SIR CLIVE WOODWARD last night backed E-land captain Lawrence Dallaglio as the world champions began reflecting on their worst Five or Six Nations campaign since 1993.

Just four months after Martin Johnson lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy in Australia, England slumped to a lowly third place in the 2004 RBS 6 Nations Championship, trailing behind their Grand Slam conquerors France and Triple Crown winners Ire-land.

England had spluttered their way through the tournament going into their potential title decider against France, and it was no real surprise that they came off second-best.

Tries in the final 25 minutes from wings Ben Cohen and Josh Lewsey threatened a stunning fightback after the visitors had trailed 24-6, but as Woodward yesterday admitted before leaving Paris, it would have been a classic case of getting out of jail had his team triumphed.

This year's Six Nations has proved a testing championship for Woodward and his players, but the head coach is in no doubt he has the right man at the helm in Wasps star Dallaglio.

"I think that Lawrence has done a great job," Woodward said.

"It was always going to be a difficult year after the World Cup, and he has handled it very well.

"He knows what he is about and he knows that we are going through a period of change.

"He is a World Cup winner and he is doing a fantastic job. "It doesn't need me to reassure him - he spoke brilliantly after the game, and I know that I have made the right choice.

"It is not easy for him, but he is there and he will be there in the summer in New Zealand and Australia." must have wondered what had hit him and his team as France stormed into a 21-3 interval lead through tries from number eight Imanol Harinordoquy and former Gloucester

scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili, who finished with 19 points.

At one stage, England looked as though they could even suffer their heaviest defeat since the miserable 1998 Southern Hemisphere tour.

That they fought back so effectively was a measure of their resilience and commitment, but there was no doubting French supremacy, both on the night and in the championship overall.

"To go in at half time 21-3 down was something I didn't even contemplate," Woodward added. "Some of the things we are normally very good at - all the things that win you World

Cups - just slipped away. We made a couple of errors and we were punished.

"When we got back to 24-21, I think we still kicked the ball out two or three times, and we had only taken one of their line-outs during the match, so I was a little bit disappointed we didn't chance our arm a little more in the last couple of minutes.

Iam very clear why England win and why we lose. England don't get lucky, we win when we prepare really well."

Clear guidelines on preparations have now been set out over the next three seasons, with Woodward guaranteed 16 training days a term with his squad, a situation that he is delighted with.

He said: "I am glad the tournament is finished. Once we had lost to Ireland, it was always going to be difficult.

"If we prepare well and get everything right, we tend to win - if we don't, we lose. It is noone's fault, but we have had to take too many shortcuts since the World Cup.

"We can now draw a line under the Six Nations and move on very strongly. You earn your money in situations like this - you look in the mirror and take responsibility for what has happened."