Qantas Wallabies 34-3 England - 橄欖球

Wallabies crush England


The Qantas Wallabies put last November's rugby demons to bed with a crushing
34-3 win over England in the Cook Cup match at Telstra Stadium in Sydney.

The new-look Australian team put on a powerhouse display to run over the top
of a gallant English outfit to open the Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series in style
after an uninspiring opening half of play punctuated by a number of handling
errors.

Wallabies head coach John Connolly thought the overall performance of the
Austrailan team was good, despite the shaky opening to the game.
"I think we were very rusty at the start and I think that was obvious," said
Connolly after the match.

"I think a lot more plus came out of it than minus's. We are a new team and
a new coaching team and it was I think that give us a line in the sand where
we can move forward from.

"Before this I didn't think we knew where we were at and now we do and I
think we will improve on that performance considerably."

In contrast, England coach Andy Robinson was bitterly disappointed in his
team's efforts and was frustrated with their inability to convert opportunity
into points.

"The game's about getting over the tryline, isn't it, and unfortunately the
opportunities we created we bombed straight away," he said.

"That's what international rugby's about, it's about taking your chances.
Australia took their chances, took them well, in particular in that first 50
minutes."

Both sides fielded relatively young sides in what was the first step on the
road to the 2007 World Cup and it took a while for the combinations on both
sides to gel.

Australia had the better of the early exchanges and forced the bulk of play
down England's end of the field. Eventually, the pressure told as the
Wallabies put first points on the board through a Stirling Mortlock penalty
after 17 minutes following a ruck infringement from England 30 metres out
from their own line.

Mortlock kicked a second penalty in the 35th minute to push the lead out to
6-nil before England responded through 21-year-old winger Tom Varndell.
Playing in only his second Test, the young flyer made a great break down the
right touchline to take play into the Australian 22.

The English forwards rolled the ball towards the tryline and flyhalf Olly
Barkley grubber kicked into the ingoal where fullback Iain Balshaw charged
through and looked certain to score. But George Gregan was on hand to make a
great ball-and-all tackle and roll Balshaw onto his back - the Third Match
Official (TMO) ruling the ball had been held-up.

England kept up the pressure and was rewarded with a penalty inside the
Wallabies' quarter but Barkley pushed an easy shot wide to leave the score at
6-0.

The Wallabies had a host of chances to put further points on the ball after
making a number of line-breaks but couldn't hold onto the last pass with the
tryline beckoning.

Mortlock kicked a penalty right on half time to make the score 9-0 at the
break.

Barkley and Mortlock exchanged penalties in the opening minutes of the second
half to make the score 12-3 before the Wallabies scored the first try in the
54th minute through fullback Chris Latham.

From a line-out on the England 22, Stephen Larkham threw a great cut out ball
to Mortlock who stepped inside veteran centre Mike Catt before popping a deft
pass for Latham to charge through a gap and race around Balshaw to dive over
adjacent to the posts. Mortlock converted to give the home side a convincing
19-3 lead.

Mortlock added his fifth penalty goal with 13 minutes to go before the
floodgates opened.

From an attacking raid deep inside their own half, the Wallabies cut the
English defence to ribbons - an inside ball from Mortlock putting replacement
winger Clyde Rathbone into the clear. He raced inside England's quarter and
got the ball away to Gerrard who fortuitously toed ahead and dived on the
ball to score the second try of the night. Mortlock converted to make the
score 29-3.

Debutant prop Rodney Blake completed the rout when he found himself out in
the centres after another slick Australian attacking raid and barged his way
over out wide for the host's third try.

Mortlock missed the conversion, but it matter little as the Wallabies opened
their 2006 international campaign in style by decimating the touring English
outfit.


From http://www.rugby.com.au/


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