Kangaroos: cream rises to the top with six unanswered tries
Roar Guru
By ScottWoodward.me, 16 Nov 2009 ScottWoodward.me is a Roar Guru
England may arguably have superior forwards to Australia, but the amazing Kangaroos green and gold back line proved unstoppable in the final of the Gillette Four Nations Final, separating the two teams by a deceptive 30 points by the final whistle.
England trailed by only two points with 26 minutes to go and six points with 13 minutes left before Australia displayed too much skill and fitness to eventually score six unanswered tries, posting a final score line of 46 points to 16.
So what do we take from this?
Australia will likely lose their captain and champion playmaker Darren Lockyer, as well as their biggest and best prop forward Petero Civoniceva.
England have proven during the Four Nations, by beating New Zealand and only being two points behind Australia in the Final with 26 minutes left to play, that they are not that far off the pace.
Coach Tony Smith has more work to do on his spine as 20 year old Sam Tomkins has a long way to go if he is to hold down the crucial number 7 guernsey.
Fullback Shaun Briscoe also never looked dangerous and is several classes away from Billy Slater. This is Australia’s strength with Cam Smith at hooker, Thurston at 7, Lockyer at 6 and Slater at 1. The Kiwis, like England, also struggle with a 6, 7 and 1.
For the first 50 minutes yesterday morning international Rugby League was alive and well, and while the three major countries are much closer than previous years, when it really mattered the cream rose to the top.
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Mick from Giralang said | November 16th 2009 @ 6:56am | Report comment
It was a classic Test match for 3/4 of the game. England need to send out a search party to find that elusive final 15 minutes of commitment. It’s been missing for 30 years.
Paul J said | November 16th 2009 @ 7:13am | Report comment
England are like the Kiwi’s from 15 years ago, they run out of puff towards the end. They need more players in the NRL so they can last 80 mins at an NRL level just as the Kiwi’s do now.
Peter T said | November 16th 2009 @ 8:49am | Report comment
I agree. Get some of there better players into the NRL. Perhaps we should also share our strategies. How else can the game grow internationaly? A 30 point thrashing is surely not good for the international game. I for one am not celebrating today!
M1tch said | November 16th 2009 @ 10:50am | Report comment
The tries we scored, some were unstoppable, up until the 59th min England were great. It does come down to how the SL is played and the intensity isnt there for 80 mins.
They went with a young squad and are building, lets see how they go in 2010.
King of the Gorganites said | November 16th 2009 @ 8:45am | Report comment
top effort from the roos. played all over them in the 2nd half.
does anyone know the crowd? i was a bit surprised it wasnt a sell out.
M1tch said | November 16th 2009 @ 10:47am | Report comment
just over 31 000..yeh disappointed at the crowd, perhaps backlash with no mcGuire?
King of the Gorganites said | November 16th 2009 @ 11:14am | Report comment
i think your right about mcguire
M1tch said | November 16th 2009 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
seems i was wrong lol..upper section closed off
big Kev said | November 17th 2009 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
they closed it off for no other reason that to reduce expenses because sales were low
Matt S said | November 16th 2009 @ 8:52am | Report comment
Actually it was a sell-out for for some reason they play at Elland Rd which they must get on the cheap as one stand is closed and the local police insist on parts of the fence line terracing be clear. They must still have that soccer mentality in regard to crowds.
On the game, wow what aperformance but some key decisions went against England. Inglis’s try was not controlled, Lewis’s hand on the back (should have been an English penalty), a forward pass (led to Slater’s dummy half try) were killers for England. But first 60 minutes was an excellent game full of drama, tries and passion.
Kongoftg, if you’re hear for your elitist smarmy comments, then don’t botther. Go away and think why a crowd would boo a winning English team, or that 1 league game produced more tries than the entire round of union internationals?
King of the Gorganites said | November 16th 2009 @ 11:58am | Report comment
could they have opened the other stand?
im hear to talk about the game. why assume im hear for ‘swarmy’ comments. grow up.
dont think that lots of tries make a great game though. games can be just as entertaining with low scores (im thinking the bulldogs of the 80s).
