The belief that England could defeat Australia for the first time since 1995 was crushed by the way the Kangaroos easily outsmarted and overpowered Wayne Bennett’s sideIt’s the hope that hurts the most. The anticipation and the creeping belief that England can finally knock off Australia, rugby league’s answer to the all-conquering All Blacks.Even with the return of the talismanic Sam Burgess and the appointment of the master coach Wayne Bennett, with nearly half of their team now playing in the elite NRL competition and not on home shores in Super League, they have again fallen agonisingly short. Related: Australia simply too good as England denied place in Four Nations final Continue reading...
Rob Howley defends his team after 32-8 rout by Australia but it was not until the final 15 minutes that they showed real creativityWales identified the need to work on the athleticism and dexterity of their tight five after their summer whitewash by New Zealand. They involved their four regions to raise the general skill level of the national squad but a 12th successive reverse to Australia, and their second heaviest home defeat by the Wallabies, showed they remain more comfortable manhandling than ball-handling.Wales used nine tight-five forwards on Saturday and they carried the ball between them for a total of eight metres compared with their opponents’ 76. They have won only three of their last 12 internationals and in...
The Kangaroos’ 14-8 win over New Zealand was their fourth under the experienced coach as they took another step towards the Four Nations titleBarring a huge upset against England in London next weekend, Australia have booked their place in the Four Nations final with a 14-8 victory over New Zealand.Who can stop this Australia side? Since Mal Meninga has come on board theKangaroos have romped to four straight wins, three over the Kiwis and one overminnows Scotland. They have racked up 110 points and conceded just 26 in anumber of dominant performances in both hemispheres. Related: Australia defy New Zealand grandstand finish for Four Nations triumph Continue reading...
Wales’s crushing 32-8 defeat was their 12th in succession against Australia and the performance among their worstA sharp start to the season, this, and a defeat that stung like the autumn weather. Australia had lost seven of the 10 games they had played this season, three to England, three to New Zealand, another to South Africa. There was a thought that they were weaker than they had been in a while but the Wallabies poured cold water all over it. They have now won their last 12 Tests against Wales, a run started way back in 2008. It already felt like Wales had lost to them in pretty much every which way a team can; undone by penalties, drop goals,...
Wales have lost their past 11 matches against Australia and while the Wallabies are not as strong as a year ago, the hosts must keep their heads in closing stagesAustralia’s matches against Wales have come to be a victory of mind over matter. No matter how much time the Wallabies spend on the back foot, trying to disengage from a scrum or checking their body parts after a rampaging run by Jamie Roberts or George North, they keep their heads so that when a game nears its end, with lungs bursting and legs aching, they have the wherewithal to fashion the decisive play.The Wallabies have snatched victory at the last over Wales too often for it to be a coincidence....