There was hope for Australia after pulling off a win to tie the series against England at 1-1. Hope that they could turn their misfortunes around and get back to their winning ways. Hope that was dashed in front of 43,274 fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
It was the first run out for the newly instated Ella-Mobbs Trophy, the silverware that replaced the previous Cook Cup (named after Captain James Cook). This newly minted symbol of the rugby rivalry between Australia and England was designed by Aboriginal artist Natalie Bateman and features symbolic imagery that celebrates the lives and culture of both Indigenous Wallabies great Mark Ella and England Rugby player and War hero Edgar Mobbs and the Aussies would have given anything to put it pride of place in their trophy cabinet – but they couldn’t give quite enough.
It was not through lack of effort or opportunity. Both teams were coming into the final with a string of challenges behind them. England have had a largely forgettable season, a coach and team that were under pressure from fans back home, and swathe of missing players through injury. Australia, despite this being the beginning of their season and expected to field a fit and fresh team, were similarly devastated by injuries.
But still, both teams were brimming with energy and eagerness, and both teams were looking to wow the spectators and bring home the new trophy. A win in Perth for Australia. A win in Brisbane for England. All to play for in Sydney.
In the end it was the visitors who lifted the Ella-Mobbs Trophy. But it was a collective sigh of relief rather than a roar of victory for the under fire Englishmen. And it leaves the Australians in a rather dire position as they look next to tests against Argentina, South Africa, and New Zealand.
So what went wrong for Dave Rennie’s charges?
Too slick by far
The stats are misleading. Australia dominated the metres made. They dominated possession with 60% of ball in hand. And yet they could not convert this into much needed points.
Their backs were dangerous, fluid and filled with intent and inventive plays. Maybe too much inventiveness? It’s a saying that is oft repeated in rugby circles, one that sometimes feels a little overused but, like all maxims that stand the test of time, it is certainly fitting: you must earn the right to go wide.
The exciting running rugby on display was overshadowed by ill-discipline, wasted opportunities, and itchy trigger fingers for the sexy backline play before the foundation was properly set up front.
You can’t blame them for wanting to involve their fantastic outside backs, but this isn’t high school rugby where you can just depend on a couple of quicks on the wings to win you matches.
England 21 – Australia 17
The game started well for Australia, led out by Nick White in his 50th appearance for the Wallabies. They began with intent and pace, an Owen Farrell kick charged down by Nick Frost getting the crowd involved after he was tackled without the ball. An opening score penalty unfortunately denied by a Noah Lolesio miss. Farrell’s restart out on the full and a scrum in front of the posts. White creating an overlap and Reese Hodge flinging the ball to nobody. The white line is an extra defender, not an attacking option, Reese!
Frenetic, frantic, and ultimately pointless – a period of play that summed up the Australian evening.
The Wallabies backline looked dangerous and threatening, exceptional plays, looping runs, and long cut-out passes bringing a 7s style of play to mind. Marike Koroibiete, fast looking like one of the best wingers in the world, continually put the English under pressure with his trademark bruising contacts and slick judging of the run of play. But in the end, it was not to be. The moment Koroibiete smashed into two Englishmen to and over the line was the perfect example: it was a try for all money but not according to the ref. Instead, Australia got a penalty that was wasted through a shocker of a pass from Tupou to Frost’s feet.
Everything looked right except their finishing.
Koroibiete was on form minutes later as he shook off one, created a gap and offloaded to a speeding wright. Wright sent it in to White who returned the favour and Wright went over to score. Lolesio put the conversion over and it was 7-3 to Australia.
That man Marike was at it again after Hooper hunted down Danny Care to force a knock-on. The burly winger ran over one Englishman and shoved another aside on his way to earning a penalty that was converted by Lolesio to put the hosts 10-3 ahead.
England were looking fragile, especially as Australia were finding space through new outside centre Guy Porter, but Farrell steadied the ship with a penalty to narrow the gap to 10-6.
An errant penalty off the posts gave White what could have been a genius opportunity had it panned out but, instead, put Australia under pressure in front of the sticks. England pushed close and scrummie Jack van Poortvliet went short side and gave impressive fullback Freddie Steward the chance to wrongfoot Wright and go over for the score. Farrell missed the conversion but England went into the break with a narrow 1 point advantage at 11-10.
Australia’s second half was a bit of a disaster. When a 130kg behemoth in the shape of Tupou opts to try fancy flick-out-the-back passing instead of bruising contact you must start to question tactics and gameplans. When your captain brainfarts and tackles the completely wrong player to hand eagle-eyed Farrell another successful penalty you need to look at discipline. And when your team continually creates amazing opportunities only to throw them away with costly mistakes you need to wonder about the conditioning and ball skills. Australia gifted England with 13 turnovers during the game!
The error-strewn display was truly summed up when Marcus Smith put the game beyond doubt with a try that should never have happened. A missed Australia lineout. A knock on from Lolesio into Smith’s eager paws. The scrappy number 9 then running straight through what looked like the entire Aussie pack and mid-field to outsprint all defenders and go over the line.
Folau Fainga’a pulled one back for Australia after a concerted effort by the forwards bashing through a staunch English defence on the try line to get the Wallabies to 21-17, but this only served to bring a little veneer of respectability to the score. Try as they might, and the certainly did try, the Aussies just could not broach that English wall, wave after wave of attack nullified and often turned over in the last 13 minutes to deny Australia a come from behind victory and ending with England going home with the Ella-Mobbs Trophy.
Now come the tough questions.
Why are Australia playing an immature brand of rugby? Why was Angus Bell benched after two fantastic Tests? Why did Rob Valetini not get a starting jersey when he was just beginning to come through with the goods? Why does such an enormous front row get scrummed to death? Why was a tantalising talent like Suliasi Vunivalu given his debut with only three minutes on the clock.
And how damn good is Marike Koroibiete actually!
As much as games are won out on the park, what happens in the coaches box is just as important and it’s clear that mismanagement and poor selection are part of the problem for Australia.