Rugby World Cup reaction: England beat Australia to make semi-finals

Summary

England through to World Cup semi-finals
May scores twice in three minutes as England lead 17-9 at half-time
Koroibete responds for Australia at start of second half
Prop Sinckler bursts through to give England control again
Watson intercepts pass to score late on before second Koroibete try
England will play New Zealand in the semi-finals next Saturday

Live Reporting

Mike Henson

England into semi-finals for first time since 2007published at 11:26 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
Image source, Getty
England are into a Rugby World Cup final for the first time since 2007. And in some style.
They scored four tries and 40 points against an Australia side who were made to look naive and underpowered by a clinical England side, piloted by Owen Farrell at fly-half and powered by flankers Sam Underhill and Tom Curry in the back row.
They will play either New Zealand or Ireland, who have just kicked off in Tokyo.
Eddie Jones has expressed a preference for the All Blacks, either way it will be a titanic last-four clash.
For Australia counterpart Michael Cheika the end could be nigh. He was set the task of making the final and has fallen well short.
Tomorrow will see if Wales can join England in the last four, when they take on France. Hosts Japan play two-time champions South Africa in the other quarter-final.
May matches Carling and Underwoodpublished at 11:18 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
- Jonny May became the first player to score a brace of tries in a Rugby World Cup match for England since Will Carling and Rory Underwood both crossed twice against New Zealand in the 1995 semi-final.
- Kyle Sinckler became just the sixth prop to score a try in a Rugby World Cup knockout game and the first since Tony Woodcock in the 2011 final.
Stats - England's record winpublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
Image source, PA
England's 24-point margin of victory was their biggest in a Rugby World Cup knockout game and Australia's heaviest defeat in the knockouts.
This was England's joint biggest victory against Australia in Test history (matching the 30-6 win in November 2017); in fact, England's three biggest wins against the Wallabies have come under Eddie Jones.
Australia have lost just three of their nine Rugby World Cup quarter-final matches, each of those three defeats has come against England (also 1995, 2007).
Jones low on sympathy for Aussiespublished at 11:10 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
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Tackle countpublished at 11:06 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
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Sam Underhill (20), Mako Vunipola (18), Jamie George (17), and Owen Farrell (17) all surpassed the previous highest tackle tally in a Rugby World Cup match by an England player (five players previously made 16).
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Get Involvedpublished at 11:03 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
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Chris Baldwin: is this about the time the Aussies say they always preferred League anyway?
Dave Sommerville: What is ominous about this England side is that not only have the won, they've done so against an Australian team that is actually very decent and that has played really well
Amy Walkers: I’m pretty sure this counts as a THRASHING
I'd love to play New Zealand - Jonespublished at 10:59 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
Image source, Reuters
More from England coach Eddie Jones on his side's potential semi-final opponents: "We are happy to play anyone but obviously I have a soft spot for New Zealand. I would love to play New Zealand in the semi-finals. It would be a great challenge for us."
Eddie Jones masterminded Australia's win over the All Blacks in the last four of the 2003 World Cup.
Image source, etty
'Just chill'published at 10:54 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
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Cheika had been set the target of reaching the final by Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle.
'The better team won'published at 10:52 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Austrlia
Image source, Getty Images
Australia coach Michael Cheika: I thought we played quite well early, but the better team won. Sometimes you have to suck it up. I am so disappointed.
The lads put everything into it today, put their bodies on the line, and they have given everything. They are a credit to their country but I don’t know what else to say.
'England can get better'published at 10:50 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
Matt Dawson
England World Cup winner on BBC Radio 5 Live
Image source, Getty Images
England can improve, be more accurate, they gave six penalties away in the first half. There is room for improvement, but what England will get is that it was a genuine test, a full bore Test match that brought them into this tournament. They won’t train a lot this week, mentally they will be right for whatever test comes next weekend.
'We've gone up a gear'published at 10:46 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
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England scrum-half Ben Youngs speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: The tight five are unbelievable, they did a great shift. They tested us, we had to come up with solutions and we did that. Australia play the way they play, you know they will chuck it about and they caused us problems.
We stuck in there, the key point was midway in the second half on our line when we pushed them back, pushed them back.
We were probably cruising in second gear in those first few games, but we went through the gears today.
' We weren't fazed'published at 10:43 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
Sam Underhill speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: That was a proper test, the boys did well and didn’t get too fazed. In attack we really came alive. In their attack they got the ball quicker than we liked, so we did something about it in the second half.
Image source, Getty Images
Underhill over-acheiverpublished at 10:42 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
Image source, Getty
Let's have a look at some of the small print on that England performance.
Flanker Sam Underhill put in a massive shift in defence, racking up 20 tackles, while England's all-action front row shone with Jamie George (20m) and Kyle Sinckler (17m) gaining more metres than any other of their forward colleagues.
Anthony Watson was the sharpest back in the stats, gaining 61 metres, making two clean breaks and beating five defenders.
On the Aussie side, their midfield combination of Samu Kerevi and Jordan Petaia could be a partnership for the future, with the former beating four defenders and the latter making 60m and two clean breaks.
Postpublished at 10:40 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
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'Pretty gutting'published at 10:35 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
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Australia captain Michael Hooper: "We played an attacking style of rugby which really threatened the English today. The English controlled the restart. Congratulations to England.
"We are really upset. We emptied everything into this and didn't get it which is pretty gutting. Firstly a lot of our guys are leaving and secondly we have had a great support base to push us on. To not do it for them and ourselves is pretty gutting."
'So excited about semi-final'published at 10:34 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
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England coach Eddie Jones, speaking to ITV: "I was pleased that the players stuck at the game in the first 20 minutes where I think Australia had 75% possession. We had to defend really well and we hung in and got the momentum back through the set piece and the kick chase and we took a couple of our opportunities.
"They came back at us in the second half and we had to find ourselves. It was one of those 'bring it on moments'. We had to decide whether we were going to stick at it or go individual and I thought it was brilliant.
"We are so excited about the semi-final. We can go there and challenge whoever we are playing against and see where we can go with this team. We haven't been at our best yet and that is the challenge to see how we can get to our best."
Support from around sportpublished at 10:33 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
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'Phenomenal England, poor Australia'published at 10:28 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
Matt Dawson
England World Cup winner on BBC Radio 5 Live
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Any side left are going to be thinking ‘OK, when it comes to England we have to get our strategy right and 100% precise’. We saw a phenomenal England machine. But I cannot believe anyone would do that and hand it to you like today. It was rugby suicide from Australia.
Postpublished at 10:26 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
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'Cheika to blame for Genia call'published at 10:23 British Summer Time 19 October 2019
FT: England 40-16 Australia
Matt Dawson
England World Cup winner on BBC Radio 5 Live
I blame Cheika for playing Genia, such a poor decision to pick him. It went into the way England wanted to defend, he was giving laboured ball across the field and Australia were losing metre after metre.
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