See. All it takes is a change of Prime Minister and suddenly everything looks rosy.
The Suncorp ramparts are stormed (well, for the first half hour at least), white shirts run hard and true as English players are supposed to do, Owen Farrell swings his boot and hits the mark and, wonder of wonders, there is no last quarter collapse.
At this rate the cost of living crisis in the UK will be over by the end of the weekend and England will wrap up the series in Sydney next Saturday. Well, we can but delude ourselves. England do have a chance, of course, of a sporting upturn.
They now have some momentum while the Wallabies are well and truly bashed up, handicapped yet again by untimely injuries. The UK economy, sadly, will not be so easily fixed.
The truth of such matters is that there will be many twists and turns before all sorts of issues are resolved, in sport as well as in politics. England’s impressive back-to-basics display in the opening period had you wondering just who these guys in white actually were, a markedly different outfit to the lot who rolled up the white flag in Perth, bristling, upbeat and on-message.
They didn’t throw a punch seven days ago. Here they had Australia on the ropes even though, perhaps worryingly, they couldn’t quite land the knockout blows. Australia came back and even had a sniff midway through the second half only to go for the glory try rather than take the points on offer. Key calls, small margins and all that.
This victory, significant as it is in both the short as well as the long-term, does not mean that England are now back as serious contenders for World Cup honours in 15 months’ time.
They are still a repair-job in motion rather than a finished article. Eddie Jones may have ludicrously said that the result was not all-important as this was essentially ‘a practice’ for events in France next year, but it was. If England had wobbled again and let the game get away from them in the second half after running up a thoroughly deserved 19-0 lead, the ramifications would have been enormous.
Deep down Jones knew that. He’s also savvy enough to know that no matter how defiant a performer he is in front of the TV cameras and newspaper notebooks, all gobby snarl and withering put-down, the pressure would have ratcheted up. This win gives the team breathing space, Jones too.
The World Cup will look after itself when it eventually comes around. Never mind the nonsense about testing out some young talents such as scrum-half, Jack van Poortvliet, who made an accomplished debut, or the Campoesque Henry Arundell, this performance was far more about re-igniting the fires under the likes of the Vunipola brothers, Billy and Mako, of further grooving the partnership of Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith, which was far more effective and productive, and of reminding the entire England pack that they are supposed to be killjoy dullards that smother the life out of the opposition through efficient set-piece, allied to a trusty goal-kicker.
As the Aussie billboards mockingly screamed in 2003 with pictures of a beetle-browed Martin Johnson and a metronomic Jonny Wilkinson, ‘Is That All You’ve Got? ‘
Well, er, yes and wouldn’t either of these teams cherish such forward dominance at the moment? Instead, improved as England were up-front, there is not yet proper consistency in their output.
The scrum is not yet as stable as it would ideally want to be and even though Ellis Genge did set the tone for the whole evening when running through Michael Hooper in the opening minute, there was not the same assuredness in the tight. The English maul, though, will be replaying in their heads one churning 45 metre downfield play around the hour mark that had the Wallabies scrambling.
Injuries hampered both teams and while England have deeper resources than Australia, they will miss Maro Itoje, who Jones said would miss the deciding match.
Itoje had been showing well, concentrating on the job in hand rather than resorting to his childish playground shouty antics. It is the return to form of his Saracens’ teammate, Billy Vunipola, that bodes so well for England.
Billy boy had been in the doldrums for 12-18 months, a shadow of his former self or rather a fattened up version of his former athletic self. Like his club who were relegated for salary cap transgressions, Vunipola has served his time and come back re-energised and re-focused. His presence is a big plus for England.
Billy Vunipola of England runs the ball. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Farrell, too, looked far more accepting of the new order of things, allowing Marcus Smith more rein as the principal playmaker and settling to his role as a genuine inside centre, albeit always alert to possibilities as he showed with a well-executed, perceptive kick-pass to Jack Nowell that almost brought dividends in the second-half.
Onwards to Sydney with England in far better fettle than they were when they arrived on the east coast. Just as it was wrong to sugar-coat the magnitude of the loss against 14 men last weekend so it is only right to salute what is a notable milestone – inflicting a loss on the Wallabies at the Suncorp for the first time in six years.
England have some way to go yet before they can claim to have turned a corner. But, after a calendar year of potholes and unevenness, the road ahead suddenly looks less tricky to navigate.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Is To'omua even in the Australia A squad? I think he's done.
Meeda
Guest
no rain expected in Sydney thursday friday or satday, will be a dry track.
Shano
Guest
Agree, Hooper JOC and White were very very bad. Noah is needed as no one else can play 10. But if Cooper is fit,he is straight in.Noah bench,
Chris
Guest
' No 10 can shine when their pack is on the back foot". Well if you got rid of Hooper, the 10 might shine a little brighter.
