England niggle and win, but Australia are not done

The first article I wrote on this site was an evisceration of the England rugby team and a prediction that they would be deservedly knocked out of their own World Cup by Australia. Their attitude was that of an awkward teenager – muddled, too nice and, ultimately, easily swatted to the side by the bigger boys.

What a difference a couple of months and, more significantly, Eddie Jones makes. After watching one of the best days of rugby I’ve seen in years, I have to thank Eddie Jones for making the June Test series, so often a waste ground for ‘development squads’ and lazy excuses, something as competitive and exciting as a Lions series.

More of the wash-up from Wallabies vs England
» SPIRO: Can the Wallabies win at Melbourne?
» Moore can take a leaf out of Smith’s book
» Five talking points
» Who should replace David Pocock?
» Match report: Eddie’s England too good
» DIY player ratings
» Roar Forum – what changes should the Wallabies make?
» Watch the full highlights

By setting the challenge of a three-nil whitewash he made it clear to the English players that winning is the only acceptable outcome, vanquishing the old ethos that suggested trying was good enough. This has made the month of June so much better, long may it continue.

Anyway, on with the game analysis. A lot has been said about the lead the Australians established 16 minutes in, 10 points to zip with a chance to go another score up if not for the totally unnecessary and, frankly, dull block by Rory Arnold.

Michael Cheika complained that Luther Burrell wasn’t in a position to make the tackle, and he was right, Burrell had made a mistake, so why Arnold looked to block an irrelevant defender I’ll never know.

In all honesty, Australia could and maybe should have been four tries up by then anyway. England seemed to arrive at the game with the strange notion that the best man to defend the Israel Folau channel was Mako Vunipola.

Three times Folau received the ball and faced off against the big prop forward, the first time Folau ghosted through and seemed surprised to have made so much ground but then off-loaded early and the chance was gone. The second time Folau seemed a little more aware of his opposite numbers limitations but big Billy Vunipola and the touch line helped out. With the third time came the try.

It’s hard to explain why England, having played six times since February, were making this rudimentary error in their defensive backline. The unfair answer is that it was somehow Luther Burrell’s fault but in reality it was the speed Australia played at. In the first thirty minutes this Australia team looked unstoppable but then the physical and mental toll of the game took effect and suddenly they didn’t look as sharp.

The introduction of George Ford aided this decline but what helped more was Bernard Foley missing those conversions. It’s dispiriting to play that well and only be ten points to the good. I think I’m a lone voice in this, but why is a try worth less than two penalties?

If a try was worth six points and the conversion one then this would have been a one-point game going into the last few minutes, which seems a fairer reflection of the balance of play. In turn, at the moment the kicker is disproportionately more important than the try-scorer, which seems odd.

Anyway, kick your kicks and we’re not having this debate – a lesson to learn for the usually solid Bernard Foley.

Where the game was actually lost was in the contact area. Jones talked of a bodyline tour and at first I worried this would only involve Owen Farrell swinging-arm high-tackling until everyone wearing the gold of Australia was lying in the dressing room undergoing concussion protocols.

In reality ‘bodyline’ appears to mean niggle and chirp. England wanted to get under the skin of the Australian pack and they did it like the annoying kid at school, the one who nips you under the table and as you react the teacher just happens to walks by and you’re the one in trouble. England were that annoying kid yesterday, doing enough to unsettle the opposition but not enough to catch the attention of the referee.

This tactic finally worked in a sequence of play that signaled to most that England would win the game as Australia lost control.

It started with an Australian attack that ended in a scrum, which resulted in a penalty to England. Further play ensues, another scrum, another mess, but Romain Poite only has eyes for Scott Sio now, the hero of last October. Another scrum, another penalty, this time a yellow card – a brutal call but the right one. Ball into touch, driving maul from the line-out and what’s that hanging off the England player, that lump dragging the maul to the ground, so obvious short-sighted spectators in the nose bleed seats could see. Scott Fardy penalised. Farrell slots three points and Australian forwards need to get their collective heads right for next week.

It’s a credit, however, to their backline that the Wallabies were not dead and buried. The malfunctioning English blitz defence of the early stages of the game had disappeared by this point and the Paul Gustard ‘wolfpack’ 2.0 was gliding through the gears.

James Haskell, Maro Itoje, George Kruis and Chris Robshaw were having fun chasing receivers in the middle of the field, and Foley, Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani looked a little flustered. They were not being allowed any space and they weren’t making the ground they’re accustomed to but once they realised this, things started to work for them again.

The trick to the blitz is to catch the man in possession behind the gainline – simple. However, there is a flaw, if the offensive line can move the ball accurately and quickly out of contact there will be space on the wings.

This usually involves going back thirty yards to go forward fifty but if the ball makes it then the winger is usually rewarded with a clear field ahead or a one-on-one with a drifting full back. When Australia were accurate, Israel Folau and Dane Haylett-Petty were able to exploit this.

This is the contest that excites me. The forwards can do what they want but next week I want to see how often the Australian backline passing can escape the English rush, if it’s more often then tries will come for the Wallabies, if not then Jonathan Joseph will continue to sweep up peaches all day long.

This series reminds me of the Lions tour 2001, the first Test was a barnstorming performance by Graham Henry’s men in red and the best team in the world at the time was humbled.

In the second Test match the Lions started as they left off and looked set for a series win but then Joe Roff happened and in the second half he played the game of his life. Australia won and took the final game at a canter.

Australia need to know that the English rush defence won’t change for the second Test, and if their passing is quick and accurate there will be space out wide, they just need another Joe Roff to stand up and capitalise. My money is on Israel Folau.

Either way, I’m bloody excited for the next game.