Hooker Steve Thompson believes that England will react positively following a clear-the-air meeting in the wake of two underwhelming performances at the World Cup.

Martin Johnson's side have so far recorded victories against Argentina and Georgia, but their performances have come in for criticism.

As a result coach Johnson called a meeting for the players to air their views on how to improve their displays, and Thompson believes that it went well.

"Sometimes you've got to have a little bit of an argument," said Thompson. "It's like a relationship. Sometimes you get a little bit stale, don't you?

"Some reviews are nice and easy, some are harder and some are a bit more brutal. The harder meetings are just because we've got such high standards and we've got to get up to the standards again.

"Honesty is the best policy, as they say, 'stab you in the belly rather than in the back', that's what we need."

Thompson, 33, is England's most capped hooker with 70 appearances.