'We're all hurting' - Parling

By Mark Stevens

Geoff Parling says it's vital England 'front up' this Saturday as they look to end their Rugby World Cup campaign on a high note against minnows Uruguay in Manchester (8pm).

The host nation saw their hopes of advancing into the last eight of the competition extinguished at Twickenham last weekend as Australia brushed aside Stuart Lancaster's side with ease in a 33-13 victory.

Parling - a summer signing for the Exeter Chiefs - featured for the whole 80 minutes of that contest and felt first hand the pain experienced by supporters up and down the country.

Speaking to the media ahead of England's final Pool A fixture, the 31-year-old admitted the past few days had been among the 'toughest' of his playing career.

"It's been a pretty brutal 48 hours for all of us," said Parling. "It's pretty bad how I feel and how we all feel as a group, It's not great, but you'd expect that after a result like last weekend.

"Australia, it has to be said, were outstanding on the day and they were the best team we have faced in a while. They played very well, their attack and the way they pulled us around was very good; they got on the right side of the referee, especially late in the game; and they took the chances they had, so well done to them.

"Right now we're all hurting, but for starters we have another game to play this weekend. It's somewhat of a strange scenario that we're out of the competition, yet we have another game, so we have got to give it the respect it deserves.

"The players who prepare for that game and who take to the field have to be ready. It's not going to eradicate what has happened previously, but as a group we want to put on a good performance and finish strongly. We must be better because we've not been good enough in other games."

Parling's brutal assessment of England's dismal World Cup campaign underlines the disappointment that lies within the home ranks, but he says it's important that the Red Rose country look to go out on Saturday and rectify some of the damage that has been caused.

"Stuart has already told us how we should react," continued Parling. "It will be hard, of course it will be, but we have got to pull together and put on a good performance this weekend. We know we messed up, we've not been good enough and now we need to be better.

"The fact is we still have another game to play in our home World Cup, so we have to put on our best approach, put ourselves out there and try and finish with something from the game."

With Lancaster likely to give those within his squad who have yet to feature - players like Exeter Chiefs duo Jack Nowell and Henry Slade their chance to shine - Parling is hopeful he too will get another chance against the South American outfit.

"If I get the chance to represent my country again at the weekend, I want to put everything into that, prepare right and go out and give it my best shot. Certainly the feeling at the moment is that it's not worked and we are all incredibly gutted with that. For me, personally, this loss will stay with me for a long time, probably forever."