Nothing like a chance to smash the poms at the cabbage patch, so there was some high hopes for this match. Given the poor showing from the Wallabies in Cardiff, up front anyway, there was naturally a lot of talk about how they would hold up to the might of the English scrum. Would the return of Stephen Moore cure all, would we get smashed off the field and see a repeat of the 2007 WC Quarter final? Only the next 80 minutes would tell.
The wallabies elected to kick from after receiving the kick off, signalling intent to keep out of their own territory, while it appeared the Poms were there to run it. The game of territory continued, with a dominant tackle from Rocky lead to a penalty, they went the sticks. JO’C got a case of the Gits and pushed it to the left, but there was no mistaking what game the Wallabies were playing.
When there was another penalty from 45ish out and they went the sticks again, I began to wonder if the Aussies were showing they were capable of playing test match rugby.
The poms turned the ball over deep in their own territory and spread it wide, ending up with a penalty at the other end of the field, which Flood duly kicked, There were questions about the English being able to keep this pace up. But, the scoreboard was showing it was working.
At the 14th minute, the moment we all had been waiting for happened, a scrum was called. The moment of truth for the Aussie front row. It was a bit of a non-event though, as the Wallabies earned a free kick for the English engaging early. 1-0 to Aus…
We had to wait another 10 minutes for another scrum, this one looked like the Poms pushed early, but the Aussies were penalised for collapsing, scrum random-a-tor was in full effect. This seemed to give the Poms the confidence they needed (that and some very flimsy defence, saw them keeping the ball alive and down to the other end of the field, where Ashton fell over. Flood converted. If the Wallabies are keen to play test match rugby, they were going to have to rediscover the long lost art of the tackle.
Another penalty to the wallabies for a Tindal offside saw another attempt at goal, and another attempt go to waste, this one off the post. It seems the nominated kicker for the Wallabies is cursed role.
The next scrum saw the Wallabies earn a penalty. Cole deemed to have collapsed. For mine, the Aussies went early, but it had worked for the Poms, so all power to them. The penalty was finally sent over the cross bar by O’Conner and we were on the board.
The buffer was back to ten just a minute later, when Flood converted another penalty.
Things then took a turn for the worst, when gits was given ten in the bin for cynical play. It appears the Aussies had decided not to switch on today.
Things took a turn for the better when we earned a penalty. Lucky for us, Sheridan got a little lippy, and England was marched 10, J’OC got his second for the night and we were ahead. Well, only in the points since getting a man in the bin, not the whole game… A bit of special time wasting saw nothing more that half.
The second half continued where it left off, with a penalty being kicked, this time by Flood. The Wallabies had obviously had a talking to in the sheds, as they turned down another shot at the sticks when pressing hard on the line, which was a great idea, until the English affected a turnover, and Ashton was sent wide for a length of the field try. Quite the turn around, proof that running and keeping ball in hand might not be a bad idea, because we clearly could not tackle.
Just as we thought we should be ready for a reaming, there was a glimmer of hope, as a trademark KB chip and chase resulted in a try, which was converted by JO’C. Was the comeback starting? Were we only capable of winning these games right at the death? Hope so…
England weren’t dismayed though, and continued to run. True to form, the Wallabies gave away another penalty in kicking distance, and the margin was again reduced as Flood put it over. Australia continued to play poorly, refusing to tackle, and insisting on giving England the ball at every opportunity, keeping the Poms in the game.
A little spark was needed, and Burgo provided it, with a great run off a lineout, and finally some composure shown as the Wallabies moved the ball through their hands, eventually, Ashley-Cooper putting KB over for his double. JO’C pushed the conversion to the left again, Taking the points lost from kicks to 11, if the kicks were made it would have been 29 all at this point.
No one had told the Poms we were coming back as they continued their strong running game. From some poor Wallaby kick/chase, Cueto was gifted a run straight through midfield nearly putting Ashton over for his third. Australia was forced to defend hard on the line, naturally giving away a penalty, which Flood put through the sticks.
This pattern continued, with Flood kicking another penalty, to bring his total to 7 from 7, 9 from 9 including conversions. Apart from the Wallabies one raid, again from a Burgo snipe, seeing Squeaky Moore beaten to place the ball by Ashton, the pattern continued.
The ball handling from Australia was terrible this game, clearly they had spent the whole week on the scrum machine. The defence was disgraceful, seemingly allowing the poms to run whenever they felt like it. wave after wave of enterprising and fast moving attack was sent by the English (Cannot BELIEVE I am having to write that) with either the defence parting like the red sea or a silly penalty being given away for Flood to kick another 3. I think Clarkie summed it up well in the commentary, saying “It has been one of those nights for Australia, out-enthused, out-played, out-smarted”
Australia 18 (Try: Beale (2) Con: O’Conner 1/2 Pen: O’Conner 2/5) def by England 35 (Try: Ashton (2) Con: Flood 2/2 Pen Flood 7/7)
