TWICKENHAM: England coach Stuart Lancaster apologised and admitted his future is uncertain after Australia inflicted his side's second devastating World Cup defeat in a week.
The 33-13 loss at Twickenham on Saturday saw England become the first host nation to exit a World Cup before the knockout stage.
Asked if he was considering his position after the loss, Lancaster said: "Yeah, obviously I think I've got to. It's not just going to be my decision."
"The responsibility and accountability lies with me" added Lancaster, who was controversially given a contract extension last year that took him to 2020 -- beyond the next World Cup in Japan.
The coach said his priority was to prepare England for their final, and meaningless, Pool A match against Uruguay in Manchester next Saturday.
England were outplayed by Australia -- for whom fly-half Bernard Foley scored 28 points, including two tries -- but Lancaster urged England fans to keep faith with the youthful squad.
"There are a lot of good young players in that team and it's important the country stays behind them -- 24 out of that 31-man squad are playing in their first World Cup.
"They came up short today but that shouldn't take away from what we've done in the last three-and-a-half years," added Lancaster, who took charge of England in 2012.
England captain Chris Robshaw, appointed by Lancaster, accepted he would be under pressure as well.
"I think this week we're going to have to answer some really tough questions," he said.
"I am gutted as we let the country down," added the flanker who has already faced a week of pressure since a 28-25 loss to Wales.
- Reconnecting -
Lancaster was appointed after England's exit from the 2011 World Cup.
A side managed by Martin Johnson, their victorious captain at the 2003 World Cup, crashed out in the quarter-finals to France and alienated fans with a series of embarrassing off-field incidents.
Lancaster entered with heartfelt talk about "values" and reconnecting with English rugby's grassroots.
But the question of whether Lancaster had the necessary tactical expertise loomed large long before former England captain Will Carling last week slammed the coach for treating players as "schoolboys" in a "classroom environment".
Lancaster had never coached one of England's leading clubs nor gained signficant experience abroad.
He came up through the Rugby Football Union system and was coach of the reserve England Saxons when he was promoted.
A runners-up' finish in his first Six Nations in charge was seen as an encouraging sign, as was a 38-21 win over world champions New Zealand in 2012.
But the fact England -- the world's wealthiest rugby union and with one of the largest playing bases in the global game -- have finished second in all four of Lancaster's Six Nations campaigns has displeased his paymasters.
"We should be, as a country, winning more, in terms of whether it's Grand Slams or Six Nations Championships."
Yet it was Ritchie who last year extended Lancaster's contract to 2020.
Lancaster's choice of Robshaw as captain is, according to critics, symptomatic of what is wrong with England.
Robshaw's judgment was called into question before he opted against going for an equalising penalty against Wales in the fruitless pursuit of a match-winning try.
In opting for Robshaw as captain, Lancaster was also accused of selecting a player who was not a natural, ball-winning, openside flanker.
England do have such a player in Steffon Armitage, a key member of three-time European champions Toulon's team.
Yet because Armitage plays overseas he is ineligible for England selection. Lancaster has been unwilling to use an "exceptional circumstance" get-out clause to pick the loose forward.
"It's a conversation we've had time time again. We want the best players to stay in England."
But it may not be a topic Lancaster has to worry about for much longer.
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