Danny Care
Danny Care. Photograph: Ross Land/Getty Images Ross Land/Getty

Martin Johnson did not exactly pick his moment when he turned up in Swansea on Sunday to watch the previously all-conquering England Under-20s in the junior world championship final against New Zealand.

The England team manager's hope for some relief after running up a huge telephone bill finding out what was happening with the senior tour in New Zealand quickly evaporated and he ended up with a replay of the previous day's events in Christchurch.

England were outplayed and out-thought by the Kiwis. They were asked questions to which they had no answers. It was a disappointing way to end what had been a superb year, not just in terms of results, with nine wins out of nine before the final, but in their performances, which banished the image of English rugby being staid and structured.

The England head coach, Nigel Redman, had a point when he said the final was a match too far, coming as it did at the end of an eight-day period which had seen his side defeat Australia, who were a more than useful side, and South Africa, but it did not entirely explain the reversion to the stereotype of English rugby, with decision-making crumbling under pressure.

The young New Zealanders were not an exceptional side, but they did the basics well and, like their seniors, had the ability to deliver a killer pass at the moment of impact. Their outside-half, Daniel Kirkpatrick, grew in influence throughout the tournament and was Carteresque in the final, exploiting space ruthlessly.

England's blitz defence had served them well: Kirkpatrick's answer was to chip over the heads of the onrushing defenders or put through a grubber. England never deployed a sweeper and the longer the match went on, the more exposed their surprising lack of initiative became.

Players who had been outstanding all year became ordinary in the heat of the moment, but one match should not confound the evidence of a year. The game in England is better than results this month would make out. What is needed at the top is quality of coaching to complement the talent coming through.

The Under-20s have a number of players capable of establishing themselves in the Premiership in the next couple of seasons, starting with the loose-head prop Nathan Catt, all the way out wide to the full-back Noah Cato, who showed the effects of mental and physical fatigue on Sunday more than anyone.

Brian Ashton may have been removed as England's head coach, taking the rap for the faults of others rather than just his own, but how the Rugby Football Union needs him to take charge of the national academy and influence young players in their formative years.

As the New Zealand Under-20s coach, Dave Rennie, said after the final, the natural instinct of an English player is to seek contact and play safe rather than trust his skills. Ashton struggled to change the mindset of senior players while he was in charge of England, but a number of the young players who lit up the Premiership last season were graduates of the national academy when Ashton was in charge earlier this decade.

Young Danny Care's performance in Christchurch last Saturday may have been mottled, but at least he was thinking outside conventional lines. England need more of that and Brian Smith should soon be installed as attack coach, with the RFU in talks with his club, London Irish, about a compensation package.

England need cutting-edge coaching. Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards made an immediate impact with Wales and it will be interesting to see how they respond to this month's unsuccessful tour to South Africa. Players are being pushed and challenged in a way England's are not.

Overall, the standard in the junior world championship was high. Samoa had an excellent crop of youngsters, Australia played total rugby, using the scrum as a weapon, South Africa were imaginative with the ball in hand, while France would have made the last four but for indiscipline.

England's achievement in making the final was notable considering they were sixth seeds and knew they would have to beat Australia and South Africa to have a chance of winning the trophy. Their path in Japan next year should be less hazardous.

New Zealand were able to rest players more, but England also had the option of choosing attack-minded players, such as the half-backs Ben Youngs and Rob Miller in the final. However, they trusted the defence which had taken them so far.

The performance would have been familiar to Johnson, but it was atypical of the Under-20s. The team manager may feel overwhelmed even before he has started work officially, but the future is far from all black.