I, like many other Australians, woke up on Sunday morning with a lingering sense of annoyance at how events played out at Twickenham at the weekend.
This feeling has not been helped any by the inevitable crowing of England fans, who have taken the 30-6 scoreline as evidence that it was a masterpiece of attacking rugby that condemned Australia to the gallows.
I hate to be the aggressor in this situation, but I’ve got some news for you, England fans: it wasn’t. Were it not for a number of fortuitous decisions and narrow escapes, you could well have left that game with a marginal victory or even a loss.
I’m just going to quickly skim through the major talking points from Twickenham and explain to those unwilling to see it how exactly England got lucky.
Let me preface all of this by stating that I do not contest that England just about deserved to win the game. Their attacking rugby in the last ten minutes or so when the Australian spirit had been broken was perfectly executed. I am merely attempting to stem the flow of uninformed gloating by pointing out that the game should never have come to a situation where one team ran away with it. I thought it was a brilliantly contested game on both sides, and I purely wish to do it justice.
(Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Let’s start with the disallowed try to Michael Hooper in the first half. The ball comes wide to Tevita Kuridrani, with Marika Koroibete lurking outside him. At that point Hooper is clearly in front of Kuridrani, no arguing with that one.
When Kuridrani kicks ahead, Hooper is still in front, Koroibete is not. That’s the crucial point because the ball is contested in the first instance by Koroibete, the onside player, after both he and the kicker have overtaken Hooper, thus rendering him onside and free to go on to collect the ball and ground it. That takes Australia out to a seven-point lead midway through the first half, for starters.
Then we come to the yellow cards. Out of the two, Kurtley Beale’s was much the more deserved. Even though I have heard people say that it could be worthy of a penalty only since there were covering defenders who could have caught Jonny May, the fact is that there was no real chance of him recovering the ball and it still blocks a try-scoring opportunity. Sorry, Kurtley, but see you later.
The Hooper card was the one I want to contest. Not because it was necessarily undeserved in itself but because it highlights another inconsistency in refereeing in world rugby. Hooper was given the card for repeated infringements, most of which were for offside. I have seen occasions where teams have been caught offside three or four times on their own goal line and not even been given the yellow card warning. I do not recall there even being a warning for the Australians prior to Hooper’s yellow, and I feel like that puts it in the ‘harsh’ category.
(Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Let’s move onto the second half, and the Elliot Daly try. I’m not going to argue it wasn’t a try – the video official took long enough to work out that it was. However, in the previous phase of play, Samu Kerevi had broken through the English line and bar some slippery hands from Kuridrani, Australia would have found themselves a score up.
Instead the loose ball was collected, England counter-attacked and, with the help of a brain-fade from Beale when he tried to let the ball bounce out and misjudged Daly’s pace, scored to put themselves 13-3 up. Small margins, and it could so easily have been very different.
Finally, we come to the disallowed try to Marika Koroibete, which was another marginal call to me. On first glance it looks as though the Stephen Moore obstruction is genuine, but you place it in the reality of the situation, Chris Robshaw has as good a chance as he would have without Moore there to make the tackle on Koroibete. Moore is knocked aside before Koroibete makes any contact with Robshaw, and he has a chance to make the tackle anyway.
I am probably going to come down on the side that the disallowing of the try was the right decision, but it’s another marginal decision that could have put Australia back in the game.
(Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
One final bit of business before I move on – just because he got a try, no-one should walk away with the idea that Jonny May is an international-standard winger good enough for a first-choice England side. He isn’t. He did markedly little in the game otherwise, and he got the bounce of his dreams for that try. Any other bounce, he’s getting nowhere near it.
To finish this rant on a more positive note, I want to turn my attention to a theme of the other three games in the home nations this weekend, and that is that the supposedly second-tier teams are starting to give much-fancied opposition a real run for their money.
