At least Martin Johnson is used to brickbats. The sounds of rumbling discontent that spread around Twickenham as his distinctive features filled the stadium’s big screens towards the end of the 42-6 defeat by South Africa came less than four playing hours into his new role as England team manager.

Anywhere else the sound might have brought a touch of nostalgia for his playing days. Few players were more routinely or resoundingly booed on away grounds than Johnson, or more entitled to regard it as a backhanded tribute. But at Twickenham?