These are grim times for Australia. Outfought and outthought at the fag-end of a trying season, their annus horribilis ended in dismal fashion. The numbers tell the story – six straight defeats by England, nine losses in 2018 and their worst calendar year for more than half a century. Michael Cheika had called for some Aussie swagger but the daggers will be out again after this.
Australia’s Michael Cheika fury over ‘ridiculous’ Owen Farrell tackle
Yes, they can feel aggrieved they were not awarded a penalty try on the stroke of half-time and they do deserve credit for taking advantage of England’s lapse in concentration towards the end of the first half. Israel Folau’s first try was a delight too but individual glimmers of brilliance do not mask deficiencies that clearly run deep. Cheika conceded England were worthy winners but did not hold back over the Farrell incident, describing the decision as “ludicrous”.
It is hard, however, to remember a more abject, error-strewn performance from Australia here at Twickenham and it must be said that England really were not at their best in a strange game that could not escape the end-of-season feel to it. Nonetheless, it goes down as the Wallabies’ second worst defeat by England – 12 months after their heaviest.
How much did the hotel scandal affect them? David Pocock’s absence was more telling – for they were blasted at the breakdown – but certainly news of the disciplinary action taken against Kurtley Beale and Adam Ashley-Cooper did not help. Australia started woefully and had no comeback when Kyle Sinckler was screaming: “You’re all fucking snitches, anyway,” soon after half-time in an apparent reference to Australia’s senior leadership group informing Cheika of their teammates’ misdemeanour after losing to Wales. Perhaps it was no coincidence England ran away with things thereafter.
On Friday, Cheika and his captain, Michael Hooper, to their credit, fronted up well, but for the head coach to say that his team are “eight tenths of the way there overall” looks optimistic now. Inside the first two minutes they were a try down when Dane Haylett-Petty was charged down. Will Genia, winning his 100th cap, flung a pass inside his own 22 into thin air, Bernard Foley did likewise to Joe Maddocks near halfway, the scrum went backwards fast and penalty after penalty was conceded at the breakdown. It was nothing short of shambolic.
Then, they started to play. Haylett-Petty had a try ruled out for a forward pass – it was the right call, if the roundabout way to get there from Jaco Peyper – but it was a warning England did not heed. Folau, hitherto on the periphery, picked a gorgeous line and stepped his way past flailing England defenders and suddenly Australia were in the ascendancy. They were unlucky to not go in at half-time ahead – Peyper ruling that Izack Rodda had dipped his shoulder into another no-arms tackle from Farrell – and at the interval it was the Wallabies with a spring in their step. “They just need a small opening of light, a small opening of hope and they find a way,” said England’s defence coach, John Mitchell, during the week. At half-time his words certainly rang true.
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But England seized the initiative in the second half and Australia were clinging on. It was no surprise to see Hooper scrambling back to deny Joe Cokanasiga his second try of the match – the captain is vital to their future and it is apparent Cheika wants to build his side around him. “It has been a tough year, we’ve learned a hell of a lot,” said Hooper.
He will come in for criticism from former players and coaches but it is hard to see Cheika ditched before next year’s World Cup, and it must be said he made huge improvements within 12 months before the 2015 tournament. Indeed, it was left to Eddie Jones to be the voice of reason, providing a pithy assessment of Australia’s domestic struggles, where money is tight and playing resources are spread too thinly. “You can criticise the coach but if the system is not right, you have to look at the system,” he said. “If you have a centralised system for a small player pool you can be a very good team but Australia don’t have that. That advice is for free.”