Wells relishing Boks battle

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England were back on the training field and will continue their work with ankle injury victim Jonny Wilkinson ahead of a planned fitness update on Tuesday.

"It is great to be the underdog. The boys really want to prove a lot of people wrong. That will be boiling underneath, and we have to nurture it and then bring it out at the right time," said Wells. "It's always easy to get pumped up for the big games. Guys on both sides will be frightened on Friday, frightened of losing."

England have analysed their stuttering display against the United States, which produced tries for Olly Barkley, Jason Robinson and Tom Rees, but no bonus point.

And Wells agrees it was an unacceptable performance, certainly when compared with landslide wins on the opening weekend for South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, who amassed 226 points between them in respective demolitions of Samoa, Italy and Japan.

Wells added: "Everyone has put their hand up, because it wasn't good enough for what we are and where we want to be.

"I hate to say it, but we are all human aren't we? I suspect quite a few guys will have had their minds on what happens next Friday.

"That is just a fact of life. I've been there as a player when you are concentrating on the week ahead.

"Understandably, and no disrespect to the USA, but guys would have been thinking 'this is a game we expect to win, and the big one is coming up on Friday.'

"We can be criticised all we like for that, but as I say, it's human nature. We have to make sure as coaches and players we don't over-react to what happened."