Not often I comment on rugby in here, although I tend to watch test matches avidly, and ever since Deans' elevation to the Australian coaching job have been following the Wallabies as well (I am one of those who disagreed with Henry's re-appointment and the manner of it after the 2007 WC).
Frankly, England deserved this win as I thought they were largely the better team. Australia were strangely flat, and didnt seem able to lift in the second half either. It is fair enough that Australia were missing their first choice front row, and Horwill and Palu (although I think Brown is stepping up as a no. 8) but for me the main issue is the lack of fire and consistent physicality in the Australian forward pack. The game was really won and lost, especially in the second half, at the breakdown where the English forwards contested possession far more fiercely than their Australian counterparts. Its not the first time I've seen this happen, the most notable instance being at the end of last year's tri-nation where the AB forward pack just annihilated the Wallaby forwards who simply rolled over by the 60th minute like whipped curs. Australia are a good side, albeit seemingly forever stuck in some "youth" and "rebuilding" phase, and Deans a good coach, but the Australian forwards, I think, dont have what it takes to be serious challengers in the 2011 WC, and will not be upto par in this year's tri-nations either.
As a last comment, I've read comments that Deans should have recalled Dunning and Baxter instead of blooding three rookie front rowers at the same time. This would make sense if either of these players had ever been any good, but they were crap in their international career, Baxter especially, and would have added nothing to the Wallaby effort. Deans was right to keep them out.
