Much has changed in the 22 years since the last Ashes series but some things remain the same. More than two decades England had waited for this chance to test themselves against the world’s best and while there are two more clashes to come in which Shaun Wane’s men will hope to hit back, there can be no disputing that Australia remain exactly that. This was an imperfect performance in many ways from the world champion Kangaroos and yet still a chasm gaped between the two teams – if England are to win a first Ashes since 1973, they must find a level beyond that which they were capable of here.
The long wait for an Ashes return has much to do with Australian ambivalence towards the international game and while this game crackled and fizzed with an intensity befitting a fine occasion, this was not perhaps a colossal contest of the kind more regularly sighted during the State of Origin series nor the upper echelons of the NRL. A crowd of 60,812 lapped up a welcome comeback, but England struggled to make much imprint on their opposition and failed to do so at all on the scoreboard until four minutes from time, dispiriting those harbouring hopes of a home series success.
It always appeared likely that the Australians would accelerate away, but the margin of their victory had much to do with a virtuoso showing from Reece Walsh. Wembley has witnessed a good number of great fullbacks in its long lineage, but this grand old ground has surely seen few characters like the vibrant 23-year-old, who blends ingenuity with bristling braggadocio in a potent potion.
Player of the match in the NRL Grand Final three weeks ago, the exuberance and energy that make Walsh such a star on the field have sometimes got him in trouble off it – it is not long since the Brisbane Broncos were forced to apologise for an ill-judged social media video showing him lapping water out of a newly-installed latrine. But there is no doubting his star power.
“There is a lot of room for improvement,” Walsh said, sounding an ominous warning after his Kangaroos debut. “We were pretty scrappy out there. We’ve got a lot of world-class players in our team. It’s our first hit-out together, so I’m pretty pleased to get the win. We are all chasing perfection, but that doesn’t mean we are going to get it.”
The thought was that if England were to have a hope of series victory, they had to catch Australia cold in the series opener. Perhaps recognising the need for that fast start, England brought plenty of early physicality, using the imposing Dom Young early and often, the gigantic wing roaming infield to inflict damage on familiar foes from the NRL.
Centre Herbie Farnworth, another of England’s Australian-based stars, flashed too, but a well-drilled Australian defence was not to be easily broken down despite the hosts matching them punch for punch in contact. Indeed, in the opening quarter, neither side threatened much at all, not able to generate sufficient metreage to invoke much peril nor earn repeat sets via the boot on rare forays close to the opposition try line.
It was Australia who broke the stalemate in style. Although shorn of skipper Isaah Yeo after an early blow to the head, their forwards began to truck up with greater venom, sucking in the English line. Numbers away to the right were exploited eagerly by a sweeping band of backs – if an inwards, perhaps forwards toss from an offloading Mark Nawaqanitawase to an onrushing Kotoni Staggs looked slightly suspect, there was nothing suspicious about the gleeful leap from Walsh that finished it off.
It characterised the fullback’s performance. He and Farnworth were involved in a couple of off-ball ding dongs before Walsh intervened to deny what seemed a certain score after Jake Wardle had broken free, shooting out to block the centre’s pass.
It was the sort of all-round display of fullback mastery that Sam Tomkins, regularly patrolling the England backfield in his role as team manager, would have been proud of during his playing days. The home side had their chances – Tom Johnstone’s in-field kick disappearing down a burrow just before terriers Mikey Lewis and Welsby could reel it in – but were unable to register. By contrast, when a tug back on the irrepressible Walsh brought a kickable penalty, Nathan Cleary’s crisp strike extended the Australian advantage.
The fullback sparked the tourists into life immediately after the interval, very nearly going the length of the field on one audacious adventure, and it wasn’t long before a second Australian score arrived – with England on their heels expecting a kick after the fifth tackle, Angus Crichton strolled down Wembley Way untouched for an all-too-easy finish.
With England unable to lift the intensity, the Kangaroos turned the screw, trapping the home side in with canny kicking as the heavens opened before Crichton crossed again. To sum England’s day up, a well put-together play ended with Lewis across the line but only thanks to a knock-on; a matter of moments later, Australia were up the other end scoring legitimately, with Walsh, fittingly, applying the finishing touches. Daryl Clark’s late try ensured England broke their duck, but it was little consolation.
“We were poor,” England head coach Shaun Wane reflected. “I know what these players are capable of, and I don’t think we gave ourselves a chance to win. Australia were the best team, there is no doubt about that. We were desperate to put our best show on today and we didn’t do that. The things that we did wrong are easy fixes. They showed why they are the best team in the world and we have to hold our hands up – we weren’t there today.”
