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SYDNEY - Rugby gloom spread across the Tasman as Australians awoke to an all-too-familiar scenario today.
"Same old story: England's Dad's Army ruin our World Cup again," Sydney's Sunday Telegraph's lead sports headline said in the wake of the Wallabies' 10-12 quarterfinal loss to England.
It was more of the same inside its sports section as fans digested the loss on a grey Sydney morning.
"Outsmarted, outmuscled, out of France: General Jonny and his Dad's Army bash Wallabies out of World Cup as hoodoo strikes again."
That "hoodoo" stretches back to Rob Andrew's dropped goal to bundle Australia out at the same quarterfinal stage in 1995, and Jonny Wilkinson's matchwinning dropped goal in the final four years ago.
There were few excuses as England defied the pundits, wrote the Telegraph's Peter Jenkins.
"They were written off as one-dimensional, a band of ageing warriors who would fail to go the distance against a Wallabies side determined to take revenge.
"But England were having none of it as their forwards ran rampant to pay the platform for a stunning two-point victory."
Television pictures of a sobbing Wallabies first five-eighth Stephen Larkham, ruled out of the match with a knee injury, dominated Sunday news bulletins.
"Rugby fans are still shaking their heads in disbelief this morning...," Fox Sports' report began.
Sydney's Sun-Herald focused heavily on the England hoodoo.
"Not again: Wilkinson boots Wallabies out of World Cup," its main headline said.
Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock was pictured on the Sun-Herald's back page bellowing in frustration as his side's chances slipped away.
"Four years ago it was one dropped goal which broke Australian hearts and last night Jonny Wilkinson booted four penalty goals to send the Wallabies packing from the World Cup," the Sun-Herald's Rupert Guinness wrote.
- NZPA
