What a treat is was for English sports fans yesterday with the England football, rugby union and cricket teams all in action yesterday, against Russia, Australia and Sri Lanka respectively.
Whereas the footballers put in a great performance against Russia and drew, the rugby union team put in a highly impressive performance against Australia and won, to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The Six Nations champions, who have been impressive ever since the Australian Eddie Jones became their coach in November - he was coach of the Australia side that lost against England on home turf in the 2003 World Cup final - stunned their hosts by not only winning in Brisbane for the first time ever but also scoring the most points they have ever scored against one of the Southern Hemisphere powerhouses in the Southern Hemisphere.
Before the match, the English declared that they would go at the Aussies with ferocity and aggression, much like the infamous "Bodyline" Ashes series between the two nations' cricketing sides in 1932-33, and they did just that.
After an abysmal World Cup on home turf last year which eventually led to coach Stuart Lancaster's dismissal and the appoint of Aussie Eddie Jones, England are suddenly rampant, winning the Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this year and now beating Australia on the Aussies' home patch in the first game of the three-match series.
Once again, England are becoming a force to be reckoned with in world rugby union....
Jonathan Joseph, Marland Yarde and Jack Nowell score tries as Eddie Jones' team secure opening win
The Red Rose go into second match of three-match series with 1-0 lead over their rivals
Australia raced into 10-0 lead before England hit back through Jonathan Joseph, Marland Yarde and Jack Nowell
James Haskell and Owen Farrell put in impressing displays to star in historic victory
By Chris Foy for The Mail on Sunday
11 June 2016
Australia 28-39 England
AUSTRALIA: Tries: Hooper 2, Folau, Kuridrani. Cons: Foley.
Pens: Foley 2.
ENGLAND: Tries: Joseph, Yarde, Nowell. Cons: Farrell 3.
Pens: Farrell 6.
At the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 52,500
England lead the three-match series 1-0
Australia: Folau, Haylett-Petty, Kuridrani, Kerevi, Horne, Foley, Phipps, Sio, Moore, Holmes, Arnold, Simmons, Fardy, Hooper, Pocock.
Replacements: LealiIfano for Horne (29), Frisby for Phipps (78 ), Slipper for Sio (66), Polota-Nau for Moore (57), Kepu for Holmes (58 ), Mumm for Arnold (48 ), Horwill for Simmons (25), McMahon for Fardy (68 ).
Sin Bin: Sio (54).
ENGLAND: Brown, Watson, Joseph, Burrell, Yarde, Farrell, Youngs, M. Vunipola, Hartley, Cole, Itoje, Kruis, Robshaw, Haskell, B. Vunipola.
Replacements: Nowell for Watson (70), Ford for Burrell (29), Care for Youngs (72), Mullan for M. Vunipola (66), Cowan-Dickie for Hartley (72), Hill for Cole (65), Lawes for Kruis (60), Launchbury for B. Vunipola (73).
Attendance: 52,500
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
It began with James Haskell flattening the great David Pocock, to set the tone for England’s ‘Bodyline’ blitz and it ended with a third try to finally finish off the Wallabies and make history.
Never before had England beaten Australia in this city, so that wrong was duly put right.
Never before have the national team scored so many points against one of the powerhouse southern hemisphere nations on this side of the world, so it was a scoreline of monumental significance.
Marland Yarde (left) shows his delight after scoring England's second try during the opening Test against Australia in Brisbane
Yarde (centre) shows his sheer speed on the wing to cross the line to score a try and pile more misery on the watching Australians
Saint Lucian-born England star Yarde (second left) is mobbed by his international team-mates after scoring a crucial try in Brisbane after the 2016 Six Nations Championship winners stunned the Aussies
And never before has there been an English Test series victory here but that is now the realistic target within the reach of Eddie Jones’s side in Melbourne next weekend.
They had talked the talk and on Saturday England walked the walk. They had revealed a belief that victory was theirs for the taking and they were true to all the words of positive intent. They boldly declared that they would target the World Cup finalists with ferocity and aggression and that is exactly what came to pass.
All of a sudden, a place of past pain and suffering was transferred into a stage for English euphoria. Since rugby union went professional in 1995, two previous clashes between these rival nations in Brisbane had generated an aggregate scoreline of 127-15 in Australia’s favour. The Red Rose had been left shredded and tattered in Queensland’s state capital but this time it bloomed, gloriously.