Woody Warambel said | November 16th 2009 @ 1:08pm | Report comment
The top stand was closed for safety purposes. Apparenly a ‘Safety Certificate’ was withheld because of some structural deficiencies.
http://www.totalrl.com/index.php?showtopic=193182
From the RFL press office…
Fans flock to Elland Road for Gillette Four Nations climax
The RFL is advising fans who have not purchased a ticket for the Gillette Four Nations Final between England and Australia not to travel to Elland Road on Saturday.
The saleable capacity for the eagerly-anticipated clash was reached on Friday afternoon following unprecedented levels of demand earlier in the week.
Due to the unavailability of the East Stand upper tier, the saleable capacity at Elland Road on Saturday is 31,000 which is expected to create an electrifying atmosphere for the match between two of sport’s greatest rivals.
Fans who have ordered tickets for collection can collect their tickets from the ticket office at Elland Road from 9.00am on Saturday.
With more than 5,000 tickets awaiting collection, the RFL is urging fans to collect their tickets early in the day and return to the stadium prior to kick-off to avoid congestion at the turnstiles.
-ends-
dave said | November 16th 2009 @ 9:27am | Report comment
it seems to me that England fall away because they don’t ever have the right polish in their key positions, like Australia does. Its ok to send there great forwards to the NRL like Ellis, Morley, Burgess, but when was the last time they had a great playmaker here, maybe Ellery Hanley in the 1980s?? Key positions need to be playing pressure footy week in week out, not one tough game a month like the Super League. As long as the English remain deluded about the quality of their competition and the abilty of their halves to perfom under pressure, can’t see much changing for a long time. There young up and comers need to forget the easy life and the easy money, take a pay cut, come to the NRL, serve a real football apprenticeship and learn about tough regular footy, then they might be able to perform for there country when the heat is on.
M1tch said | November 16th 2009 @ 10:52am | Report comment
Tomkins, Eastmond and Myler are all on long term deals, so unless they are loaned out, I doubt we will see them here.
Richie Mathers was the last backline player out here, but he went home, one or 2 backs need to come out and experience NRL.
Matt S said | November 16th 2009 @ 11:07am | Report comment
oh, I forgot Scotland. 21,000 in a 67,000 stadium for a game against the ‘flambouyant’ (yeah right) Fijians. The Scots seem to be no longer blantantly following the union line and the game must lift itself in terms of entertainment like any other sport. I hope this spreads to the rest of the UK!
King of the Gorganites said | November 16th 2009 @ 12:00pm | Report comment
i thought we were hear to talk RL. why the swarmy comments?
that crowd in scotland is larger then any 4nations game, except the final. need i mention the crowds for the rest of the weekend………
ScottWoodward.me said | November 16th 2009 @ 11:24am | Report comment
England’s biggest problem is that Sinfield is their only real organiser, unlike Australia who have Cam Smith, Thurston and Lockyer.
I hold out great hope for 20 yo Eastmond who looks to have untapped reserves of talent who reads play well and has a beautiful left and right pass, but Tomkins and Myler to date anyway are more individualists and appear to struggle at Test level.
M1tch said | November 16th 2009 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
Myler is more individual at the moment because he played at Salford, his move to Warrington will be great for him but also England.
Working Class Rugger said | November 16th 2009 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
Young Eastmond is the goods. So there’s hope for English RL yet. McGuire on the other hand.
M1tch said | November 16th 2009 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
end of the line for Danny Id say, I think they’ll stick with Eastmond, Tomkins and Myler now
Matt S said | November 16th 2009 @ 12:37pm | Report comment
Ok, I’ll apolgise for that.
Matt S said | November 16th 2009 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
i think England have the making of a good side. They just have to overcome this lapse in their game like letting Slater score from so close or not following the ball until it is well & truly dead. These are the things that make the difference.
If I were England, nothing is safe until that wistle blows and the ball is kicked out into the crowd.