England play Australia at Twickenham tomorrow and on the eve of the match the tourists’ coach has done the unthinkable and whined.
Laying to rest the idea that it’s only the Poms who whinge, Aussie coach Michael Cheika has accused England of being big bullies who late tackle his boys.
“They are a big, strong and powerful side,” said Cheika, of an England side that have won their last four Tests against Australia.
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“They will try to bully us. Traditionally that’s the way the game has gone. They try to bully us at scrum, at the lineout and at the ruck – trying to get into us, niggle, trying to get into our half-back after he passes, the 10 after he passes.”
Warming to his theme, Cheika added: “There is so much footage of that. They wait for us to crack. The fact they are unified behind that strategy means we must look them in the eye and take them on if we are going to be able to resist them.”
It’s the latest salvo from an Australian side who suddenly believe they could cause an upset at Twickenham. England’s lethargic 21-8 win against Argentina last week was riddled with errors while the Wallabies looked sharp in beating Wales 29-21. Add to that their 23-18 victory against the All Blacks last month and the evidence suggests that Australia are returning to form.
Australia assistant coach Stephen Larkham suggested earlier in the week that England coach Eddie Jones – ironically, an Australian – will be the only one under pressure tomorrow.
“If you look at the resources they have over here, he’s probably a little bit spoilt from where he’s come from,” said Larkham. “There’s always going to be pressure when you’ve got pretty much unlimited resources around you.”
Describing the facilities and resources available to Jones as “top-class”, in comparison to the cash-strapped Australian set-up, Larkham added: “Pressure comes with that, doesn’t it? When you’ve got all those resources and you’ve had the record you’ve had, that’s the expectation. That’s where the pressure comes from.”
Not surprisingly, Cheika has gone with the same team that beat Wales last week, while for England there are four changes to the XV that laboured to victory over Argentina.
Owen Farrell replaces Henry Slade at inside centre and Anthony Watson has replaced the injured Mike Brown at full-back, with Jonny May starting on the wing.
In the pack, Joe Launchbury comes in for George Kruis in the second row alongside Courtney Lawes, but there’s no place in the starting line-up for Maro Itoje, who has to be content with a place on the bench.
“This is going to be a great challenge, as we know Australia have been in great form towards the end of their season,” said Jones. “Our job is to play good English rugby and to beat Australia.”
England vs. Australia: kick-off time and how to watch it on TV
England take on Australia at Twickenham Stadium tomorrow, with kick-off at 3pm. Sky Sports Main Event will broadcast the match live.
