Getting over defeat in a World Cup Final takes time. But when the English management and players eventually put that loss to South Africa behind them they'll fully realise that in a few short weeks they've reinvigorated rugby in England.
Going from no hopers to World Cup finalists doesn't happen by accident and now English rugby fans will expect a much improved effort in the Six Nations Championship.
After winning the World Cup in Australia in 2003 England went to sleep for four years.
They have been innocuous in the last four Six Nations championships and even went on a record losing streak of eight games in recent times. In this years Six Nations England were beaten 43-13 by Ireland, it was the fourth time in a row that Ireland had put the Englishmen to the sword. Such results and runs of dreadful form cannot be tolerated again.
Any true English rugby fan would surely prefer to see their team consistently good for four years rather than successful in a World Cup finals campaign.
Sure, the country comes together to support the team when they face the likes of Australia and New Zealand but the real rugby supporter feels similar passion ahead of cold rainy Six Nations days in Murrayfield or the Stadio Flaminio.
Many sports journalists have suggested that reaching the world cup final may not be the greatest thing for English rugby in the long term.
And former England coach Dick Best backed up this argument when he told the BBC "We haven't papered over the cracks, we've plastered over them. If we'd gone out earlier, it would have exposed lots of issues. There are serious issues in the game in England that need addressing rapidly. Reaching the final has been marvelous to see, but I'm not sure what this has done for our club game. It's been a disaster for four years. It's been embarrassing being the worst world champions ever, now we've got a chance to prove everybody wrong."
And it's vital that England take this chance rather than retreat to Rugby's wilderness.
While success at grass root level will lead to rewards in later years theres also a need for the top brass to lead by example.
With many of England's heroes from 2007 including Mike Catt, Andrew Farrell, Andrew Gomarsall, Josh Lewsey, Jason Robinson, George Chuter, Martin Corry, Lawrence Dallaglio, Ben Kay, Mark Regan, Simon Shaw and Phil Vickery all likely to have hung up their boots by the next time the World Cup rolls around it's imperative that England find fresh talent.
Barring injury, they will still have inspirational leaders on the field in the guise of Johnny Wilkinson, Andrew Sheridan and Matthew Tait but the need for fresh blood is massive.
For the sake of English rugby then the veterans would be well advised to depart the scene sooner rather than later so the team can be reborn.
One thing for sure though is that having reached the World Cup final for the third time the lift England so badly needed has arrived. Now those in charge of English rugby must kick on from here and not make the mistakes of four years ago.
