Australia Wallabies England Twickenham rugby loss, Digi Mart USA News (Twickenham, London): Australia’s rugby union side produced a woeful performance in their defeat to England at Twickenham, one of the poorest displays in recent memory. The result came less than 12 months before Australia host the Rugby World Cup, a tournament that could shape the sport’s future Down Under.
Australia’s visits to Twickenham once struck fear into the home crowd, but the Wallabies now arrive more in hope than expectation. Their 42-37 victory there in 2024 is no longer a guide to what to expect.
The past two visits to south-west London have been desperate experiences for the team, and this time there was no injury-hit squad or outside-the-window scheduling to blame, with Australia shipping a record number of points against England.
The Wallabies showed little of the counterattacking flair they are capable of and few of the ball-carrying thrusts their heavyweight forwards can deliver, at least until the match was effectively over. The team has lacked a fly-half of international quality for more than a decade, leaving them unable to steer the side through difficult away fixtures, and their set piece collapsed.
Assessing the team is difficult without considering next year’s World Cup, and the temptation is to write them off. Australia are the hosts, and the tournament is a generational chance to boost a sport that is struggling.
The result raises doubts about whether Australia will be contenders or also-rans, though many hope this performance proves an aberration.
There were few positives. A pay dispute between the Wallabies and Rugby Australia needs to be settled, and the team still has time to correct its course before the World Cup, including a full Rugby Championship next year.
The next test is against Scotland next week.
Coach Les Kiss’s tactics also drew criticism. Australia could have sought a more open, end-to-end contest, but instead approached the match in a way that kept the game scoreless for long periods.
Until Max Jorgensen’s intercept try on the stroke of half-time, Australia had entered England’s 22 only once, and that lineout error soon cost them possession.
Substitutes Rob Valetini, Taniela Tupou and Filipo Daugunu were held back until the final quarter, by which point England had pulled well clear. Daugunu scored Australia’s second try, and Valetini made some impact, but errors did not decline once the replacements came on.
Fraser McReight, winning his 50th cap, was ineffective at the breakdown, and scrum-half Ryan Lonergan was often slow and frequently kicked too long. Joseph Suaalii was a threat under the high ball, but Australia otherwise barely threatened.
Kiss said, “We just didn’t get our game going at all,” a comment that offers little comfort to supporters.
