The names roll off the tongue if you are of a certain age – Mike Rafter, Tony Neary, David Cooke, Peter Winterbottom, Gary Rees, Andy Robinson, Neil Back, Lewis Moody – all classic No7s.

For decades England produced very good opensides who did their work on the floor and were comfortable with ball in hand, linking easily in open play. Not only that, below them there were a raft of challengers who could have also been decent internationals had they not had their way blocked by this list of outstanding flankers.

It is difficult to pinpoint when and why this particular conveyor belt stopped spitting out talent. There is no obvious cause but let me throw out this theory which, though tangential, could have been at least a contributory factor.