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It is not inconceivable that the snore-fest witnessed at Twickenham last weekend could prove to be the wooden spoon decider for this year's Six Nations.

There cannot have been too many occasions when England have come away with a 39-11 victory and been lambasted in the fashion they have this week.

The record books will show that they crossed the whitewash five times and snapped a run of three consecutive Test defeats, but those that watched the dross served out at HQ will know that England are in a state of disarray.

As is so often the case with England, they appear to be torn between the need to develop a team for the future and the demands placed on them to win their next game.

Should manager Martin Johnson (pictured left) be looking to build a side that can challenge for the 2011 World Cup, or should the former England skipper focus entirely on winning in Cardiff on Saturday? What is more important: performance or result?

The noises emanating from Twickenham ahead of the autumn internationals certainly gave credence to the former strategy. England had used too many players under Johnson's predecessor Brian Ashton, there had been no continuity in selection or the way they wanted to play, the players appeared to be getting mixed messages from the coaching team.

Well, five games into Johnson's reign - seven if you include the hidings England received in the two summer Tests in New Zealand - and there is little evidence of a change in approach, either on the field or off it.

In Johnson's defence, injuries have made it difficult for him to field his first-choice XV - and perhaps best XV - but there have been question marks over some of his selections.

Why, for example, was Nick Kennedy, England's stand-out jumper, dropped from the side after making a decent, try-scoring debut against Pacific Islands in November? Surely the London Irish lock would have benefitted hugely from playing Australia and South Africa, and, in hindsight, done as well as the chosen locks.

Did Shane Geraghty - who had already shown his Test potential with a match-winning cameo against France on his debut two years earlier - not deserve the chance to start at fly-half against Italy ahead of the already tried, tested and discarded Andy Goode?

Why not give Mathew Tait a go at outside centre instead of the limited Jamie Noon when Mike Tindall withdrew at the 11th hour with injury?

And what of Danny Cipriani? England's saviour one month and not good enough to make the match 22 the next. Surely his sublime performance in the win over Ireland last season was enough to stick by him, despite the media distractions and celebrity girlfriend.

The England coaches can talk all they like about having to get the balance of their side right, but if the team they select then goes out and performs like it did against Italy it is only right to question their choices.

England still appear hamstrung by Gavin Henson's tackle on Tait in 2005, when the then-debutant was dumped on his derriere in no uncertain fashion. Too soon, not big enough, needs more experience.

Until England learn to stick with players and give them a decent run then they will fail to identify their best team.

But what is most worrying of all is the lack of any discernable style of play. It was the same under Ashton, but at least he had the sense at the World Cup (or was it the result of player power?) to resort to England's default - a forward-orientated game.

Johnson's appointment of Brian Smith (pictured right) pointed to a more expansive approach, but sadly there has been little evidence of the attacking style he used to such great effect at London Irish.

Has Smith's voice been drowned out by the likes of John Wells and Graham Rowntree, the forwards coaches inherited by Johnson and part of the so-called 'Leicester mafia' now in charge?

Twickenham might argue that Smith needs longer than five games to stamp his imprint on the side, but Warren Gatland and his coaching team managed to change Wales' fortunes and win them a Grand Slam in exactly the same amount of time.

Perhaps, as Lawrence Dallaglio has pointed out recently, England just do not possess world beaters in this current crop of internationals. Maybe that is something fans of the Red Rose need to accept and adjust their expectations lower - much lower.

It certainly does not help when their captain, the likeable but limited Steve Borthwick, holds such little fear for the opposition. If the management is unable to identify that their skipper does not deserve a place in the side, then there is little hope that they will get the rest of their selections right.

And so to Cardiff this weekend. If the game goes to form England will do well to keep the margin of defeat below 20 points. Wales are purring like a well-oiled marque and, now they have their lineout in order, appear to have few weaknesses.

But it was not so long ago that England were being written off at the World Cup and through a combination of pig-headedness and heroic defence somehow made the final.

As underdogs, England have a habit of making critics eat their words and maybe there is just enough bite in this current side to cause Wales problems. It's a big maybe.

Terence O'Rorke / Eurosport