The World Cup final for 2017 was about as intense a game of Test match rugby league as I have ever seen.
It was a relentless display of grit and iron-will from both Australia and England, but perhaps none more so than England who were tipped by no small number to be thumped.
The thumping, though, never occurred. Aptly dubbed the ‘Wall of White’, the England players stepped up to the challenge. A sign of their continual improvement throughout this tournament, England’s cresting the hill of performance was mesmerising to watch.
Wave after wave of Australian attack thrust itself upon the Wall but the wall held. England had Australia contained. Even with the odd mistake at the wrong time, England fought through them.
Defensively, England had turned up. Offensively, they were still a work in progress. “Don’t worry, I nervously thought. They are just fine tuning.”
It is almost a cliché to say that athletes need to peak at the right time. After all, there is no point in playing your best at the beginning of a tournament only to fizzle out when it counted. New Zealand provided enough evidence of that folly during this World Cup.
Step by step throughout this tournament, England were on the march. Super coach had them ironing out their rougher edges and peaking when it mattered.
In fact, so much so that during the match, through wave after wave of heart forging defence and the scoreline trapped at 6-0, I silently wondered to myself, “Surely Bennett hasn’t coached his team to peak in the last five minutes?”
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
I mean, that would be nuts. Right?
And then, with only a few minutes to go, all hell broke loose.
Kallum Watkins, the man I call The Nightcrawler, shimmied and shook, swerved and swooped, sliding delicately into a sliver of an Australian defensive line gap and set off to salute the sky.
England fans who had been wondering, wondered no more and cried out, “They are going to do it!”
We shouldn’t have said those words though. England fans know them as a curse into the night.
We all know who listens to those words. We all know their effect on the world. Lady Luck glanced and, sigh, how England know that glance. They know that glance as well as any man can know the void.
I don’t know what master plan Wayne Bennett had for his Wall of White. I don’t know if he really did plan for England to explode into action in the last five minutes of the final? Whatever his plan, though, none can compete with a glance from the Lady.
The wheels were in motion now and as the heavens rumbled, stars shifted and destinies were set. The Lady’s instrument? One Joshua Dugan who clipped the Nightcrawler’s ankle….
… and England lost.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I read somewhere that England needed one more game to properly peak. Would you agree with that?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
That's right. But you know, the Dugan-Watkins ankle tap kind of reflected the feeling of 'not again' that I was trying to get across with my article. As for McGillvary's last play... oh the possibilities!
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
It was part of Bennett's 'peaking' plan, hehe But seriously, it seemed that having worn them down, England were starting to open up Australia and when Lomax came on, I thought, wow, Bennett has worked this to a T. Of course, he probably didn't have to wait until so late in the game....
Albo
Guest
I tend to agree with you Johnno ! I thought Lomax looked their most likely attacking player in game 1 against Australia. Then never got onto the field till the last 20 minutes of the final ?
BA Sports
Guest
I agree with you a fair bit there and it was kind of predictable. Australia had attacked almost exclusively to their left all tournament. All England had to do was focus their D on the Aussie left and it was able to nullify comfortably basically all but one attacking play. I think if the result goes the other way, the Australian coaching staff get more closely scrutinised. You can't say they were lucky, because they are the superior team, but lets face it; Mal Meninga coached the Raiders for about 5 years - for three years he had sides full of stars, for two years he didn't and he ultimately had a 50% winning record. He has since coached a QLD team that didn't need a coach and an Australian team who could run out a third choice line up and still win a World Cup. You want to talk about charmed careers - his has to be in the grand final
Johnno
Guest
James Roby is an endurance player in the super league, he mostly plays 80 minutes so it was nothing new. He's an awesome player, but he also worked fine coming on off the bench this world cup. Selecting Bateman at centre was a mistake by Bennett as he's more a forward who can fill in at centre if needed. Widdop should of stayed at no 6, and that's the whole point England didn't have a good fullback e.g. sam tomkins maybe should of been selected on this tour. Widdop was immense at no 1 but england needed him at no 6.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I was mesmerised by the intensity of the stalemate. It was just relentless.
terrence
Guest
I agree SA, Australia have played in the UK against England or Great Britain with an English referee with no issues. Similar to last night, an Australian referee in Australia who had a good game. Also, which league does the neutral referee come from? France? PNG? NZ? Then all the punters will complain that the referee wasn't up to standard and should have came from one of the two major leagues (i.e. the NRL or ESL).
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
very apt discription
Realist1975
Guest
Roby was brilliant. What I meant was that it was a pity he wasn't younger. He paced himself quite well. Just being a little older meant he didn't have the confidence or energy to go for a few more darts.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Sleiman, Was at the game and never really thought it was a good spectacle. The wet conditions and a single ref helped England, and so did losing their skipper as it allowed Sam Burgess to move to lock and bring in Jonny Lomax who i was disappointed that he was not used as a fresh dummy half as they missed that with James Roby playing 80 mins and having to make 56 tackles (no misses). Did someone tell super coach that his team was on zero and he needs some points? Can someone ask super coach why he played Kevin Brown in such a crucial position in every game? Listeners of our podcast would have taken the +18.5 points start when skip SOL did not play.
scrum
Roar Rookie
I acknowledged the intensity. There were very few subtleties especially in the 2nd half by Australia. One out plays - gain field position and rely on your defence to protect your lead. Hardly have to be a genius to understand that. My issue Aus were only 6 points ahead- a better option may have been to use some variety in attack to extend the lead. Australia opted on a very basic no frills no risk approach and never looked like scoring again. If you just play one out it is so easy for the defence tactically . It worked but if England had taken their chances & won I am sure Aus would have been criticised for their conservative approach in attack
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Australia have forgotten how to lose and England almost remembered how to win. Perfectly stated. The difference, in my view, is simple. Australian players has 3 games per year of brutal intensity through Origin. English players have 3 games of brutal intensity a decade.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
If there is one player whom I felt deserved to go out a World Cup winner it would be Sean O'Loughlin. A tower of respectability.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I thought Roby had a great game. I spied him darting out of dummy half when the opportunity presented itself and his decisions to do tended to get some pretty good metres too.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
The Thundercat was given little opportunity to strike but he ended playing a massive game in defence, always covering and somehow coming up with the ball when I could have sworn he was not going to get it. One of my favourite players!
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I'm a big fan of James Graham. He played the game of his life - again.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I'm not too fussed about the 'neutral' ref other than it would certainly shut down that avenue of criticism.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
It really was one of those games where it was a shame that someone had to lose.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
I am a big James Graham fan. I remember in the opener against Australia, with the game essentially lost, a cross field kick bounces favourably for Dugan and he streaks away. One man chasing with all his life knowing he doesn’t have the pace but sprints his butt off anyway. I remembered thinking watching that moment.... what are the chances Aaron Woods does that for Australia, or for his club for that matter? Buckley’s chance in hell! Letting him go to aquire Woods at the Dogs was a sackable offence in and of itself for Des Hasler IMO.