Bennett soon loosened up, though, adding: "The problem is our inability to continually maintain pressure... not finding the sideline on two occasions, which is pretty important in any context let alone against the best team in the world. Then the stupid penalties we continually give away.
"England are very capable of being a lot better than they are right now. A lot closer than all of you in this room realise.
"Until we get these little problems out of the road... that's manifested by their club football, I have seen that and they get away with it at that level, you can't at this, that's the difference".
"The problems will be insurmountable if they don't have a change of attitude and buy into what I know works and won't work any other way. If they don't recognise what's beating them and change their attitude and physical behaviour on the field..."
Even poster boy Sam Burgess was not exempt, Bennett telling the captain he "needs to change" his habit of giving away penalties for club and country.
"It's not just English-based players that have got the problem," he said.