Tuesday 5 November 2013

England 20 Australia 13: Robshaw and Farrell tries secure a spirited but ...


By

Ian Stafford




PUBLISHED:


16:27, 2 November 2013




|

UPDATED:


13:09, 3 November 2013




Maybe it was the sight of Martin Johnson’s 2003 World Cup winners parading around Twickenham at half-time that spurred a second-half comeback. But a Chris Robshaw try, scored in controversial circumstances, set England on their way to a crucial win over an Australian side who upset them at headquarters 12 months ago.


At the interval Johnson’s merry men were greeted as heroes from yesteryear while, on the pitch, the modern-day England were labouring and losing to a team who had showed little themselves but took the one opening that came their way.


Trailing by seven points, a re-energised England emerged after the break to score two converted tries, although both had more than a hint of controversy about them, leaving the team who are in England’s World Cup group in 2015 smarting.


Glassware: England captain Chris Robshaw holds aloft the prize for beating Australia, the Cook Cup


Glassware: England captain Chris Robshaw holds aloft the prize for beating Australia, the Cook Cup



Farrell


Get in: Owen Farrell gives a celebratory fist pump after converting his own try in the second half


Match facts


England:

Brown; Ashton, Tomkins, Twelvetrees, Yarde; Farrell, Dickson; M

Vunipola, T Youngs, Cole, Launchbury, Lawes, Wood, Robshaw (capt), B

Vunipola.


Replacements: Hartley, Marler, Wilson, Attwood, Morgan, B Youngs, Flood, Foden.


Tries: Robshaw, Farrell Con: Farrell (2) Pen: Farrell (2)


Australia: Folau;

Ashley-Cooper, Kuridrani, Toomua, Cummins; Cooper, Genia; Slipper,

Moore, Alexander, Timani, Horwill, Fardy, Hooper, Mowen (capt).


Replacements: S Fainga’a, Robinson, Kepu, Douglas, McCalman, White, Leali’ifano, Foley.


Try: Toomua Con: Cooper Pen: Cooper (2)


Referee: George Clancy (Ireland).


Robshaw’s pounce on a charge-down from Mako Vunipola followed an English attack upfield that began with man of the match Mike Brown receiving a punt with his feet clearly in touch.


Owen Farrell’s try that gave England a lead they never relinquished followed an obstruction by Dylan Hartley on Stephen Moore deemed unintentional after a consultation with the TMO that created a huge gap for Farrell to exploit.


The Australians, predictably, were far from happy afterwards. Head coach Ewen McKenzie said of the officials’ failure to spot Brown’s infringement: ‘It resulted in a 90- metre turnaround when we should have a lineout five metres from the England line.’


And the former prop’s response to Farrell’s match-winning score was a resigned: ‘There’s no use saying much now because it’s not going to change anything.’
England, in contrast, were relieved that

they had come through a major test eight months after being humiliated

in the Grand Slam decider in Wales, especially as it was in front of the

greats from 10 years ago.



Wallabies centre Matt Toomua scored the opening try


Opener: Matt Toomua scored the first try for the Australians after some neat work from Quade Cooper



Australia


Ratings


‘We wanted to do the 2003 boys proud as they did so much to inspire us,’ England head coach Stuart Lancaster admitted afterwards. ‘2015 seems a long way away but losing last year to Australia put us under huge pressure, so today has been a great start.’


In truth, it was another English win that should be received with much enthusiasm, but a performance that left you feeling as if you had just consumed an average meal. There wasn’t much of the ‘shock’ the England management promised, and Twickenham has some way still to go before it becomes the ‘hurt arena’ the home team promised.


But on the flip side a rusty England found a way to win from behind against a team who had posted 33 points on the All Blacks in Dunedin last month and 50 in Argentina beforehand, and one who will present a major threat to England’s World Cup dreams.


This victory does not guarantee a more important win in two years’ time. But, as the 2003 world champions looked on, it will not do any harm.


And there were some stand-out performances, notably from the irrepressible Brown, who produced his now expected display of ball-carrying, gain-line breaking and huge clearances, the Vunipola brothers on their first start together, especially junior Billy, who punched big holes in the Wallaby defence, and captain Robshaw, who answered all those who questioned his position in the team with an assured and mature afternoon’s work.   


It was only in the midfield where

England’s main concerns still lay. While debutant Joel Tomkins made a

solid start to his Test career, at least in defence, inside centre Billy

Twelvetrees had a torrid time which led to his second-half replacement

by stand-off Toby Flood.


Australia led 13-6 at the break,

although England should never have been allowed to lose the advantage to

the visitors. Farrell, uncharacteristically, missed three penalties,

although the two he scored gave England their points. Quade Cooper found

the target with his two penalties and the conversion that followed Matt

Toomua’s try that gave Australia the lead.


The England management were right to

highlight what they called a ‘soft try’ because first Israel Folau ran

round Chris Ashton’s challenge and then Toomua ran over Twelvetrees from

close range to touch down under the posts.


Try time: Chris Robshaw crossed for England


Try time: Chris Robshaw crossed for England’s first five-pointer after pouncing on a loose ball



Pat on the back: England players rush to congratulate Robshaw after his opportunistic try


Over the black dot: Farrell


Over the black dot: Farrell’s kicking was off in the first half but his converted try filled the void



Crushed: Wallabies scrum half Will Genia gets wrapped up while kicking by Farrell


Crushed: Wallabies scrum half Will Genia gets wrapped up while kicking by Farrell



No matter, because in the second half it was largely one way for England. After Brown launched a counter-attack that led to England camping on the Australian line, Mako Vunipola charged down Will Genia’s attempted 50th-minute clearance and when the ball squirted sideways Robshaw pounced to score his first Test try.       


