Autumn internationals: England v Australia
Martin Johnson must have watched Australia’s superb performances against New Zealand and Wales sporting a decisively worried look on his face.
The England head coach knows how important it’ll be to get off to a positive start at Twickenham this Saturday to stand any chance of surviving the inevitable onslaught from the in-form Wallabies.
After the All Blacks stormed into a 14-0 lead last weekend, Johnson is keen to avoid a repeat start this weekend.
"We can't do that again this week against Australia," he said. "You can't let a team like that get a jump on you as they are very good.
"Our reaction needs to improve, we need to react quicker. These are fixable things, and we need to fix them before the weekend."
Seven years ago, Johnson inspired England to World Cup glory in Sydney in what would prove his proudest hour as a player. Fast forward to June 2010 and the former lock enjoyed his finest moment as a coach after beating the Aussies in Sydney during the mid-year Tests.
But this weekend’s match promises to be another stern challenge for the 40-year-old. After losing to New Zealand last weekend – albeit not by the large margin some had predicted – Johnson has his work cut out to record a better result against a national team he regards as even more formidable than the All Blacks.
However, there were reasons for Johnson to be optimistic after last Saturday’s 26-16 defeat. Barring the slow start, England began to fight their way back into the tie and eventually played to their strengths.
The scrum will be the main area the hosts will be confident of controlling at HQ this weekend. Dan Cole and Andrew Sheridan worked well together against New Zealand and will have the additional support of Dylan Hartley, who replaces Steve Thompson.
But in all other areas, they’re likely to be severely tested by Robbie Deans’ side – particularly at the breakdown and in the wider areas where England have been particularly vulnerable of late.
With the likes of James O’Connor, Matt Giteau and Quade Cooper to name but a few, Australia have a squad bursting with talent and are undoubtedly the stronger team on paper.
This won’t unnerve the English on home territory, though. On their day, Johnson’s men are a match for any side, and if they can assert their dominance and display their attacking intent then they stand a chance.
Like Johnson, Deans has made just one change to his starting line-up for this weekend’s international. Hooker Stephen Moore returns to the Wallabies XV after recovering from a back strain that kept him out of the last Test - a timely boost for the southern-hemisphere side, who will need to be strong in the scrum against England.
The Australia boss was happy with his team after they beat Aviva Premiership champions Leicester Tigers in mid-week hailing the 26-15 win as "fantastic", but will be left delighted should his team overcome the challenge of England in front of an expectant home crowd.
A scenario that looks just as likely as miserable weather at Twickenham this weekend.
Prediction: Australia to win by 15-20 points
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