As Jones and his squad have been at pains to point out since beating Wales at Twickenham a fortnight earlier, this would be a step up from anything they have experienced so far under the new regime. The Wallabies are ranked No 2 in the world and England had only ever won in their domain three times in 17 attempts. Make that four now.
This result will reverberate around the game’s global strongholds. While Jones tried to swiftly douse the flaming of raging expectation, his measured and almost downbeat post-match reaction was in stark contrast to his evident jubilation in the coaches’ box at the end, after Jack Nowell touched down in the left corner to quell the Australian resistance once and for all.
The head coach is right to state that England must improve before the second of three Tests but that is not to diminish what they did here.
The game almost precisely followed the tourists’ intended script. Even when they were under the cosh in the opening quarter, as they struggled to come to terms with the pace of Wallaby attacks, England were imposing their physicality on proceedings. Haskell’s monster hit on Pocock in the fourth minute stood out but it was a collective seek-and-destroy exercise.
Coaches and players expressed concern afterwards about faulty defensive alignment allowing the home side to make line-breaks and score four tries to three on the night. However, there was a murderous, primal intensity to the victors’ tackling. The Bodyline concept was also demonstrated in eventual dominance of the scrum, a Herculean effort at the breakdown epitomised by rookie lock, Maro Itoje, and a general, abrasive edge to the pack’s efforts at every flashpoint.
Early on, England were 10-0 down and they would have been in a bleak predicament at half-time if the officials had not contrived to contentiously rule out a wondrous solo try by Bernard Foley, after Michael Hooper and Israel Folau had already gone over for Michael Cheika’s team. However, the confidence generated by a Grand Slam and six victories in as many matches before this tour never waivered.
Yarde places his hand on the red rose emblem as he celebrates his try against the Wallabies in front of the supporters
Jonathan Joseph (far right) is congratulated by Yarde after scoring England's first try of the match in Brisbane, Australia
REMAINING FIXTURES
June 18 - AAMI Park, Melbourne
June 25 - Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Slowly but surely, they found a way back into the contest, initially by capitalising on Australian indiscipline, via the assured right boot of Owen Farrell — who wound up with 24 points after landing nine of his 10 shots at goal. Then pressure earned them a try, out of the blue.
Folau fielded a deep kick and a loose pass inside was fumbled by Foley. The Wallabies’ debutant centre, Samu Kerevi, tried to tidy up, but he also lost the ball and Jonathan Joseph kicked through to score. Farrell converted and a further penalty put England 19-13 up at the break.
Remarkably, Luther Burrell did not even last that long. In a ruthless move designed to bring England more control in attack and defence, Jones replaced the Northampton centre in the 29th minute with George Ford as a tactical change.
Ultimately, it paid off handsomely as the Bath fly-half was an influential presence and the visitors maintained their positive momentum in the second half. From an attacking lineout in the 46th minute, Haskell scorched away from a ruck and had the temerity to sidestep Dane Haylett-Petty before being tackled in the home 22. But the ball was sent right to Ford and his glorious long pass allowed Marland Yarde to score.
England fly-half Owen Farrell kicks a conversion at the end of the first half to ensure the Red Rose were in the lead during the interval
Australia's Tevita Kuridrani (right) fends off a challenge from Yarde during the first Test at Suncorp Stadium
Michael Hooper scored the first try of the match as Australia raced into a 10-0 lead before the visitors hit back
Farrell converted again and his goal-kicking exhibition went on with two more penalties to keep the visitors in command.
Despite the major inconvenience of losing prop Scott Sio to the sin-bin for repeated scrum offences, the Wallabies would not go quietly and Hooper’s second try — expertly engineered by Foley and Folau — kept them in the hunt.
Another prime scoring chance was wasted when Tevita Kuridrani failed to send Folau over from close-range but the centre made amends nine minutes from time. Haskell produced one try-saving tackle near his own line but the attack went on and Kuridrani blasted over.
Another Australian penalty set up a grandstand finish but all the English blood-and-thunder graft gave way to a poetic climax. Danny Care raced clear from a tap penalty, Joe Launchbury kept the move going, Ford kicked cleverly into space and Nowell finished with aplomb.
The lap of honour moments later was richly deserved. This was heroic and historic.
