Shaun Wane is a bear of a man who has built a hugely successful rugby career on intimidation and rabble-rousing, terrifying his own players as much as opponents and reporters. But being an emotional person works both ways. It would not have been a surprise if the 14-4 defeat to Australia had left the England coach in tears on Saturday but, in fact, he became emotional when I asked him about his grandchildren.
After the final whistle Wane spent some time cuddling his small grandkids by the England dugout, showering them with attention and affection. It was lovely and touching. Their smiles and laughter were clearly infectious. A few minutes later, Wane was telling the press how “devastated” he was by the defeat and how 10 loose minutes from his players after half-time had infuriated him. “That really, really hurts – I’m so disappointed,” he said.
Did those precious moments with his family put losing narrowly to the best team in the world into some perspective? “Yes,” said Wane, his voice cracking as he teared up. He told me off for asking, but was only half joking. I think.
It has been a challenging few weeks for Wane, who has joined the long list of illustrious coaches unable to win the Ashes. A dozen of the finest have tried and failed, including Frank Myler, Maurice Bamford, Mal Reilly, Brian Noble and Ellery Hanley. Three Australians – David Waite, Tony Smith and Wayne Bennett – couldn’t do it for England. Four more England coaches failed to stop the Kangaroos at World Cups, too.
Even the last man to lead Great Britain to a major trophy – 1972 World Cup-winning coach Jim Challinor – lost both of his Ashes series in charge. And the last coach to win one, Johnny Whiteley in 1970, was beaten by Australia in the World Cup a few weeks later and humiliated in the 1982 Ashes in his second stint. It’s the toughest of gigs. “They turn up and they’re ruthless,” said Wane. “We did a lot of good things, but not enough.”
Wane blamed Super League’s lack of intensity. The Kangaroos face far more tough games, with State of Origin and the NRL’s weekly examinations, although six of this England squad play in the NRL and a dozen more were under severe pressure a few weeks ago in Super League playoff matches.
Wane’s wish for more “really intense games” is not going to happen next season, when his players will face newly promoted York, Bradford and Toulouse, as well as the limited challenges set by Huddersfield and Castleford. When Wakefield winger Tom Johnstone steps inside the touchline at Belle Vue, he is not confronted by five of the world’s best players intent on smothering him, as he was twice at Everton’s stadium. No coaching or team talks about Winston Churchill can counter that.
Mike McMeeken runs into a wall of Australia players. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
England prop Mike McMeeken was pleased with some aspects of the performance. “We can take a lot of pride in what we did,” he said. “Some people probably say they were off, but we made them play that way. But there’s no satisfaction in that right now. It’s never going to be easy to break Australia down – they have some world-class players. Opportunities are going to be small. I thought we’d got them at times, but they scrambled very well.”
Man of the match Cameron Munster – who is as entertaining off the field as on it – said England “put trouble” on Australia. “Their attack is not bad, but our defence wins us games,” he said. “Good job as we were pretty pathetic with the ball in hand”. The worry is Australia won while well below their best – again. Kevin Walters, the Australia coach, hinted that he might pick some unused squad members in the third Test in Leeds next Saturday, which may be England’s best hope of avoiding a whitewash.
England will not have much time on the training pitch this week to make improvements. “We don’t spend too much time on the field, probably only two sessions,” said McMeeken. “There’s a lot of stuff that will happen off-field – a lot of video looking at the positives and the negatives. Once we’ve recovered we’ll go again Wednesday and Thursday, and start putting the plans into action for next Saturday.”
England’s outside backs impressed, but they lack the elusiveness of Reece Walsh or the pace of Josh Addo-Carr. Joe Burgess will replace the injured Dom Young, who was so much the go-to man that Harry Smith even passed to him when Young was hobbling away up the sideline with the physio in the closing minutes. But Young, Johnstone and Burgess are not in the same class as Jason Robinson and Martin Offiah.
Before the first Test at Wembley, Offiah was spotted chatting to Young and Kai Pearce-Paul. Without hearing what was said, you can guess it was about how to light up the biggest stage. Young and Farnworth are trying their hardest to do that, but it is just not happening. The Kangaroos just slide the door shut in their faces. It is enough to make hard men cry.
Clubcall: EvertonThe Everton stadium was a great host venue. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
Wane was granted his wish for “a proper rugby league crowd” on Merseyside, where there were just a few dozen empty seats. It’s clearly a major event when England shirts dot rail platforms 200 miles from the ground and the train announcer advises fans how to get to the ground. At lunchtime, fans queued in buzzing pubs, accents ranging from scouse to southern to Scottish. At one table, a soap star, a Strictly winner, a farmer (all Kelvin Fletcher), a TV producer, an international and a Super League winner discussed Super League expansion, while the founders of both London Skolars and St Albans Centurions were all spotted in the rammed stadium forecourt. The match had that kind of pull.
Australia made the first of their four victorious trips to Everton in 1908, when a late Dally Messenger goal clinched victory over the Northern Rugby League at Goodison Park. The new stadium will surely be hosting more big matches soon. With Everton only playing once at home next April, Hill Dickinson looks likely to host a triple header – Challenge Cup semi-finals and England v France women – next season, and it must be high up the list of potential venues for the Kiwis’ tour in 2027. Whether Wane will be in charge by then may depend on what happens at Headingley on Saturday.
Foreign quota
Wigan prop Tyler Dupree, who was dropped by England after a disappointing season, is set to become the first high-profile beneficiary of Super League’s expansion transfer policy as he joins promoted Toulouse on loan for next season. Wigan will benefit by not only shifting Dupree’s wages off their salary cap but also being allowed to spend an additional allowance. This logical policy to help the promoted clubs has, along with Toulouse and York’s half-funding arrangement, been poorly presented.
They could have been sold as Super League’s take on America’s franchise expansion: promoted clubs receive full central funding but to get their licence must pay a £600,000 bond into a fund to be raided only in a Salford-like emergency. Toulouse signing Dupree is like an expansion draft: established clubs encouraged to send players to promoted clubs in exchange for salary cap dispensation and actual increases. That could be extended to clubs releasing any contracted player to the new boys.
Goalline dropout
With no mid-season international next year, England’s match at Headingley could be their last at home for 23 months. The game needs to prioritise international fixtures, even if the results can be predictable. When NRL chair, Peter V’landys, left the stadium on Saturday evening he passed dozens of fans waiting to meet Walsh, the sport’s new rock star Walsh. Surely V’landys will ensure that the Ashes returns to the UK in 2028 or 2029, regardless of whether Australia make it 3-0 on Saturday.
Fifth and last
England did win the Ashes last weekend: the first ever wheelchair series. They came from behind to win the second Test 48-42 on the Gold Coast, sealing a 2-0 victory in the series. London Rooster Joe Coyd scored the winning try with two minutes left after captain Lewis King had scored a hat-trick, with two-try Halifax star Jack Brown putting in a player-of-the-match display. Hats off chaps.
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