Oh dear

Gone

I can't wait to see how Eastmond handles things today off the bench. He is a major prospect in the game and shows sparks of great talent. I kinda wanted him to start at 7 today, but fully accept that he has not had much of a run there.
It will have to be a tight, forward battle for us to stand any chance today, controlling field position with a good kicking game. Head says not a chance, but my heart really believes we can do em today.

I think England can win today but it's a tough game for this team. Sure, there is some flair in there and if things go their way then who knows? The bigger worry is that Aus will be desperate for a big game today - not just a win. They will all want to prove a point. Shame it could be England in the firing line!! Fingers firmly crosssed, though!

IMO we took a better squad to Oz last year to the current selection and we got brutally humiliated – barring a small miracle I can’t see anything but the same today.

I'm hoping last year was a blip. The squad clearly played far beneath themselves, which happens sometimes and has been seen often enough at club level. The year before, the squad played above themselves. Hopefully, TS can turn them around - he did the same at Leeds with a year of poor play later reversed so you have to believe he can do it again. The Wales game didn't give a lot of hope though.....

Our forwards look good with the exception of Westwood who has bad hands and not up to this level. The backs look weak right across the field. Smith should be the full back, however as moving to Union should not be in squad. McGuire will need to buzz and Eastmond has class off the bench. Our game plan is obviously bash up the middle, but all they have to do is go out wide and our defense will be in trouble. I also have concern for fielding their high kicks to the corners. However i will still be cheering them on

Come on England!!!

Looking forward to this now hope its a cracking game

Well this is fun!!

How silly of me

Oh dear.

Pack standing up, particularly in defence.

Roby poor - appeas rushed and error prone.

Backs just not up to this standard of rugby league.

Tompkins flat footed and has no one offering him any options.

Smith and Shenton garbage.

Boys against men.

New Zealand will be a repeat of this.

Tompkins off, Eastmond on.

It seems as if we have two different teams today, the first half team – clueless, inept and clumsy.

Then the team that turned out for the second half – organised, clinical and competitive.

Mcguire was awful. Good come back but England attack shape is still clueless

Much better second half performance with aspects to be optimistic about. Sinni and Burgess were the best players IMO for England. The right hand side looked stronger in the second half and I would play Smith and Eastmond again next week. Tomkins knocked socks off Myler's performance last week and was creating in the second half.
Crabtree deserves a position in next week's team.

He was a real highlight. The giant props that do well at club level often get exposed at internationl level, but he's as agile as they come as a prop. Must have offloaded on half his carries.

Next week:

Briscoe
Smith
Eastmond
Shenton
Hall
Myler
Tomkins
Morley
Roby
Graham
Peacock
Ellis
Sinfield

McGuire/Carvell
Burgess
Westwood
Crabtree

Word of caution on Tomkins. Now the Aussies and Kiwis have a bit of video on him he needs to find something different to his step off the left foot back to the right because he might find a big nasty antipodean forward waiting for him.

You mean passing?

the non exsistant organisation at pivot, no option runners and people being clattered in posission is embarrasing to watch. All off the cuff stuff which doesn't cut it

Psssst The game is over 80 minutes my friend.

Not the drubbing or loss of credibilty that some on here had hoped for.

Interesting comment in the piot match interviews..we dropped the "system" at half time and nilled them

Psst. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Most of what I said stands up.

If England were better in the second half how much of that was down to the Australians having the game won in the first.

It was looking every bit as embarrassing as last year at the mid point.

Dave Woods needs a reality check if he thinks the Aussies took part after the break.

Chance one gone role on next week.

Tony Smith should not be tempted to drop McGuire. Not his best game but he was horribly exposed in the first half without a second row defending in the right side channel.
I'd still have Smith either at FB or Wing. Tom Briscoe showed up like a kid with only a handful of games at SL level. One for the future maybe, but not yet.

I was unsure what Roby was doing still on the pitch for much of the second half with Sinfield playing 9 (and doing it rather well).