Woodward has to lift his side after win

England manager Clive Woodward admitted he had to raise the spirits of his record-breaking side despite their 48-19 success over the United States in San Francisco.   

After a superb first-half display, England tailed off badly after the interval, late tries from Josh Lewsey and man of the tour Lewis Moody extending the winning margin to flattering proportions.

The triumph set a new record of 11 successive Test victories but chins were on the floor as the players entered the dressing room at Balboa Park.

"I have had to lift the players because they are a bit down," said Woodward. "We are disappointed because we didn't quite produce the kind of performance we have done over the past couple of weeks.

"But it just shows what high standards we have set ourselves.

"The players were quite nervous before the game and although we haven't really mentioned it, I think there is a bit of relief at getting the 11th win."

England crossed five times in the first-half and added another three tries after the break, with Lewsey and Leon Lloyd each collecting a brace.

There was also a debut for 19-year-old Olly Barkley as a second-half replacement, although the Bath youngster will not have fond memories of his woefully scuffed conversion attempt to Moody's touchdown as he attempted to notch his first international points.

"I thought there were good patches and we will all learn a lot from the experience," said Woodward.

"Once we had got a decent lead I always felt we would win and in the end we did in comfortable.

"Lewis Moody was outstanding again and Kyran Bracken has skippered the side very well."

The victory completed an unbeaten five-match North American tour and allows Woodward to head for Australia to carry out TV commitments on the Lions tour having posted another impressive marker for his own coaching abilities.

He could even laugh off a substitution bungle which at one stage saw his team with 16 players on the field, neatly blaming the fourth official.

And he also dismissed suggestions that prop Julian White was fortunate to escape with a yellow card after striking American skipper Dave Hodges with a vicious punch.

"I thought the referee called it right," he said. "We don't know what went on before that, although Julian has apologised. The yellow card seemed to be the correct decision."