QF1 - Match Thread - England v Australia - 19/10/19 - K/O 08:15 BST

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

Thought I'd get these made nice and early for a few reasons - but one being that we're already now looking ahead to the QFs with several teams having finished their group stage, so it's all heating up for the proper knockout stuff...barring any more disruption.

England



Team: Daly; Watson, Slade, Tuilagi, May; Farrell (capt), Youngs; M Vunipola, George, Sinckler; Itoje, Lawes; Curry, Underhill, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Marler, Cole, Kruis, Ludlam, Heinz, Ford, Joseph.


Australia



Team: Beale; Hodge, Petaia, Kerevi, Koroibete; Lealiifano, Genia; Alaalatoa, Latu, Sio; Arnold, Rodda; Naisarani, Hooper (c), Pocock.

Replacements: Uelese, Slipper, Tupou, Coleman, Salakaia-Loto, White, To'omua, O'Connor.



Venue: Oita
Referee: Jerome Garces
AR1: Romain Poite
AR2: Mathieu Raynal
TMO: Ben Skeen

[Old Man]

Good half for England exploiting the poor game plan from Australia.

[Steffan]

I was expecting better from Australia. The coaches need to have a word asap. Explain that they need to actually hold on to the ball to make ground and not run it from your own 22 if you're gonna just knock it on

[BamBam]

Pretty happy with the first half, first try is how we want to play the phases and the second was ruthless opportunism 

Australia look dangerous with the centres and Beale, but we've generally seen the defensive line bend not break 

Sinckler having a tough time at the scrum, and Garces looks to have it in for him. I'd be making the change to Cole pretty sharpish second half, don't want Sinckler having a moment out of frustration

[Duty281]

Er. Tip tackle.

Not sure how much arms were involved by Pocock underneath either. Surprised the TMO didn't tell the ref to have a second look at that.

Sinckler seems to be struggling in the scrum.

Vunipola also landed on his head...could have been a lot worse than just a penalty in the current climate.

[Guest]

The Australians mucking about in their 22 is scary

[majesticimperialman]

England can be pleased with that at half time. scored 2 try's and conceded none.

Will EJ bring on ford  at the start of the second half in place of slade?

[Guest]

England looking good. They do have a tendency to fade so will be interesting to see if Australia can run them ragged. They’re trying but skills or humidity is letting them down.

[formerly known as Sam]

Er. Tip tackle.

Not sure how much arms were involved by Pocock underneath either. Surprised the TMO didn't tell the ref to have a second look at that.

Sinckler seems to be struggling in the scrum.

I wasn't sure either way about that tackle but certainly should have been looked at ...

Agreed. I don't think we're talking foul play but he did go past the horizontal so it should have been reviewed.

[Heaf]

Pretty happy with the first half, first try is how we want to play the phases and the second was ruthless opportunism 

Australia look dangerous with the centres and Beale, but we've generally seen the defensive line bend not break 

Sinckler having a tough time at the scrum, and Garces looks to have it in for him. I'd be making the change to Cole pretty sharpish second half, don't want Sinckler having a moment out of frustration

Problem is Garces just ignores it when the Oz prop drops his bind ...

[lostinwales]

I'd have Cunderhill ahead of pooper at this point, but there isn't much in it

[Gooseberry]

Who is the British commentator?

Nick Mullins is commentating. Ben Kay is the other English voice providing the insight.

Thanks for that

Pretty sure Shane Williams is British too

[lostinwales]

Pretty happy with the first half, first try is how we want to play the phases and the second was ruthless opportunism 

Australia look dangerous with the centres and Beale, but we've generally seen the defensive line bend not break 

Sinckler having a tough time at the scrum, and Garces looks to have it in for him. I'd be making the change to Cole pretty sharpish second half, don't want Sinckler having a moment out of frustration

Problem is Garces just ignores it when the Oz prop drops his bind ...

Sinckler should go into refereeing post career.

[Duty281]

Good half for England, although it felt most of the time was spent with Garces fussing over the scrum. Australia trying a bit of everything tactically to try to unsettle England.

Curry has been immense, in particular. If England get the next try it should be game over.

