Humiliating loss spur for England to regain respect

BAGSHOT - The glory of beating Australia to win the World Cup a year ago has already been supplanted in the England team's collective memory by the 51-5 defeat to the Wallabies seven months later.

England, without half their World Cup team through injury, retirement and necessary rest, arrived in Brisbane on the back of successive defeats by the All Blacks and were blown away.

Defensive coach Phil Larder, while accepting the squad were "running on empty" on that tour after months of post-World Cup celebrations, is nevertheless out for revenge at Twickenham on Sunday.

"June 26 was probably the most humiliating experience I have had as a coach and most of the players will say the same," the experienced former league coach said yesterday.

"One of the things we vowed when we met up on the [recent] training days was that it would be payback time for Australia. They were a team who really showed us up and we have looked to the weekend as a time when we can get our respect back."

Larder, however, remains full of admiration for the Wallabies, even though it is their turn to lose key players at the end of a long, hard season.

"For me this is a massive game, far bigger than last weekend [a 32-16 win against South Africa]," Larder said. "I think the Australian back division, even the one coming to Twickenham, is the most exciting in world rugby.

"They ask tremendous questions and they destroyed us last time they played us."

The June defeat was England's first against Australia in six games going back five years, but coach Andy Robinson said that every one of the five previous victories had to be hewn from stone.

"As a team they constantly stick together and keep going until the very last second, whatever the situation," he said.

"They are always looking for a weakness. They test you at the lineout, at the scrum, with their attacking play, and they will even test the referee. We have got to be able to concentrate, absorb that, but also be able to hit them back.

"In 2002 [when England won a November meeting 32-31] we had an awesome first 40 minutes, but just after halftime we were 14 or 15 points down.

"Any linebreak or turnover, they can score.

"When we were humiliated in the summer they scored when we had a lineout and gave away a free kick for not forming. It was an instant turnaround; they are that ruthless."

Robinson said talk of England dominating the scrum on Sunday was misguided - and not just because the game will be refereed by New Zealander Paul Honiss, who as a vocal touch judge did so much to penalise the England front row in the World Cup final.

"Australia have an astute way of scrummaging. We have to anticipate and react to what they do to make sure it is a real contest there.

"In the Tri-Nations they put South Africa under massive pressure at times. The more games the front row have played together the better they have got."

- REUTERS