PHIL VICKERY EXCLUSIVE: England's 'long-term plan' was always going to be a loser

I am still incredibly downbeat over England’s failure – with the resources we have in this country we should be leading the way in the rugby world.

But what really annoyed me is the way we kept on talking about "playing for the future".

As far as I am concerned you play your best team now not in four years time. Simply hiding behind a "long-term plan" is not acceptable. You coach a side to get better, improve and develop but you go out to win every game and play the best you can every time.

There needs to be a strategy but simply looking forward is not a strategy - in fact at times, it almost becomes an excuse.

Constantly switching and changing never works - as we have discovered.

But are England "broken"? Do they need fixing? I don’t think so.

They need polishing, honing and having some finishing touches applied. The materials are there – it just needs a plan.

What worries me most of all is how some of our players who have played in the World Cup have been affected psychologically.

Playing against Uruguay outside of Twickenham will be very tough for some of them but they will have to try and end what has been a very disappointing tournament on a high.

They have all earned the right to play but it will be a strange occasion.

It is quite right that the national team is playing outside of London and Manchester is a great place to take the World Cup.

It is a huge regret to me that England v Uruguay will be England’s last match in the World Cup but the players will now have to leave a lasting impression on fans and pundits alike, regardless of the opposition.

Those England players need to go out there, show what they can do and enjoy playing for their country.

I am just disappointed that it’s taken us this long to bring in Henry Slade.

What he has done at Exeter has been nothing short of miraculous and he genuinely deserves his opportunity.

Whatever happens and whoever is in charge of this England team in the future, Henry Slade will play a huge part.

England needs the likes of him coming through to increase competition for places.

Manu Tuilagi will almost certainly be coming back into the team but he was being criticized for his distribution skills and not the sort to get the ball out to Jonny May, so he might not be immediate answer.

Slade and Tuilagi are completely different players. Slade brings a new dimension to the team and the coach needs to create a team that works on what he does best – his creativity – and he is now perfectly placed to take on that role.

Then there’s George Ford or Owen Farrell – who is the better 10?

Again, they are completely different and offer alternative game plans.

Farrell has proved to be very reliable, especially with the boot and as a defender is also strong.

Ford, however, has that ability to jink, to step, to throw that spectacular, defence-splitting pass.

Any coach needs to decide what style of play England will adopt because the selections have been inconsistent to say the least.

We are no further forward than we were after the last World Cup and although a great coach will understand and be able to work with contrasting players, that lack of a plan caught up with us.

What delights me about Ford is that although he is not the biggest of players he has not had all he skill battered out of him.

He is a real threat with ball in hand and although people are questioning his kicking abilities, from what I have seen he has been pretty good.

Both of them can tackle but I would say that Farrell is definitely the more defensive player.

The fact they are such great tacklers shows how much rugby has evolved. Long gone are the days when players just lumbered around and nowadays they all need great rugby brains.

The modern-day game is more than just getting the basics right – it’s ball handling, running lines, tackling and kicking. It’s the whole package.

Long gone are the days when your 10 was just a kicker and passer – Jonny Wilkinson broke that mold and since him all 10s have had to become huge hitters.

It was always my ambition to be more than just a front row player who locked into scrums and I was lucky to have a coach like Brian Ashton.

He had as much time for me as a ball-carrying player as he did for any of the backline and he did wonders for my rugby skills.

But does England slipping out make it a bad World Cup? Of course it doesn’t.

I have been enthralled by the rugby I have seen, the standard of play, the commitment and passion.

I have already paid tribute to the RFU for the way they have organized the tournament – they have done a great job.

And that attention to detail, going into schools, getting grassroots clubs involved at every chance, the fanzones, the accessibility, taking the World Cup to so many areas of the country and making everyone feel part of it will ensure the legacy lives on.

I know the RFU were hoping that England would do a lot better but the excitement generated by having the best players in the world over here – that’s created a legacy in itself.

Loads of people have told me how much they have enjoyed watching proper rugby being played and they have fallen in love with it again.

The TV coverage has been brilliant and it’s been great to get different views from different voices, not the same old stale pundits saying the same old stale things.

Oddly enough, I think there have been a few positives to emerge from England’s dismal displays.

The fact we are not as good as we though we were and will now have to work hard to improve – that’s the biggest positive of the lot.

Then there’s Jonathan Joseph – he’s the real deal, world class and the glimpses we have seen from him so far prove this.

And what can you say about Mike Brown? Not the biggest, not the fastest, but has the complete game mixed with aggression and commitment.

What has concerned me has been our problems in the front row. It’s a shame we won’t get to see Alex Corbisiero against Uruguay but the front row have really struggled at times.

That’s something that does need fixing – and quickly…

Phil Vickery was talking to Mark Lawford