, Gavin Henson is applying a similarly basic philosophy that the simple option is often the most effective, and that is creating space for his colleagues to do the damage.

It helps, of course, when you have a player so visibly effervescing with confidence in his own ability as Shane Williams, who is timing his forays off his station on the left wing with piercing precision. Wales were worth much more than their four-point margin of victory.

As Martyn Williams told me last week, this is the same group of players that was so embarrassingly ejected from the World Cup. The change, he insisted has been the mentality instilled by Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards.

Edwards has helped transform a team in little more than two months.

This time next week, the neck that supports that shining bald head will most likely be adorned with a championship medal, and a Grand Slam one at that.

He will return to club duties with Wasps while in England another round of introspection will be about to begin.

One of the answers they are looking for will be found bouncing around a wind-swept training ground in Acton, wearing that championship medal, agonisingly out of the RFU’s reach.