Five of Wales’ 10 biggest championship hammerings have been against England while six arrived during the past three seasons, with France and Ireland also joining in.

In three successive visits to Twickenham, Wales have conceded 156 points and 18 tries and they still have not won at English rugby headquarters since 1988, losing seven successive Tests.

‘‘When you look at the top table, which was Twickenham yesterday, you see a Wales side totally and utterly outclassed by a below-par England XV who won’t have been happy with their own performance,’’ said John.

‘‘It was almost like a training session from five minutes into the match for England.

‘‘At times it was like watching them in slow motion. They threw out outrageous passes, knowing full well that if they dropped the ball and conceded possession they would regain it immediately.

‘‘In the grand scheme of things over a period of time, and that is what international sport is about, we are not even standing still we are hurtling backwards as a rugby nation.’’

But John believes it is unfair to hold caretaker coach Steve Hansen responsible for what was Wales’ second 50-point drubbing in this season’s Six Nations tournament.

‘‘Steve Hansen is used to dealing with big, physical players in New Zealand who are accustomed to winning,’’ John added.

‘‘Here in Wales, he is suddenly dealing with players who don’t even seem to know what playing on the front foot is.

‘‘These players were the very ones thinking about strike action as the talk continues how money should be distributed in the Welsh game!

‘‘Perhaps the players should take a good old look at themselves in the mirror first.

‘‘Our rugby in the last year or so under Graham Henry became that bad. We are in a terrible state, at club and international level.

‘‘The optimists try to cheer me up by saying that the wheel turns full circle in sport, and that the good times are around the corner. I hope so, because so far this is the biggest wheel I have known!

‘‘There was a time when after a defeat like this one Welsh people wouldn’t dare to go out in London. They would have gone straight home with their tails between their legs.

‘‘Not any more. We are conditioned, these days, to this sort of beating,’’ John told Wales on Sunday.