[Heaf]

Pretty happy with the first half, first try is how we want to play the phases and the second was ruthless opportunism 

Australia look dangerous with the centres and Beale, but we've generally seen the defensive line bend not break 

Sinckler having a tough time at the scrum, and Garces looks to have it in for him. I'd be making the change to Cole pretty sharpish second half, don't want Sinckler having a moment out of frustration

Problem is Garces just ignores it when the Oz prop drops his bind ...

Sinckler should go into refereeing post career.

That would be interesting

[TightHEAD]

Garces is a disgrace. Stealing a living but a master in guesswork

[BamBam]

Woodward needs to cut the bluster, the game isn't won

[BamBam]

Don't disagree on Sio dropping his bind, but Sinckler isn't getting the decisions. Would take him out of it before it costs us, he'll have better days

[Duty281]

Interesting to see the stats in Aussie’s favour - possession, territory, meters gained, fewer penalties conceded (5-1), more line breaks - but not the most crucial one.

[Steffan]

Pretty sure Shane Williams is British too

Nah...he's Welsh

[Old Man]

Don't disagree on Sio dropping his bind, but Sinckler isn't getting the decisions. Would take him out of it before it costs us, he'll have better days

Sinckler is binding short and pulling down.

[formerly known as Sam]

Pretty happy with the first half, first try is how we want to play the phases and the second was ruthless opportunism 

Australia look dangerous with the centres and Beale, but we've generally seen the defensive line bend not break 

Sinckler having a tough time at the scrum, and Garces looks to have it in for him. I'd be making the change to Cole pretty sharpish second half, don't want Sinckler having a moment out of frustration

Problem is Garces just ignores it when the Oz prop drops his bind ...

I don't think we're stable on the loosehead side either so Sinckler hasn't got much to work with. The Aussie loosehead is pushing his luck.

[Gooseberry]

Don't disagree on Sio dropping his bind, but Sinckler isn't getting the decisions. Would take him out of it before it costs us, he'll have better days

There will be changes fairly soon in the front rows, theyve had a fairly heavy load on the srcums. That suits England who ave a stronger second string front row. Not sure England have been robbed quite as much in the scrum as is being suggested, but Aus will struggle to mantain their slight advantage as the game progresses and even with them getting pinged more than they like its not really killing England. Taking a lot of time off the clock suits them just fine for now.

Im struggling to understand why Australia run three phases from their own 22 but dont take possession in Englands from a penalty. The risk reward balance is all out. Theres still enough of a gap that its almost impossible to win from 3 pointers alone.

[Heaf]

pass looked forwards ...

[BigGee]

Now its game on!

[Steffan]

That's better

[kingelderfield]

Poor kick Youngs.

[tigertattie]

What a run from the winger !!!

[Guest]

Great try that

[majesticimperialman]

Australia strike back first in the second half.

[Duty281]

Game on. England a touch sluggish since May’s second try.

[BigGee]

17-16 England

[formerly known as Sam]

Daly and Slade just get caught flat footed there. Daly really should have done a lot better there.

Very sloppy from England.

[BamBam]

Absolutely burned Daly great try

[Gooseberry]

Awful start from England ...games wide open now!

[Taylorman]

Garces is a disgrace. Stealing a living but a master in guesswork

Well, we did try to say that, but noooo...

[Taylorman]

Cmon oz! Keep it up.

[Heaf]

Nice - just as well he wasn't taken off

[BamBam]

Could be forward..

[BigGee]

What an angle from Sinklair!

[BamBam]

Nice - just as well he wasn't taken off

Ha! No complaints from me

[Gooseberry]

Who said take sinkler off!

[kingelderfield]

Momentum......?

[majesticimperialman]

What a great try for Sinckler who would of thought it.

[Geordie]

Thats the best way to answer it Sinkler!!!

[lostinwales]

A fine run in from the half way line for Sinckler

[BamBam]

That would be me 

[owen10ozzy]

Absolutely pointless kick from Ben youngs! That all began with the 3rd needless kick when we have had ball in hand! Will haunt us if we aren't careful. It's why I'm not a huge fan of Ben. (Although I feel he has his orders)

Thankfully parity is restored...need a big ten mins now. Keep them at bay and add 3 points or so if we can.

Slade looking every bit as rusty as quite a few though he would

[Duty281]

Ah Sinckler’s a centre now. Great response.

[owen10ozzy]

Take the 3!!! My nerves need settling!

[tigertattie]

Wtf are the noises coming out of itoje???

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