Mission accomplished: Kangaroos complete Ashes sweep
Ian Chadband |
The Kangaroos have completed their successful Ashes mission with a three-Test whitewash of England after finishing the tour in style with a Harry Grant-inspired 30-8 victory in a thunderous affair at Headingley.
Returning captain Isaah Yeo had demanded a final-Test flourish after a couple of wins at Wembley and Everton which had featured starbursts of brilliance but too many errors.
And having been shown faith by coach Kevin Walters to complete the job, the strongest 17 duly delivered with a five-try display — even if was a flattering score after what was, at times, a titanic contest on Saturday.
The world champions had again not been quite at their supreme best as they had to subdue a fired-up home side with some top-drawer defence and five hard-earned tries from Josh Addo-Carr, Hudson Young, Grant and a late brace from the irrepressible Reece Walsh. The immaculate Nathan Cleary kicked five conversions.
It was the best and most intense of the three Tests in front of a fired-up 20,000-strong sellout, and Australia had to show serious resolve to counter the sometimes manic desperation of the hosts before quality inevitably told.
Inspired by the magnificent player-of-the-match Grant and the creative force of Cameron Munster, there was never any doubt about Australia wrapping up a 15th successive Test match win against a British team, a record that stretches back 19 years.
“I don’t think the scoreline reflected the game,” said Munster, the inaugural winner of the Fulton-Reilly award — named after two Ashes icons, Bob Fulton and Malcolm Reilly — as player of the series.
“We got lucky at times, and our moments. They had some line breaks, and we scrambled really well.”
The visitors made a jet-propelled start, with a lovely, looping cut-put pass from Munster in the fifth minute allowing Addo-Carr to scuttle over in the left corner.
England’s woes continued when AJ Brimson suffered an early shoulder injury, and Munster proved the creative difference again when his neat, perfectly executed grubber put Young in for a consummate score.
England hadn’t scored a try for close on two hours of rugby since Daryl Clark went over for a late consolation at Wembley, but at last they broke the drought in the 33rd minute when hooker Jez Litten broke through, booted the ball on and captain George Williams won the chase.
A penalty just before the break for Harry Smith brought the hosts to within four points at 12-8 down, but Addo-Carr thought he’d grabbed his second soon after the break, only to be fractionally offside when he latched on to another beautiful floated kick from Munster.
England then launched perhaps the 10 most dramatic minutes of the match, full of feverish attacking from the home side, terrific resilient defence on the ropes from the visitors and a couple of spiteful free-for-alls featuring most of the players on the pitch. A proper Test match, as Walters called it.
At the end of the mayhem and with the crowd at fever pitch, the visitors survived and like true world champions, hit back ferociously with Grant eventually sniping over from dummy half to put them 10-points clear.
As England tired, Walsh, who’d not had the greatest of games, turned it on in the last 12 minutes, getting lucky to score off a rebound for his first try and then fittingly putting the exclamation mark on the series by skipping to a virtuoso second.
“It was a tough one, mate,” admitted Walsh. “It wasn’t our best footy but we got the job done in the end. It’s been amazing, a really cool experience.
“The game is going well over here, and we want to boost it and make it better. From the kid that grew up to where I am now, it’s a dream.”
England coach Shaun Wane, who had to endure “sacked in the morning” calls from his home fans, was adamant afterwards that he was still the man to take England into the World Cup, but had to admit: “Australia were worthy winners.”
AAP
