It was not quite another Tour from Hell, but nonetheless it was hellish. In the final analysis, what happened in New Zealand on and off the field was a symbolic climax to a year of fluctuating emotions and fortunes, which culminated in an incident that has damaged the reputation of the English game. After 12 months, 17 internationals, a World Cup final, second in the RBS Six Nations Championship and a messily handled sacking of Brian Ashton, some may conclude that England got their comeuppance. Whatever the outcome of the police inquiry in Auckland, the environment in which England operate will not be the same again.

The tour took place in a vacuum. Through it all ran the thread of inconsistency of selection, performance and leadership, areas that Rob Andrew insists will be addressed once the new elite player agreement kicks in on July 1, a date that is assuming ever significant proportions.

It has been a difficult baptism for Martin Johnson as team manager. When the wheels started to fall off last Tuesday, with the revelation of the allegations facing four England players, Johnson should have been on the next plane to New Zealand. He needed to be seen to be a focal point around which England could rally, a person who would bang heads, talk sense and add steel. To operate by remote control from 12,000 miles away was unsatisfactory. Even Johnson could not wave a magic wand from afar.

There were mixed messages from the outset. Was the sole aim to beat New Zealand and possibly enhance England's world ranking, or was it to develop players and test them in a harsh environment, one in which several failed? In the end, it was about compromise which meant England sold themselves short. It was a wasted opportunity given that England are not here again until the 2011 World Cup and will not tour here for another six years. Why was Dylan Hartley not given a chance for instance?

Some reputations were enhanced, others diminished forever on a tour which had, on paper, the strongest party England had sent to the southern hemisphere for five years. As it is, we now learn that there are at least ten to 12 players who did not tour for various reasons who will be among the elite squad of 32 named next month. There is undoubtedly talent in abundance in the country, but in key areas such as lock and centre the cupboard is a little bare. The clear winners were James Haskell, Tom Rees and Luke Narraway, a back row of rich promise.

Mathew Tait, who needed six stitches in a cut mouth after an accidental collision in the second international, has what it takes if only people in charge would realise it, at either full back or outside centre. So, too, does Danny Care, who showed enough against the All Blacks that he can make an impact at this level. He just needs to be nurtured. Toby Flood who has a shoulder injury, has his claims, too, and will benefit from his move to Leicester.

The back-row trio talked of their collective desire to follow in the footsteps of Hill, Dallaglio and Back. On the evidence of past fortnight they have the potential to do so. Rees and Haskell also have the bluntness and strength of character to tell it how it is. “I think we have learned that we [England] are not quite there yet,” Rees said. “This is not a judgment on the All Blacks. It is a judgment on international rugby at the moment be it [down to] naivety, be it lack of ambition in the way we play sometimes. I do believe that is something we will get by accepting where we are and moving forward.

“We need to be a little more bloodyminded about ourselves when we come over here. We don't need to talk about how intense it is here, we know that and we just need to get on with it and play top-level rugby.”

Haskell said: “I hate to use the word embarrassing but I don't come from a background in my short rugby career that is used to losing and two weeks on the trot is pretty hard to stomach. We need to be more ruthless; we can't make mistakes and we have to have that ability to score off anything and finish opportunities.

“That is England's problem, we do create them but we just don't finish them. We made a good New Zealand side look better than they actually were.”

The breakdown was a concern not because England were not competitive, more that they were undone by the interpretation of referees as the game switches between pre and post experimental law variations nirvana.

Physicality and creativity of the backs was also an issue, while defensively England were often caught out. “I have to figure out where we can be more aggressive in terms of line speed in defence,” Mike Ford, the defence coach, said, referring to the evidence that his centres and fly half were not always operating on the same wavelength.

The paucity of attack will be addressed by the appointment of Brian Smith, the London Irish director of rugby, next week who will shape this area over the next few years. It may be, too, that Johnson bares his teeth and looks at not only his playing resources in the short term but also perhaps some of his coaches.