England's Ashes Hopes End With 'reality Check'

In nan words of skipper George Williams, England were handed a sadistic "reality check" arsenic Australia secured nan Rugby League Ashes.

The Kangaroos' 14-4 triumph astatine Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium connected Saturday gave them a 2-0 bid lead, making adjacent week's soldout 3rd Test astatine AMT Headingley successful Leeds a dormant rubber.

Shaun Wane's broadside had travel into nan bid harbouring hopes of sending Australia to a first Ashes bid conclusion since 1970.

In nan past 2 years, they had enjoyed a 3-0 bid triumph complete Tonga and a 2-0 triumph complete Samoa. But arsenic nan Rugby League Ashes resumed aft a 22-year absence, England were incapable to return nan adjacent measurement against nan world champions.

"We're not making excuses. We've had capable sessions to get it correct connected nan field, and I don't deliberation we've rather done that," Williams told BBC Sport.

"Credit to Australia. They were bully defensively. But we've sewage loads to activity on. We're astir apt not arsenic bully arsenic we thought we were going into this series.

"So it's a bully reality cheque for us, and [there is] loads to amended on."

Having been soundly beaten successful an error-strewn show astatine Wembley, Wane side's were overmuch improved connected Saturday backmost successful nan rugby convention heartlands of bluish England.

In a rousing opening period, England forced mistakes from nan Kangaroos and had each nan section position and possession, but crucially did not make it count connected nan scoreboard.

Tellingly, England person now scored conscionable 1 effort complete 160 minutes, pinch St Helens hooker Daryl Clark barging complete precocious connected successful nan nonaccomplishment successful London.

In contrast, Australia person racked up six successful 2 games - and erstwhile mistakes began to creep into nan hosts' play conscionable aft nan break, it was a lawsuit of when, not if, they were going to beryllium severely punished.

First Cameron Munster went over, and past truthful excessively did Hudson Young. From being level astatine 4-4, England were 10 points adrift.

"Proud for nan mostly of nan game. I thought for 70 minutes we were good," said Wane.

"The move disconnected for 10 minutes aft half-time wounded america immensely. Munster's first effort was soft and should not beryllium scored successful a Test match.

"We're devastated. So proud nan players had a excavation but truthful disappointed pinch that aft half-time, which costs america dearly."

While nan adjacent World Cup successful Australia and Papua New Guinea is conscionable nether 12 months away, England's contiguous attraction will beryllium connected trying to reconstruct immoderate pride, avoiding a bid whitewash and eradicating nan mistakes that irritated Wane.

"I wanted to spot much thrown astatine Australia. I wanted america to build unit successful nan crippled - we didn't do that past week," added nan 61-year-old.

"We did this week. It's conscionable a spot of item successful our onslaught wherever we could person put them nether much pressure. We request to take sides some [tries] better.

"Fair play to Australia - that is nary detriment to them. They move up and are ruthless erstwhile they get a chance, and we weren't, but defensively we tin and should do better.

"They will beryllium obsessed to triumph 3-0 and we request to beryllium obsessed to make it 2-1. I've said that to nan players. It has to beryllium our obsession. It's going to beryllium a reliable week but whoever wants it nan astir will get nan triumph adjacent week."

England person played a akin number of Test matches to Australia since nan past World Cup successful 2022.

Yet Wane believes that nan spot of nan NRL - and value of nan State of Origin matches betwixt New South Wales and Queensland - supply a overmuch amended grounding for competing astatine nan apical of nan world crippled than what is connected connection successful nan bluish hemisphere.

Wane added that nan congested Super League fixture schedule near nary clip for him to activity pinch his squad during nan season, which will only airs further questions astir really England tin span nan spread to Australia earlier travelling to Oceania successful 2026.

"They play a batch of Test matches successful their competition," Wane added.

"We play 10-15 a year. We request really aggravated games to amended nan title and amended our chances of winning these sorts of games.

"I couldn't moreover train pinch nan players. We ne'er sewage connected nan section successful nan play and I had nan afloat backing of everyone successful Super League.

"I person besides been successful nan boots of nan caput coaches that request to triumph games. The title is that congested. It's unfortunate but it's not nan logic we sewage beaten today."