After England lost the opening Test of the Ashes 26-6, Peter Smith, Sam Brocksom and Sam Cook discuss what went wrong for Shaun Wane's side on this week's Serious About Rugby League Show.
00:00I think it was attitude. I think there was almost a bit too much respect and I kind of want to say the occasion got to them a little bit. I think both teams were very scrappy. I think that's also one of the worrying things. Australia have clearly got a lot. They've got a big jump to make. And obviously England do as well. But I think Australia, I'm not sure, really got that much out of second gear.
00:28I think the first half, you'd say, was competitive. And then the Reece Walsh makes the break on their first set. And I think heads kind of went from that point. It was Sean Wynne. I'm almost 100% certain Sean Wynne's halftime message was we complete our first set. Well, probably our first three sets of the second half and we pin them in and make it really hard. And Reece Walsh makes 80 metres on the first tackle. And then the score, I think two sets after that.
00:56And I think from that point, England didn't have a chance. I mean, they created stuff in the first half. Reece Walsh makes a couple of good reads. Tom Johnson kicks a little bit long.
01:07And they're marginal things. So it's not a complete write-off. But I think Australia didn't fear England at all. I was watching from home. I watched from the BBC and Nathan Cleary's first words after the match was,
01:23it was fun. And if you're the halfback for Australia, the best player in the world, England have got a job to go and kind of rough him up and let him know that he's playing a series on English soil and that he's not going to have it easy.
01:35And for him, it felt like he wasn't obviously, I mean, he wasn't the most influential player, but he and most of the spine players didn't really get a big shot landing on him.
01:46And it felt like almost like it was an exhibition for Australia. Oh, we'll go have a day out at Wembley and we'll kind of just go through the motions.
01:53And that's how it felt to me. And I think it does sound a little bit archaic in thinking style, but nobody really went and put a huge shot on him.
02:03I think you need to kind of earn the respect of Australia and do it with a massive shot that makes them think twice.
02:13And I'm not sure at any point that happened. I think Herbie Farmuth went after it.
02:17But obviously as a century, he's not one of the big pack guys, but I'm not sure that many others really went after it.
02:26Maybe that's because Australia are so good, but I'm not sure that there was the intensity needed for an Ashes game.
02:32What was built up wasn't delivered on the pitch.
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