It is probably fair to say that into the lead up of this weekend’s final Autumn internationals, the Home Nations had not had a particularly good time of it. Yet, after one blistering and incredible England display, the final international games of the 2012 rugby calendar have left everyone in a buoyant and optimistic mood ahead of the Six Nations competition in the New Year. That is not to say that the feeling is universal, with the likes of Wales and Scotland having suffered painfully and now holding grave causes for concern.
But let us revel in the stunning England victory over New Zealand on Saturday. It was unprecedented, unexpected, but truly magnificent. The stats and history regarding the game make it even more astounding. It was the biggest winning margin an England side has ever had over the Kiwi’s, whilst the All Blacks have only lost by a heavier score on one other occasion in their illustrious 498 Test match career. They were unbeaten in 20 matches and had not lost an Autumn international to European opposition in a decade, whilst this was the first time this century they had not managed to make a mark on the scoreboard before half-time. To say that England defeated the hot favourites is an understatement. The best side in the world won the World Cup in their own backyard in fantastic fashion this time last year and their juggernaut had been just as forceful ever since. Yet England demolished them with a performance of style, power and determination. They were like a rash over the Kiwi’s and were strong enough to withstand the mini revival just after half-time that brought the sides within a point of one another. Three quick tries later and it was going to be one of England’s truly greatest hours, so much so that Matt Dawson described it as the greatest England victory at Twickenham ever. That was some statement.
After a positive honeymoon period during this year’s Six Nations, Stuart Lancaster has recently been on the receiving end of less positive comments from supporters. No-one was calling for his head, but question marks were being held about some of his decision-making and inexperience. Interestingly enough, the same concerns were also directed towards his team as defeats to South Africa and Australia demonstrated that the rollercoaster England fans have endured their team on over the past decade was still in full flow. Long gone are the days of the World Cup winning XV in 2003, this side is full of youthful, fresh individuals looking to make their stamp on the international game. Beating New Zealand has shown that they can be up to the task and that Lancaster could actually be moulding together a great side. Like all successful teams he is going to need time, but Saturday’s performance has provided a fantastic indicator as to the pathway they are on. Now they just need to show they can consistently put on such performances. It is all well and good defeating the All Blacks when you have nothing to lose, but it is against the other Six Nations sides that the next step will either be demonstrated or shown to be a flash in the pan. After what we have seen over the past month, you would have to say that Ireland possesses the greatest threat in the New Year, but England must now fancy themselves and be looking to reclaim the title.
At the heart of this England side now is Manu Tuilagi. The powerful centre may not have been awarded the Man of the Match award on Saturday but he played a pivotal role in the victory, scoring one of the tries and assisting two others as he drove through the Kiwi defence. He is, in my opinion, the key and most impressive member of the side nowadays and has the potential to carry this mantle for some time. But like the rest of his team-mates, he needs to demonstrate a high level of performance consistently before he can be touted as a world-class star. Though, as Dan Carter demonstrated on Saturday, even the best in the world can have a shocker every so often. The highest point scorer in international rugby managed to miss two simple kicks in the match, which at the time could have maybe affected the momentum of the game. Owen Farrell on the other hand, was a picture of composure as he kicked seventeen of the 38 points. The country also used to rely on a certain Mr Wilkinson, could Farrell become the man to now be as consistent as the man with the stance?!
So we approach Christmas with England’s rugby hopes far more optimistic than after the South Africa and Australia games which determined that the country would be in the pool of second seeds for the World Cup draw (the fact a draw takes place many years before the event in 2015 is bizarre though I must say). Having said that the Grand Slam winners of Wales are in the third pool after losing to both Samoa and Argentina, opponents they would be hoping to despatch, particularly in the Millennium Stadium. Scotland are in a catastrophic situation though. Now manager-less, the country must be relieved to still be in the third pool after defeat to Tonga, arguably one of the most damaging results they have suffered in their history. For a country with such a rich rugby pedigree, they will hope to not be sat in this slump for too much longer. After acquiring the wooden spoon in the Six Nations this year, I expect they will fulfil the same position again in 2013. England on the other hand will be entering the competition on the back of one of their best ever results. The All Blacks defeated. Not just defeated but thrashed, trounced, humiliated. Let us hope this is the start of something special once more.
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