Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is not being sucked right into a false sense of safety by England’s current underwhelming kind forward of the primary Test in Perth on Saturday, with Eddie Jones having an ominous document towards his residence nation.
Australia’s rugby coach Dave Rennie speaks to the media throughout a press convention on the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on 12 June 2022. Picture: DAVID GRAY/AFP
PERTH – Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is not being sucked right into a false sense of safety by England’s current underwhelming kind forward of the primary Test in Perth on Saturday, with Eddie Jones having an ominous document towards his residence nation.
England had been thumped 52-21 by a French-heavy 14-man Barbarians aspect in a warm-up to their three-Test Australia tour, which got here on the again of a sub-par Six Nations marketing campaign, the place they received simply two of 5 video games.
While England coach Jones admitted they had been nicely crushed by the Barbarians, he fielded an under-strength aspect with the Premiership Final between Leicester and Saracens going down on the identical day.
Rennie pointed to the Premiership thriller, the place either side relied closely on their kicking sport, as a greater signal of what to anticipate than the Barbarians embarrassment.
“(The final) was a bit of a kick-fest and not surprising … that may be an indicator to how England play,” he stated.
“We’re well aware we’re going to get a lot of ball in the air and we’ll be tested, so we’ll pick people who have got the skill-set to deal with that.”
Jones is again on residence soil with a formidable document – since he took cost of the Red Rose brigade following the 2015 World Cup, England have received all eight of their Tests towards Australia.
Rennie admits the series would be the greatest problem of his tenure, kick-starting a 14-Test calendar towards tier-one nations main up the following 12 months’s World Cup in France.
“Winning the series is crucial,” he stated. “We’ve been together for a couple of years now, we reckon we’ve got more in us and we want to get better, but within that you’ve got to find ways of winning.”
He is about to call his group on Thursday, with the Michael Hooper-led aspect largely settled.
AGGRESSIVE AUSSIES
Marika Koroibete and Andrew Kellaway stay favourites to fit onto the wing, though the upcoming kicking barrage from the English might see Jordan Petaia or Tom Wright most popular.
There can also be a battle at fly-half between Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and Noah Lolesio, whereas former London Irish star David Porecki is extensively anticipated to earn his debut as hooker after a stellar Super Rugby season.
With 10 gamers unavailable attributable to harm, Jones recalled highly effective Saracens ahead Billy Vunipola and veteran scrum-half Danny Care, together with eight uncapped gamers, to a touring squad that may be a first rate combine of younger expertise and skilled campaigners.
But they suffered a set-back when Jonny May – second solely to Rory Underwood in England’s record of all-time main try-scorers – examined optimistic for COVID-19 on arrival and was pressured into seven days of isolation.
Jones refused to rule him out, saying that “he’ll be available next Thursday to train, so we’ll have a look to see what he’s like”.
The 69-Test veteran’s expertise could possibly be pivotal with Jones noting that Rennie’s groups “traditionally want to play on the front foot”.
“So it’s going to be about who wins the front foot,” stated Jones, who has but to call a captain with Owen Farrell or Courtney Lawes the seemingly candidate.
“There will be really hard, flat tracks and abusive crowds. They are in the face, the Australians. The media are going to be in our face – they are aggressive,” he added.
They will likely be enjoying for the brand new Ella-Mobbs Cup after the outdated trophy named after British explorer James Cook – the prize for the previous 25 years – was dumped final week.
The new silverware honours Wallabies Indigenous nice Mark Ella and English World War I hero and former captain Edgar Mobbs, who performed within the first Test between the 2 rivals in 1909.
After Perth, the series strikes to Brisbane on 9 July and concludes in Sydney on 16 July.