Georgia gave another convincing argument for consideration for more regular international competition by forcing Wales to defend within an inch of their lives for the win while showing remarkable defensive application and discipline themselves. Fiji’s own brand of ad hoc rugby had them within three points of the rapidly-rising Irish in Dublin, and Scotland came so close to a remarkable upset when only a fantastic piece of defence from the seemingly flawless Beauden Barrett stopped Stuart Hogg wrapping up a brilliant win over New Zealand.
All four games this weekend have only reinforced to me that at all levels of the world rankings the gaps between these teams are closing rapidly, and if it continues, we could be in for one hell of a show in Japan in two years time.
London Waratah
Guest
It is the real question. It is the real question because once Koribete touches the ball in front of Hooper, the previous offside becomes null and void. Hooper then would be onside but of course the Brits are too clever (like the Kiwis in NZ) to reveal all views/angles of a TMO decision, until after the decision has been made.
David
Guest
Don't worry Kurt, I can assure no one is under any delusions that that was a complete performance. That doesn't mean we can't be pleased with the final scoreline.
BoyBath
Guest
Check out http://laws.worldrugby.org/?law=11&language=EN specifically 11.1 (c) Offside and moving forward. When a team-mate of an offside player has kicked ahead, the offside player must not move towards opponents who are waiting to play the ball, or move towards the place where the ball lands, until the player has been put onside. There is even a video showing more or less exactly the Hooper disallowed try - its a penalty Australia were good and the score flattered BUT it would be better if you based your arguements on what the Laws say rather than what you think you would like them to say.
Kurt
Guest
As long as england keep reading the results of these wins and not analysing the game, the english will continue to under perform at the WC
Tom
Guest
So essentially, whilst you're unhappy with your side being penalised, you agree that every single incident had the correct result to the letter of the laws. Bit pointless bringing them up really. You should have mentioned the penalty and scrum Australia got before that - Jonny May chased a kick ahead, let the Australian player collect the ball and stand up, then the next Oz players there went to ground and pinned him down - never a penalty; Anthony Watson jumps to catch the ball, is touched whilst he's in the air, fumbles the ball but never drops it then the ref gave a knock on. Then there was the incident where Kuridrani knocked the ball backwards as Joe Launchbury passed it and the ref gave knock on against England when there was a try scoring opportunity. And finally the forward pass in the build up to the obstruction by Moore on Robshaw for the disallowed try. So it seems the only decisions in that game that were incorrect, went against England and not for them. The game itself was very entertaining and close, until till the end as is England's style - they're an 80 minute team. Cheika threw his toys out of the pram in the build up and in the game and maybe it's his mentality and fear and hatred of playing against Eddie Jones that rubs off on the Australian team meaning you can't beat us (the same way Wales can't beat you)
JimmyB
Guest
My point that you are determined to miss is that all of these Kiwi coaches are getting International experience that they would not be able to get if they just stayed at home, ergo, that experience benefits NZ if and when they return to coach NZ as has happened twice. They are allowed to learn and make mistakes on other nations time and payrolls. Much like Eddie did on Australia's. Capiche?
Mark
Guest
Didnt deserve to beat the Wallabies? Yet somehow they managed to score 30 points to your 6 No wonder Aussie Rugby is going backwards If you spend all your time blaming the ref and not looking at your own performance then you are condemned to the same result time and again Even IF the ref made at least 3 incorrect decisions the Aussie performance was dire Very Very Dire If you think that still equates to being deserving of a win then you are in for a long period of disappointment
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
I agree Ruckin' Oaf, and with FunBus to the extent that I did not bother looking in on our Australian supporter comments here until today well knowing there will be a wall to wall whinge for a week and a half about "we wuz robbed." A good example is the endless debate about Hooplah! being off side or not at some vital point. The circumstances are well enough described, the Laws on the matter are quoted clearly by a few helpful and informed readers and the matter is resolved without question, yet some commentator immediately after describes the decision as "harsh" and the debate reignites in marvelous ignorance. The result was as expected - the punters had England at 3:1 on and the Wallabies at 5:2 - and the players contributed markedly to the result by sometimes dropping the ball, missing tackles, passing to no-one, attracting penalties and generally making mistakes. The referee made some mistakes and some absolute shockers which have since been identified as lawful non-shockers. Eddie Jones set out a pretty good plan for his charges, as one would expect, and has been declared a prospective illegal immigrant for the excellence of his work. Yet the whinging continues.