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
Hi timmy..the way JOC is continuing might find himself on the outer as with Toomua but then again DR might just throw an SOS to Toomua ...the type of inside runs he does at super level do not seem to work and gets himself isolated when doing that..teams worked him out doing that..
Harry Jones
Expert
Thanks, Mick! Good lines!
Bodger
Roar Rookie
It was a little off but this is the stupid thing with rugby refs they pulled it up even though the Wallabies would have won it anyway if it was 6inches to the left. England later had a throw which was off and let go. The Tupou clean out, there was nothing in it and wasn’t dangerous. Then they let teams rush in from an offside position. Smith’s yellow, was he stopping a possible try with that touch, don’t think so should have been a penalty only. Perese did stop a try opportunity but it was a genuine attempt not a deliberate knock down so no yellow. Australia were the second best team but bad and inconsistent referring add to the pressure on the Wallabies.
Jimbo81
Roar Rookie
Hooper is ragdolled every week. It’s time for McReight. Long overdue.
Jimbo81
Roar Rookie
Aren’t McKeller players supposed to be capable of a lineout drive?
adastra32
Roar Rookie
“Unless there is a lopsided penalty count” says it all. If Eng pressure the WBs like they did yesterday, it’ll be wash, rinse, repeat. Btw, this is not a ringing endorsement for England. If they fail to show up like Test 1, even a very depleted WBs team will have a good chance.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Not disrespecting him I meant..
Waspie
Roar Rookie
A win's a win - but if such games are supposed to be practice for the world cup - why did England have to revert to practicing the "ugly pack" strategy, that's second nature to most England forwards? This was a win at all costs as England haven't looked like a team able to dominate games all this calendar year - a carry over from 6Ns 2021 (France game excepted). So England reverted to literally a narrow plan, making sure that the tackle area could be resourced and never really utilising the backs. Several combinations in the backs had never played together before, so leave it to the forwards and then kick well...Back to the Future? But it doesn't take England forward, it wasn't a performance far from their only other win this year (Italy excepted) vs Wales when lots of penalties just about held off a Wales team that once they started, ran in three tries only for England to be saved by the bell. One try max in any game (Italy excepted) and nothing that suggests they can deliver some scores. Yes they are missing lots of players - but it seems that if there is a plan, it can't be delivered and so it's back to forward grunt and kicking. Could easily run in some scores next week, but the question remains - what on earth have England been doing since Autumn 2020 at get to where we are now?
Mark
Guest
If JOC hadnt of had such a shocker... If they had taken the points... Not as convinced by Englands performance as the writer
Sinckler for the rules
Roar Rookie
And why was the penalty count lopsided? Because Australian defence infringed when under pressure. England were on the front foot making yards with each carry. Show me a defence that stops try scoring without infringing when under pressure. Bullied in the first 30 that's why you lost the match. Similarly in 2nd half england started infringing and brought pressure on themselves
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Peter… JOC has always struggled playing 10 for the Wallabies, he plays a different game than he does with the Reds. He rushes things and his passing goes missing, I take it that it is more of a mental issue for him. QC is desperately needed as he the mature levelled headed player that is needed, and yes Hodge had the mentality to step in. So he would be my option at backup 10.
Captain Morgan
Roar Rookie
Clearly the Poms desrved to win. However there seems to be a concerted effort on behalf of some of their forwards to injure some our players. Has anyone reviewed the injury to Caden Neville. The little shown on the replay looks like the english player came in from the side and dropped his body on Neville's oustretch leg. He did not attempt to join the ruck just rolled away as if nothing happened.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
I have said many times that JOC is not a 10 player, I am disrespecting him but it is not his best position. He is prone to making mistakes and effecting the backline negatively. The bench let the Wallabies down IMO! They lacked punch and England shut the game down. The structure that the Wallabies had in the first test went missing in game two, England played very well and played like a traditional English side! By pressuring the opposition into given up penalties, and then slotting the 3 pointers regularly.
cs
Roar Guru
Save me from the pre-game crap. What kinda welcome to country includes the terminally brainless 'Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi' for goodness sake. The nob who's paid to produce faux-excitement should also be put in the toilet, along with his cadbury's cheer-o-meter. Let's get back to simple, respectful, dignified and leave any justified excitement to look after itself.
BlouBul
Roar Rookie
Just like the economy the future results of rugby team is in the hands of those participating in it. Stop the whining about Brexit and pull your sock up.
Jesse Langley
Guest
Hooper had a shocker tonight. Absolutley ragdolled in attack and defense. No over the ball presense and he should be dropped to the bench and replaced by samu. Why woukdnt u take 3 points to get within 2 points. You have a kicker thats got 9 kicks in a row, bank the kick and mov e on. the lineout maul wasnt functioning anyway. The game was in the balance and then oit came JOC!!!