Coach Martin Johnson wants further improvement from England
England head coach Martin Johnson has challenged his players to improve on the level of performance that they showed in their 35-18 win over Australia on Saturday 13 November.
Johnson will hope that England can reproduce similar performances for their remaining two Tests in the Autumn Internationals against Samoa and the Springboks.
Speaking at a press conference Johnson said, "The minute you start patting yourself on the back in rugby union, you come unstuck. We have to go out and perform [like this] every week—that is what we need to get better at."
The victory against Australia equalled England’s largest win over the Wallabies and was their second win over Australia in a row.
"It was a good performance, a really good reward for all the work the guys have put in. It is tough when you put the work in and you aren't getting the wins. It can be a little disappointing, more than a little disappointing."
Johnson was pleased with his team’s reaction after their loss of 16-26 to the All Blacks on Saturday 6 November.
The English coach praised his players for their performance and was adamant that the win (over Australia) demonstrated that some of the younger players were progressing and adapting to international rugby.
"I am really happy for everyone. A lot of guys played very well today and a lot of our younger guys took a big step forward in their development."
The England coach suggested that his team’s performance and tactics may have taken the Wallabies by surprise.
"We got on top of them and subdued them. Maybe they weren't expecting us to play how we did. That is what you work for, for days like this."
The England coach is hoping that his team maintains their good form for the World Cup next year.
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