Hooper wins a lineout as he beats England's Maro Itoje to the ball to win possession for his side and start an attack
Jack Nowell scores England's third try to extend his side's lead at the end of the game and ensure the Red Rose claim an opening win
Eddie Jones (left, pictured with England's Australian skills coach for this series Glen Ella) masterminded an impressive win for his side against his fellow countrymen in Brisbane
Whereas the footballers put in a great performance against Russia and drew, the rugby union team put in a highly impressive performance against Australia and won, to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The Six Nations champions, who have been impressive ever since the Australian Eddie Jones became their coach in November - he was coach of the Australia side that lost against England on home turf in the 2003 World Cup final - stunned their hosts by not only winning in Brisbane for the first time ever but also scoring the most points they have ever scored against one of the Southern Hemisphere powerhouses in the Southern Hemisphere.
Before the match, the English declared that they would go at the Aussies with ferocity and aggression, much like the infamous "Bodyline" Ashes series between the two nations' cricketing sides in 1932-33, and they did just that.
After an abysmal World Cup on home turf last year which eventually led to coach Stuart Lancaster's dismissal and the appoint of Aussie Eddie Jones, England are suddenly rampant, winning the Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this year and now beating Australia on the Aussies' home patch in the first game of the three-match series.
Once again, England are becoming a force to be reckoned with in world rugby union....
Jonathan Joseph, Marland Yarde and Jack Nowell score tries as Eddie Jones' team secure opening win
The Red Rose go into second match of three-match series with 1-0 lead over their rivals
Australia raced into 10-0 lead before England hit back through Jonathan Joseph, Marland Yarde and Jack Nowell
James Haskell and Owen Farrell put in impressing displays to star in historic victory
By Chris Foy for The Mail on Sunday
11 June 2016
Australia 28-39 England
AUSTRALIA: Tries: Hooper 2, Folau, Kuridrani. Cons: Foley.
Pens: Foley 2.
ENGLAND: Tries: Joseph, Yarde, Nowell. Cons: Farrell 3.
Pens: Farrell 6.
At the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 52,500
England lead the three-match series 1-0
Australia: Folau, Haylett-Petty, Kuridrani, Kerevi, Horne, Foley, Phipps, Sio, Moore, Holmes, Arnold, Simmons, Fardy, Hooper, Pocock.
Replacements: LealiIfano for Horne (29), Frisby for Phipps (78 ), Slipper for Sio (66), Polota-Nau for Moore (57), Kepu for Holmes (58 ), Mumm for Arnold (48 ), Horwill for Simmons (25), McMahon for Fardy (68 ).
Sin Bin: Sio (54).
Replacements: Nowell for Watson (70), Ford for Burrell (29), Care for Youngs (72), Mullan for M. Vunipola (66), Cowan-Dickie for Hartley (72), Hill for Cole (65), Lawes for Kruis (60), Launchbury for B. Vunipola (73).
Attendance: 52,500
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
It began with James Haskell flattening the great David Pocock, to set the tone for England’s ‘Bodyline’ blitz and it ended with a third try to finally finish off the Wallabies and make history.
Never before had England beaten Australia in this city, so that wrong was duly put right.
Never before have the national team scored so many points against one of the powerhouse southern hemisphere nations on this side of the world, so it was a scoreline of monumental significance.
Marland Yarde (left) shows his delight after scoring England's second try during the opening Test against Australia in Brisbane
Yarde (centre) shows his sheer speed on the wing to cross the line to score a try and pile more misery on the watching Australians
And never before has there been an English Test series victory here but that is now the realistic target within the reach of Eddie Jones’s side in Melbourne next weekend.
They had talked the talk and on Saturday England walked the walk. They had revealed a belief that victory was theirs for the taking and they were true to all the words of positive intent. They boldly declared that they would target the World Cup finalists with ferocity and aggression and that is exactly what came to pass.
All of a sudden, a place of past pain and suffering was transferred into a stage for English euphoria. Since rugby union went professional in 1995, two previous clashes between these rival nations in Brisbane had generated an aggregate scoreline of 127-15 in Australia’s favour. The Red Rose had been left shredded and tattered in Queensland’s state capital but this time it bloomed, gloriously.
As Jones and his squad have been at pains to point out since beating Wales at Twickenham a fortnight earlier, this would be a step up from anything they have experienced so far under the new regime. The Wallabies are ranked No 2 in the world and England had only ever won in their domain three times in 17 attempts. Make that four now.
