After a chastening Twickenham experience Vern Cotter has insisted his focus will be on one more good home performance rather than his farewell from the Scotland job when Italy visit on Saturday.

The New Zealander has received plaudits for how his team has performed on the Murrayfield turf in this campaign against Ireland and Wales.

There was credit, too, for one of the more encouraging performances in Paris as they came closer to creating an upset than at any time since their last win there in 1999.

However records tumbled as his side was humbled in London with:

• England registering seven tries in passing the half century for the first time against Scotland

• England also matching their biggest ever margin of victory against their oldest international rivals

• Scotland conceding more points than they have ever done previously in a championship match

• And England matching the All Blacks’ world record for consecutive wins in Tests

The hosts’ 61-21 victory means they head to Dublin this weekend looking to set that new record mark while becoming the first side to win back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams.

Scotland’s hopes of sneaking up on the rails and pinching the title were meanwhile mercilessly crushed as Jonathan Joseph ran riot, scoring a hat-trick of tries and handing another on a plate to replacement Anthony Watson to pretty much earn the bonus point single-handed.

However if results fall the right way they could yet claim a best ever Six Nations finish which would be seen as fitting by the many who believe a major error was made in sacking the coach who was beginning to turn things around.

Cotter expressed determination to set such considerations aside in preparing objectively for the visit of an Italy side that is facing the prospect of suffering a third whitewash in four years during which they have won just a single championship match.

“Nobody likes that,” was his statement of the blindingly obvious response when asked about his determination not to finish as a loser.

“I’m going to think more about the game and try to get as many players on the paddock as possible,” he added, alluding to the injury problems that saw Stuart Hogg, Ryan Wilson and Tommy Seymour become the latest to go off with head knocks while Mark Bennett suffered a serious looking leg injury.

The coach did acknowledge that there is an extra incentive for a number of those involved since most of his management team will be departing with him while he hinted that this was the last campaign for some team members.

“It’s not just me finishing. It is the last game for this group of coaches and perhaps some players,” said Cotter.

“There will be passion and hard work though the week and we will be determined to put in a good performance.”

That naturally invited speculation regarding the plans of, in particular, veteran and former captain Ross Ford who has lost his place in the starting line-up this season.

Whether or not he should have might be questioned following the unforgivable loss of discipline of Fraser Brown, who has replaced him as starting hooker.

His tip tackle on Elliot Daly less than two minutes after kick off crucially meant his team-mates had to face a fresh England side a man short and were lucky not to be down to 14 men for the whole match.

“We got caught out with the yellow card,” Cotter admitted.

“They attacked very well. We tried to tighten up in defence and then they started moving the ball wider.

“I thought we improved defensively, but the head start they got didn’t help. We will definitely be looking at set-phase defence.”

In Brown’s absence Scotland conceded a 10 point lead that might have been more and made the always challenging prospect of trying to become just the fifth Scottish side to win at Twickenham in 107 years that have involved 48 visits, pretty much impossible.

Scotland by no means enjoy an embarrassment of riches in playing terms, in spite of the claims made that Cotter has strengthened the depth in his time in charge, but there is a strong case for making an example of Brown given what happened thereafter.

Up against their undermanned opponents England had the confidence to go for the jugular early, exposing the weakness they had identified in the Scottish midfield defence as Joseph sliced through for the first time.

The subsequent injuries did not help, but that was what set the tone for the day and England opened them up at will, Joseph scoring a second try, then gifting that score to Watson, while Owen Farrell knocked over his first six shots at goal to set up an impregnable 30-7 half-time lead.

Joseph's completion of his hat-trick was the first of four more second half England scores, Billy Vunipola marking his return to Test rugby with a try inside two minutes of coming on and fellow replacement Danny Care claiming a late brace.

Some consolation was claimed as a result of a first Test try for Gordon Reid and two second half touchdowns from Huw Jones, though and a visit from the struggling Italians is a different matter.

“We seem to play with a lot more confidence at home,” said Cotter.

“That’s a great thing, a good start and once we develop that we can start taking it to these away venues.”

Not that he will be there to oversee that process, however three home wins in the Championship for the first time and perhaps a first ever runners-up spot would still represent a decent legacy… even if it also now includes suffering the worst thrashing in the 146 year history of international rugby’s oldest fixture.