Now the force was with England and, eight minutes later, Farrell made the most of a huge gap helped by Moore running into Hartley to dart through to score his first international try, too.


Brown almost scored a third but was beaten in a desperate chase to the loose ball after another TMO verdict but it would have simply added gloss to a win that was far from convincing, albeit hugely important in terms of the result.


Darted: Farrell spied a gap in the Aussie defensive line and scooted through for England


Darted: Farrell spied a gap in the Aussie defensive line and scooted through for England’s second try


Yarde ahead: England winger Marland wreaks havoc on the Australia defence


Yarde ahead: England winger Marland wreaks havoc on the Australia defence



It also means England will face a physical Argentina in six days’ time at Twickenham with renewed confidence and an expectation of an improved performance before facing an All Black side promising retribution for last year’s incredible defeat.


If this year proves to be ‘defining’ as Stuart Lancaster hopes, beating Australia is most certainly a start.  


Dynamic: Israel Folau skipped through Chris Ashton


Dynamic: Israel Folau skipped through Chris Ashton’s tackle for the break that led to Australia’s only try



So close: Mike Brown just So close: Mike Brown just lost a race to the ball in the in-goal to put the result beyond doubtthe race to the ball in the in-goal to put the result beyond doubt


So close: Mike Brown just lost a race to the ball in the in-goal to put the result beyond doubt




Inspiration: Former England players and coach Sir Clive Woodward paraded the World Cup at Twickenham before the match to mark 10 years since the triumph in Sydney against the Wallabies


Inspiration: Former England players and coach Sir Clive Woodward (pictured) paraded the World Cup at Twickenham before the match to mark 10 years since the triumph in Sydney against the Wallabies











Comments (111)


Share what you think



The comments below have not been moderated.





mikepc3,


Manchester, United Kingdom,


1 day ago


One of the few Rugby matches i have watched, also one of the last. What a dreadful match, it sent me to sleep nearly!





peejoy,


Nottingham,


1 day ago


Farrell’s kicking is terrible. He persists in toe ending it torpedo style which is hopeless, compare with Johnny Wilkinson’s upright round the corner kicking which was very accurate.





red dragon,


london,


1 day ago


This is for Frothy , Billy the Fish and any other English trolls.According to the IRB there are 1,182.602 male players of all ages playing rugby union in England. This figure is disputed by Sport England who say that it is 170, 000. These figures are bolstered by a large number of English rugby league players who can also swap codes to play for England. In Wales the IRB say that 69,073 players of all ages play rugby union in Wales. This is also disputed. There are also a small contingent of league players.





Dutch Ovens,


Still stuck here…,


1 day ago


I rarely bother with Rugby League as it doesn’t overly inspire me so I don’t go on their forum. Can somebody tell me whether our lowest common denominators go on their bit to try and pump up our game or perchance don’t we care whether they like it or not?





MattBrown13,


London, United Kingdom,


2 days ago


Who the hell did these ratings? Shocking.






Mr Orange,


Down South, United Kingdom,


2 days ago


Must say I agree. That much favoured DM word ‘hilarious’ seems apt.





Zworm,


WashDC,


2 days ago


Farrell is still a liability and his kicking is not that great. I did not see the great dominance of the English pack that the DM talks about and the English line out was a shambles. Brown was fantastic Robshaw and the English loose forwards did a great job. A work in progress.





love rugby league,


UK,


2 days ago


Great stats for the match yesterday!


Check it out in today’s dm.


How do you actually manage to make no metres from 3 runs. That’s before we get to a forward making no tackles!





Feral Pigeon,


North of England, United Kingdom,


2 days ago


One stat I like is 82000 at the union friendly and 24000 at the league world cup game. Millions watching the union game around the world with Australia and northern England watching the league! Why is that if league is so superior? :D






Howard,


London, United Kingdom,


2 days ago


Rugby League………yawn……….





Total Dismay,


Stafford, United Kingdom,


2 days ago


I don’t suppose the Aussies will say anything about the several “off the ball” crimes they committed through the game one of which was witnessed by both the ref and the touch judge and both said and did, nothing. For a country that accuse us of whinging, they appear to do a lot of it themselves.





Davy Boy,


Halifax, United Kingdom,


2 days ago


Well done England, beating a bunch of third rate Aussies only one of whom would get in the Kangeroos team. One day the penny will drop that the vast majority of the best athletes in Australia play League or Rules and Union is left with the rest. I think the Wallabies do well to stay competitive considering they are living off scraps when it comes to playing personnel.





Feral Pigeon,


North of England, United Kingdom,


2 days ago


Its like the opposite of England





Dutch Ovens,


Still stuck here…,


1 day ago


One day Davy Boy maybe, but you and I will be long dead so don’t hold your breath.





Feral Pigeon,


North of England, United Kingdom,


2 days ago


Congratulations England! Winning with new combinations and not at the top of your game us a great sign. I’m expecting a good show against the Argies and then to push but fall short against the AB who are on a different planet right now. Its also more evidence if it were needed that the summer lions were not a classic lions team to be remembered with the greats!!!



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Article source: http://www.examiner.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/old-crossleyans-set-rugby-union-5835441


England 20 Australia 13: Robshaw and Farrell tries secure a spirited but ...
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