This result will reverberate around the game’s global strongholds. While Jones tried to swiftly douse the flaming of raging expectation, his measured and almost downbeat post-match reaction was in stark contrast to his evident jubilation in the coaches’ box at the end, after Jack Nowell touched down in the left corner to quell the Australian resistance once and for all.
The head coach is right to state that England must improve before the second of three Tests but that is not to diminish what they did here.
The game almost precisely followed the tourists’ intended script. Even when they were under the cosh in the opening quarter, as they struggled to come to terms with the pace of Wallaby attacks, England were imposing their physicality on proceedings. Haskell’s monster hit on Pocock in the fourth minute stood out but it was a collective seek-and-destroy exercise.
Coaches and players expressed concern afterwards about faulty defensive alignment allowing the home side to make line-breaks and score four tries to three on the night. However, there was a murderous, primal intensity to the victors’ tackling. The Bodyline concept was also demonstrated in eventual dominance of the scrum, a Herculean effort at the breakdown epitomised by rookie lock, Maro Itoje, and a general, abrasive edge to the pack’s efforts at every flashpoint.
Early on, England were 10-0 down and they would have been in a bleak predicament at half-time if the officials had not contrived to contentiously rule out a wondrous solo try by Bernard Foley, after Michael Hooper and Israel Folau had already gone over for Michael Cheika’s team. However, the confidence generated by a Grand Slam and six victories in as many matches before this tour never waivered.
Yarde places his hand on the red rose emblem as he celebrates his try against the Wallabies in front of the supporters
Jonathan Joseph (far right) is congratulated by Yarde after scoring England's first try of the match in Brisbane, Australia
REMAINING FIXTURES
June 18 - AAMI Park, Melbourne
June 25 - Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Slowly but surely, they found a way back into the contest, initially by capitalising on Australian indiscipline, via the assured right boot of Owen Farrell — who wound up with 24 points after landing nine of his 10 shots at goal. Then pressure earned them a try, out of the blue.
Folau fielded a deep kick and a loose pass inside was fumbled by Foley. The Wallabies’ debutant centre, Samu Kerevi, tried to tidy up, but he also lost the ball and Jonathan Joseph kicked through to score. Farrell converted and a further penalty put England 19-13 up at the break.
Remarkably, Luther Burrell did not even last that long. In a ruthless move designed to bring England more control in attack and defence, Jones replaced the Northampton centre in the 29th minute with George Ford as a tactical change.
Ultimately, it paid off handsomely as the Bath fly-half was an influential presence and the visitors maintained their positive momentum in the second half. From an attacking lineout in the 46th minute, Haskell scorched away from a ruck and had the temerity to sidestep Dane Haylett-Petty before being tackled in the home 22. But the ball was sent right to Ford and his glorious long pass allowed Marland Yarde to score.
England fly-half Owen Farrell kicks a conversion at the end of the first half to ensure the Red Rose were in the lead during the interval
Australia's Tevita Kuridrani (right) fends off a challenge from Yarde during the first Test at Suncorp Stadium
Michael Hooper scored the first try of the match as Australia raced into a 10-0 lead before the visitors hit back
Farrell converted again and his goal-kicking exhibition went on with two more penalties to keep the visitors in command.
Despite the major inconvenience of losing prop Scott Sio to the sin-bin for repeated scrum offences, the Wallabies would not go quietly and Hooper’s second try — expertly engineered by Foley and Folau — kept them in the hunt.
Another prime scoring chance was wasted when Tevita Kuridrani failed to send Folau over from close-range but the centre made amends nine minutes from time. Haskell produced one try-saving tackle near his own line but the attack went on and Kuridrani blasted over.
Another Australian penalty set up a grandstand finish but all the English blood-and-thunder graft gave way to a poetic climax. Danny Care raced clear from a tap penalty, Joe Launchbury kept the move going, Ford kicked cleverly into space and Nowell finished with aplomb.
The lap of honour moments later was richly deserved. This was heroic and historic.
Hooper wins a lineout as he beats England's Maro Itoje to the ball to win possession for his side and start an attack
Jack Nowell scores England's third try to extend his side's lead at the end of the game and ensure the Red Rose claim an opening win
Eddie Jones (left, pictured with England's Australian skills coach for this series Glen Ella) masterminded an impressive win for his side against his fellow countrymen in Brisbane
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