1
Why England are destined for the World Cup semi-finals
Crunch time is finally upon us.
The World Cup quarter-finals have arrived at long last, and opening the three-week circus of tense, knockout rugby in Japan is a clash between two of the sport’s oldest rivals: England and Australia.
ADVERTISEMENT
Historically, there is little to separate the English and Wallabies at rugby’s showpiece event.
Six times they have faced off against one another since 1987, and both nations have come away with three wins apiece.
Their most famous meeting undoubtedly came 16 years ago at Telstra Stadium in Sydney, where Jonny Wilkinson etched his name into rugby folklore by slotting a last-minute drop goal in extra-time to secure England with their solitary World Cup crown against the then-reigning titleholders in front of their home crowd.
Continue below…
Fast-forward over a decade-and-a-half later, and it’s difficult to envisage Saturday’s encounter in Oita being anywhere near as tightly-contested as that fateful night in 2003.
Eddie Jones, who coached the Wallabies to that ultimately unsuccessful bid for back-to-back World Cup titles, has jumped ship and moulded England into one of a handful genuine candidates capable of claiming the Webb Ellis Cup in two weeks’ time.
Since his arrival in the United Kingdom following his breakthrough World Cup campaign with Japan four years ago, the 59-year-old has led England’s recovery effort from their dismal showing at their home tournament in 2015 astonishingly well.
A pair of Six Nations titles and a record-equalling winning run of 18 consecutive test victories are two accolades that many critics use to measure Jones’ success by during his tenure at the helm of England, but it’s his unblemished record against his nation of birth which will be the main source of concern for Australia.
ADVERTISEMENT
Japan have captured the imagination at this World Cup and they have the talent coming through to keep doing so in the years to come
https://t.co/LOn0shSsl0— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 18, 2019
Six wins from six outings against the Wallabies since June 2016 have helped England’s rise from World Cup busts to legitimate title contenders as much as it has cemented Australia’s status as one of the falling powerhouses of the international game.
They may be two-time World Cup winners, but Michael Cheika’s side have floundered in the test arena since finishing as finalists in 2015, and are a long way off from their world champion predecessors of 1991 and 1999.
That much has been encapsulated over the past 18 months, as the Australians registered just four wins from 13 tests in 2018, extended their Bledisloe Cup drought to 17 years and have failed to set a benchmark performance at this World Cup.
ADVERTISEMENT
After being given a massive fright by Fiji in their opening match of the tournament, the surprise selection of Bernard Foley at flyhalf brought with it a poor first half against Wales, which significantly contributed to their eventual loss in Tokyo.
The return of Nic White and Christian Lealiifano at No. 9 and 10 helped the Wallabies return to the winners’ circle with a 45-10 victory over Uruguay, although that scoreline flattered the victors as the South Americans challenged Australia far more than the 35-point win suggests.
A trial run of Matt To’omua as the chief playmaker in their final pool match against Georgia turned out to be a flop, as while the Wallabies enjoyed a wealth of possession and territory throughout the game, it took two tries to Jack Dempsey and Marika Koroibete in the final five minutes to secure a 27-8 win over the tier two minnows.
That fixture hasn’t left the Australians in good stead for their meeting with England, and with an underwhelming tight five, little consistency in the selection of their halves pairing and the absence of star fullback Israel Folau, who has been replaced by the declining Kurtley Beale, hopes of progression into the tournament’s semi-finals appear to be dim.
Reece Hodge’s return from suspension could bring an extra dimension into the Australian attack through his powerful boot, and the deployment of Michael Hooper and David Pocock as dual opensides should work well against England’s Tom Curry and Sam Underhill, although selecting teenage rookie Jordan Petaia in the midfield rather than at wing reeks of desperation.
By comparison, England’s lineup looks settled, aside from the surprise demotion of playmaker George Ford to the bench.
That’s allowed for captain Owen Farrell to move back to flyhalf, vacating a spot in the midfield which has been snapped up by Henry Slade, who – at this point in time – should have too much experience and guile for the highly-promising Petaia.
Up front, the presence of the robust Kyle Sinckler at tighthead prop and workhorse Maro Itoje outweighs the abilities of their opposites in the Australian pack, while the return of Billy Vunipola at No. 8 will be vital to their chances of victory.
It could be argued that England are yet to be tested at this tournament, with two easy opening fixtures against the United States and Tonga followed by a meeting with a depleted, uninspired Argentine outfit that was without Tomas Lavanini for the majority of that match in Tokyo as a result of his red card.
Pooper against the Kamikaze Kids – it sounds like something a Japanese anime artist might dream up, not the front line battle that could decide the fate of the Australia-England Rugby World Cup quarter-final. #RWC2019 #AUSvENG https://t.co/754ShNXeBp
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 18, 2019
The cancellation of their clash against France due to Typhoon Hagibis has left them with a two-week layoff, but any complacency about Jones’ men being ready and rearing to get back into action would be foolish of the Australians.
Given the magnitude of the occasion on Saturday, it would come as a shock if the Wallabies were in fact underestimating the English in any capacity, especially after the deflating display they made in their last outing against Georgia.
For them, it’s the last chance to send head coach Cheika off in winning fashion after a tumultuous tenure in charge of the national side since the last World Cup.
Standing in their way, though, is an England team who are both primed for a tilt a second-ever world title and will do everything in their power to deny the Australians of a place in the semi-finals.
Strap yourselves in – this won’t be a fixture you’ll want to miss.
DMWJ | Jim breaks down England vs Australia:
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments