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Stuart Lancaster says England’s single-minded approach beat Australia Stuart Lancaster says England’s single-minded approach beat Australia
(about 3 hours later)
England ended a run of five successive defeat against tier one nations by defeating next year’s World Cup group rivals Australia 26-17 at Twickenham, with Stuart Lancaster warning England’s rivals that they will be stronger in 2015 with a number of players returning from injury. The head coach has been without Manu Tuilagi, Alex Corbisiero, Dan Cole, Tom Youngs, Geoff Parling, Joe Launchbury and Tom Croft this month but they should all be available for the Six Nations campaign, while England’s lack of direction behind the scrum has been solved in the last two weeks by the promotion of George Ford at fly-half.England ended a run of five successive defeat against tier one nations by defeating next year’s World Cup group rivals Australia 26-17 at Twickenham, with Stuart Lancaster warning England’s rivals that they will be stronger in 2015 with a number of players returning from injury. The head coach has been without Manu Tuilagi, Alex Corbisiero, Dan Cole, Tom Youngs, Geoff Parling, Joe Launchbury and Tom Croft this month but they should all be available for the Six Nations campaign, while England’s lack of direction behind the scrum has been solved in the last two weeks by the promotion of George Ford at fly-half.
“It was better to finish with a victory than a defeat, but we still have a lot to work on,” Lancaster said. “It was an intelligent performance and that was a critical difference between the first two weeks. We were smarter and the forwards created the platform for us to get the victory.“It was better to finish with a victory than a defeat, but we still have a lot to work on,” Lancaster said. “It was an intelligent performance and that was a critical difference between the first two weeks. We were smarter and the forwards created the platform for us to get the victory.
“We may have been under pressure externally but we were really solid internally. We believed in our plans and we had a single-minded approach to the game. We have seven Lions and Joe Launchbury returning from injury in the next few weeks and what we have developed is our strength in depth.”“We may have been under pressure externally but we were really solid internally. We believed in our plans and we had a single-minded approach to the game. We have seven Lions and Joe Launchbury returning from injury in the next few weeks and what we have developed is our strength in depth.”
It was Australia’s third successive defeat having started their tour with a narrow victory over Wales and it ended arguably their worst year in the professional era. Ewen McKenzie resigned as head coach less than a week before the squad flew out and Michael Cheika took over with no time to prepare.It was Australia’s third successive defeat having started their tour with a narrow victory over Wales and it ended arguably their worst year in the professional era. Ewen McKenzie resigned as head coach less than a week before the squad flew out and Michael Cheika took over with no time to prepare.
“There is a long way to go until the World Cup and our next target is Wales in Cardiff in February,” said Lancaster. “Considering it was their fifth match of a tour which started with the Barbarians, it says a lot for Australia that they were able to take us to the wire. They will be better next year, but I expect us to be as well.”“There is a long way to go until the World Cup and our next target is Wales in Cardiff in February,” said Lancaster. “Considering it was their fifth match of a tour which started with the Barbarians, it says a lot for Australia that they were able to take us to the wire. They will be better next year, but I expect us to be as well.”
Lancaster cited Ford as another difference from the start of the month. The Bath pivot replaced Owen Farrell against Samoa last week and again gave England direction behind the scrum, significantly their kicking game.Lancaster cited Ford as another difference from the start of the month. The Bath pivot replaced Owen Farrell against Samoa last week and again gave England direction behind the scrum, significantly their kicking game.
“George’s emergence this month has been a real bonus,” he said. “He missed a couple of kicks at goal, but his tactical kicking was accurate and we have learned a lot when it comes to selection for the Six Nations. Anthony Watson has taken his chance on the wing and we have the likes of Manu Tuilagi, Luther Burrell and Kyle Eastmond to come back into contention behind. The World Cup will take care of itself when it comes around.”“George’s emergence this month has been a real bonus,” he said. “He missed a couple of kicks at goal, but his tactical kicking was accurate and we have learned a lot when it comes to selection for the Six Nations. Anthony Watson has taken his chance on the wing and we have the likes of Manu Tuilagi, Luther Burrell and Kyle Eastmond to come back into contention behind. The World Cup will take care of itself when it comes around.”
Twickenham has not been among Australia’s favourite grounds in recent years, a place where their scrum tends to disappear and they were crushed in the set-piece again, England’s second try coming from a pushover. “We need to get competition for places to drive up the quality in that area,” said Cheika. “Some of the penalties we conceded there were fair enough, but others were more open to interpretation. To get that rub of the green in future we need to improve and perhaps we are being too honest. Twickenham has not been among Australia’s favourite grounds in recent years, a place where their scrum tends to disappear and they were crushed in the set piece again, England’s second try coming from a pushover. “We need to get competition for places to drive up the quality in that area,” said Cheika. “Some of the penalties we conceded there were fair enough, but others were more open to interpretation. To get that rub of the green in future we need to improve and perhaps we are being too honest.
“We know what we are going to face in the World Cup: scrums, mauls and bombs. We have to make sure we are up to speed. We came back well in the second-half against England after being poor in the first. We could have taken the lead seven minutes from the end with a third try if a pass had been made.”“We know what we are going to face in the World Cup: scrums, mauls and bombs. We have to make sure we are up to speed. We came back well in the second-half against England after being poor in the first. We could have taken the lead seven minutes from the end with a third try if a pass had been made.”
It was a victory over a major southern hemisphere nation, but also against one below England in the world rankings. “If we had lost it would have lingered in the mind for a while,” said their captain, Chris Robshaw. “We can enjoy tonight and look forward to the warm reception we will receive in Cardiff.”It was a victory over a major southern hemisphere nation, but also against one below England in the world rankings. “If we had lost it would have lingered in the mind for a while,” said their captain, Chris Robshaw. “We can enjoy tonight and look forward to the warm reception we will receive in Cardiff.”