England demolish Australia but All Blacks await in Rugby World Cup semi-finals
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By Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer in Oita, Japan
You acquire a World Cup quarter-final by sticking on 40 points onto a team and individuals begin speaking – of what may be, of where of this might end. Folks look and people begin to dream.
That is why the stuff that was mentioned in the aftermath of Englands 40-16 win came in captain Owen Farrell, since his group was held by him in a huddle out on the Oita pitch long after its conclusion all.
It is low-key, this. It is 40 points – 40 points! Do not let it take anything this particular game, from you. Since it was a performance, and it is coming next week. And it is likely to be even better.
Farrell has been older, red-blooded although the pitches are flying in but chilly and unencumbered by fear and doubt in these little minutes that are silent when others crack and wobble.
And he held on to what lots of other Englishmen let go and let fly. A big step but one that has to be followed by other people. Keep something back, as a quarter-final in its own is not anything.
The thousands of white-shirted England fans streaming back towards ramen-shops and the cramped bars of Beppu and Oita skipped into next week the same. A 24-point margin of victory is England in a World Cup playoff game. Never have Australia dropped at this stage or outside. Have they lost by so great a margin to England.
Points seems just like domination. It seems one-sided. So the most impressive component of Englands success was that they pulled it off as much by maintaining the Wallabies by ripping them aside.
England had only a third of their ownership and roughly the same of territory. When Marika Koroibete skinned Elliot Daly on the exterior like a huge brother breezing past his child cousin only for a few moments at the beginning of the second half, did they ever look in any kind of difficulty.
World champions New Zealand have made a habit of winning without too much of this ball. It is all about striking when you have it instead of when it is sideways and slow holding.
England absorbed all Australia can throw at them, which was a significant amount at the moments of each half. In two charms that they felled gold-shirted runners with the kind of enjoyment which makes defence trainers dab away a happy tear.
The stats from the end were remarkable in any sport, let alone one won with 26 points. Twenty tackles 18 from Mako Vunipola, from Sam Underhill. 17 from Farrell, also Jamie George.
No England player in World Cup history had made more than 16 in a game. Tom Curry created just and 16 sneaked into the top five.
Farrell was appropriate. It was a fantastic performance, way more comprehensive than Englands win over the same opponents at precisely exactly the exact identical stage in Marseille less worried than the triumph over Wales about the march into the glory four years back.
The grinds France at the semi-finals of both 2007 and 2003 were feats of cussedness and match control. This was more nasty and quicker and more relaxing at its closing quarter.
It was not flawless. They gave off six fines in the first half, which allowed when their daring approach kept presenting the most generous of offerings to England, Christian Lealiifano to keep his staff.
This was a group that England had defeated six times. In each of the 3 years they also have put at least 18 second-half points on Michael Cheikas guys.
This is a Wallabies team that lacked the ability to play with the cavalier Aussie manner that Cheika wanted.
On occasion there is a a fantastic idea. Waiting a little longer and tucking the ball is flinging it around with expect, by taking two steps prior to each 40, especially when ownership is currently slowing .
If you were able to select a path into a World Cup semi-final you would happily take one which took in Tonga, USA, a Argentina and a group you have cantered past.
However there was much which was correct as enticing because it does intimidating the All Blacks roadblock ahead next Saturday looks.
Curry and Underhill, aged 21 and 23 respectively, have just 30 caps between then. Michael Hooper and david Pocock, 31 and 27, have a total of 182. It was that the kamikaze kids who won that conflict, just as Farrells screen – eight from eight off the tee, a pass of sweet timing to ship Kyle Sinckler crashing out in Manu Tuilagi fashion for the dent that ceased the comeback dead in its tracks – justified Eddie Jones decision to drop George Ford to the seat and shift his skipper inside.
The only error Curry made all day attempted to shake off the hand of this Japanese woman presenting him. When he keeps up this level there will be lots of others.
Farrell has scored 154 points against Australia, more than northern hemisphere player. The prior record was held by Jonny Wilkinson, and all of us remember how that ended.
This is an English tight five who will do all of the things that English tight fives that are old take, and also could do and step and energy as others would never have envisioned. There is speed and menace over the wings from Jonny May and Anthony Watson and a depth on the bench that claims longer.
Farrell grew up in rugby and developed in its own heart. He understands, as does anybody who watched the world champions demolition of Ireland, what would yet go wrong. He understands, whats more, what has to come next.
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