Following World Rugby’s successful appeal, Farrell’s four-game ban for a red card against Wales on 12 August was reinstated on Tuesday.

A judicial committee had previously ruled that his suspension was unconstitutional.

Dawson said, “I don’t see it as being as bad as people initially think.”.

Despite his extensive experience, I cannot say he’s been ripping up trees for England for a number of years, and I don’t see that influence on the pitch.

Aside from missing last week’s 29-10 loss to Ireland, Farrell will also miss Saturday’s warm-up game against Fiji and Argentina’s and Japan’s World Cup group matches.

As for the first two games of the World Cup, I see more influence from George Ford, and it looks like he will be the number 10.

I honestly do not think it will have a negative impact on the England team. It’s not the end of the world.”

Paul Grayson, a former England fly-half, said Farrell’s absence opened up opportunities for other players, such as vice-captain Courtney Lawes.

Grayson told Radio 5 Live that the team has captains with extensive experience throughout.

England missed out on the totemic figure for those first two games. There is leadership in the team, and perhaps one criticism of England is that they rely too heavily on Owen Farrell.

As for Dawson, he is more concerned about Billy Vunipola’s absence, who will also miss England’s World Cup opener against Argentina on 9 September after being suspended for three games.

Initially shown a yellow card against Ireland, Vunipola was suspended after that was upgraded to a red. If he completes the World Rugby tackling coaching program, his ban will be reduced to two matches.

Despite his absence, Dawson believes England needs to “physically dominate” Argentina’s pack.

Pumas are only one place below England in the World Rugby rankings and should be their toughest opponents in pool play.

Ben Earl, Lewis Ludlam and Tom Curry are candidates to replace Vunipola as the squad’s only specialist number eight.

Dawson told Sport that England lacks a bit of forward motion.

“Billy is a guy they look to for that go-forward. Will it be the same with Lewis Ludlam or Tom Curry? Will it take away from their skills in other positions?”

If England loses that game and has to play Japan to get out of the pool, imagine how much pressure that puts on them.

“A two-week ban has huge ramifications.”

According to the sport’s new ‘bunker’ review system, Farrell and Vunipola both received red cards.

As play continues, a second television match official (TMO) reviews an incident involving a yellow card.

While Vunipola’s hearing was straightforward, Farrell’s suspension was more complicated.

His attempt to wrap his opponent in the tackle should have been considered by the initial disciplinary panel, according to the appeal committee. This meant that the tackle could not be mitigated, and the decision to overturn the red card was incorrect.

The process was a “fiasco”, according to pundit Dawson, who won the World Cup with England in 2003.

It’s unacceptable to have those types of tackles within the game without punishment, so a decision had to be made,” he said.

As a result of not just giving the ban at the outset, I think the game has once again put itself in the dock.

The process from the yellow-card bunker review to where we are now has not been slick or appropriate.”

Attempting to improve discipline, England scrum-half Danny Care said the team had been working on tackle technique every day.

Dawson’s fellow World Cup winner Will Greenwood agreed with the suspension of Farrell, but urged pundits to examine every tackle objectively without preconceived notions.

In the past two weeks, it’s always been, ‘It’s him, it’s him’. We have to judge each tackle according to the letter of the law, Greenwood said.

Despite the right conclusion, I think people are sometimes hysterical that Farrell isn’t trying to change the way he plays or tackles.

It doesn’t matter how much training you do if a player has grown up tackling like that, in those split-second moments, muscle memory leaves you at risk of committing what is now considered serious foul play, but wasn’t at the time.