rebel
Guest
A big dose of hypocrisy in the comments overnight. Skin is thin.
taylorman
Roar Guru
All I know is the SH has given NH rugby a massive leg up over the years and the NH has done zero gor SH rugby other than claim hollow victories. When i watch NH rugby all I seem to see is SH players. Why would I do that when i can do that here?
Jerry
Guest
I want a bus made of chocolate and a pony. Life's not perfect, but just cause something isn't called every time doesn't mean it shouldn't be called when possible.
Custard Cream
Roar Rookie
Please link to England fans crowing. I haven't heard or seen any yet.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
'Well no I dont think it actually is the point, in fact I dont know why youve even brought it up here.' I brought it up because it shows a pattern of pronouncing authoritatively about NH rugby when, sometimes almost simultaneously, proudly announcing that you rarely watch it because it's boring rubbish. If you go back it was you that switched the conversation from the England-Oz match to favouring us with your overview of NH rugby as a whole - a subject you're proud, in other contexts, to confirm you know nothing about.
Taylorman
Guest
Well no I dont think it actually is the point, in fact I dont know why youve even brought it up here. What has what I and everyone else bar you it seems got to do with anything we've discussed so far? Out of the blue you bring up something irrelevant. Are you suggesting Ive said I know every result before it happens or something? Or is me being wrong in something completely unrelated somehow a point? My point all along is NH success has been inflated lately due to three things. One the increasing numbers of players leaving our shores, this lessening the strength or potential of our test sides. Two, the increasing number of players flooding the NH scene and helping provide a competitive competition and in some cases providing seasoned professional players to the International sides. And three the increasing number of SH coaches providing a higher standard of coaching, directly resulting in more club and International success over their southern Internationals. That is the only point I have made here and between you and Jimmyb youve argued everything around that but have not come up with a single argument against it, but rather pointed to childish rant/s, citing of arrog-nce etc etc. You mentioned to Biltong you expected to turn up here to have an adult discussion about the match yet here youre ifs and buts, bringing up irrelevance, and no case for disputing my points. Sorry if that discussion didnt go the way you wanted but hey, what are forums for ay?
Matt K
Guest
Yeah IF you had all those things it would've been different- and if my Uncle had tit's he'd be my Auntie.
Buk
Guest
Yeah, hard to take but true - we have not won the last 5 or 6 games in a row. Does not mean we can not win the next clash, but does mean we need to try to focus on improving areas, rather than trying to make excuses, or challenging referee decisions. Especially when those ref decisions are valid decisions.
Buk
Guest
Pretty good summary right there of the issues. We have to just wake up and focus on what we can improve, rather than ranting about the ref. After the initial emotions cooled down, & upon second viewing, I had to admit that what I first thought were contentious calls, looked to be the best calls for each scenario.
Buk
Guest
I say it was a loss, and it ended up being a sound beating. Well done England.
Buk
Guest
And I absolutely agree with you. Hooper could have stopped within a few paces, but he kept deliberately moving forward. Tough call for us in the context of what happened, but it was the correct call.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
The point is, TM, a lot of people were telling you that the Lions were bringing a very strong squad; Sean Fitzpatrick, of all people even tipped the Lions to win the 2nd test 3 months in advance and for a very close series decider in the 3rd; and people have been raving about Hogg for 18 months. You dismissed it all as nonsense on the basis of no knowledge of NH rugby whatsoever.