Ashton Demands Excitement and Execution After Horror Show

England have never lost to Samoa, a country with a population smaller than Northampton, and this is not the moment to start. Defeat in Nantes today would not only effectively seal their fate as the first English side to bow out before the tournament's knockout stages but invite further global ridicule. That teasing Australian taunt from 2003 - "Is that all you've got?" - would be among the kinder rejoinders.

Should Brian Ashton's team continue to perform as shambolically as they have been doing lately, such a grim scenario cannot entirely be ruled out. The Stade Beaujoire witnessed arguably the sport's most eye-watering Test when Wayne Shelford's All Blacks took on France in the 1986 "Battle of Nantes" and, given the choice, a patriotic Englishman might settle for a ripped scrotum in preference to the pain of watching England toppled by opponents who have lost both their Pool A games to date.

Samoa, in fact, are more of a threat than that statistic makes them seem and might have given England a serious hurry-up had the pair met on the tournament's opening weekend. The ferocity of the first half-hour against South Africa in Paris was extraordinary and the Springbok forwards were merely stating the obvious when they declared them to be tougher adversaries than the English. If Martin Corry's men prove unable to lift themselves, the captain can expect to spend the first week of October back in Melton Mowbray rather than preparing for a quarter-final in Marseille.

Little wonder, then, that Ashton is almost imploring a reshuffled side to show they are capable of rather better than they have so far delivered. "This is the biggest game of the World Cup so far . . . if the players can't get excited by that, we're in the wrong place," he stressed yesterday. "A win is the prime objective but, given what we've done in the previous two games, a better performance is also a must."

The memory of 2003, when Samoa led entering the final quarter in Melbourne, is also fresh enough to ensure England are forewarned about the intense physical blitz which is undoubtedly heading their way. Ashton knows enough about the Samoan fly-half Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu from his Bath days to be aware the latter is no kicking-obsessed pivot and Michael Jones has already reminded his own team that their World Cup campaign will be over prematurely unless they can unsettle the English early on.

It prompts the question of whether England, for all the deserved criticism of their constipated efforts so far, would not be better sticking to a forward-orientated game plan and squeezing Samoa at scrum and lineout, as Tonga did to such telling effect. To weave pretty early patterns and throw floated passes with Brian Lima in the opposition midfield is akin to suicide and an open, unstructured game would certainly not bother the runaway juggernaut that is Alesana Tuilagi. Ashton is not that daft but, equally, he wants his players to be more alert to possibilities in front of them, as opposed to being stubbornly one-dimensional. "We've talked about getting more balance into our game and the evidence on the training field suggests that is firmly fixed in everyone's minds. Now, under the pressure of a World Cup game, we've got to go out and perform it."

To that end, Ashton has sought to transform the anxiety of recent weeks into positive adrenaline and, with Jonny Wilkinson back at the helm, England should be sufficiently strong-minded to capitalise on any slippage of South Sea discipline. "Last week has gone, we were well beaten and we know that," muttered the head coach, unwilling to concede that Samoa's defeat by Tonga was good news.

"We probably looked at the South Africa game and thought that was the worst English performance at a World Cup, so we're in the same boat [as Samoa]. Both of us have a lot to play for."

England v Samoa

Pool A 3pm BST kick-off in Nantes Referee Alan Lewis (Ire) TV Live on ITV1 Radio Live on BBC Five Live

15 J Lewsey Wasps

14 P Sackey Wasps

13 M Tait Newcastle

12 O Barkley Bath

11 M Cueto Sale

10 J Wilkinson Newcastle

9 A Gomarsall Harlequins

1 A Sheridan Sale

2 G Chuter Leicester

3 M Stevens Bath

4 S Shaw Wasps

5 B Kay Leicester

6 M Corry Leicester, capt

7 J Worsley Wasps

8 N Easter Harlequins

ReplacementsM Regan Bristol P Freshwater Perpignan S Borthwick Bath L Moody Leicester P Richards London Irish A Farrell Saracens D Hipkiss Leicester 15 L Crichton Worcester

14 D Lemi Bristol

13 S Mapusua London Irish

12 B Lima Bristol

11 A Tuilagi Leicester

10 E Fuimaono-Sapolu Bath

9 J Polu North Harbour

1 K Lealamanua Dax

2 M Schwalger Wellington

3 C Johnston Saracens

4 J Tekori Waitakere

5 K Thompson Otago

6 D Leo Wasps

7 S Sititi Docomo, capt

8 H Tuilagi Perpignan

Replacements T Fuga Harlequins F Palaamo Leeds J Purdie Wellington A Vaeluaga Bristol S So'oialo Harlequins J Meafou Scopa L Lui Moata'a

Pool A standings

P W D L BP Pts

South Africa 2 2 0 0 1 9

Tonga 2 2 0 0 0 8

England 2 1 0 1 0 4

Samoa 2 0 0 2 1 1

United States 2 0 0 2 0 0

Remaining fixtures

Today South Africa v Tonga

England v Samoa

Sept 26 Samoa v United States

Sept 28 England v Tonga

Sept 30 South Africa v United States