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Men's Rugby Union Wallaby tip tackle goes unpunished

ENGLAND’S disappointing 2018 ended on a high with a comprehensive sixth win on the bounce against a poor Wallaby side on Saturday.

The men in white were seven points up within two minutes after they shoved the Australian pack backwards at a scrum just five metres from the try line. 

Scrum-half Ben Youngs spun the ball wide and Jonny May was over for the score in the corner.

With the English pack in the ascendancy it was a surprise at the end of the half as the two sides trudged off with the scores level.

In fact, Australia should have been in the lead after Owen Farrell had shoulder-barged Izack Rodda to stop a certain try.

Wallaby coach Michael Cheika was incandescent and bemoaned the television match official review system and referee Jaco Peyper’s decision-making.

“For the referee to say our player shoulder-barged Farrell is ridiculous,” fumed the coach.

“I count that as one of three tries we had disallowed and do not know why it was not reviewed.”

Cheika did admit that the better side won as his side’s decision-making and play had been poor.

Nobody mentioned the tip-tackle on Elliot Daly after 30 minutes which gained England a penalty, but after review by the referee and TMO it did not lead to a sin-binning.

But this is the second time in November that Farrell has made a controversial shoulder tackle and needs some coaching to stop him. 

At some point, probably at a crucial stage of an important game, Farrell will be properly penalised and could cost England a title.

Co-captain Dylan Hartley joined the action in the final 10 minutes to replace rival hooker Jamie George.

Hartley was in reflective mood after the game despite George moving above him as the starting hooker.

“The campaign has been enjoyable and I am really pleased and proud of the team over the last five weeks,” Hartley said.

Three wins from four from the autumn internationals, with only a single-point loss to New Zealand, is a satisfying result considering the injury crisis engulfing Coach Eddie Jones’s side.

“We had a tough Six Nations and had to regroup, which we did in South Africa in the summer.

“We lost the series, but we achieved togetherness and this month was another step forward,” Jones said.

“We allowed Australia back into the game in the first half and they got a bit of confidence.

“In the second half we played in a real English way and I was very pleased with that.”

England scored 24 points in a one-sided second half as their forward play dominated play and gave the side front-foot ball.

The biggest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for the introduction of a smiling Manu Tuilagi for a 15-minute run-out.

With Ben Te’o, Tuilagi and Joe Cokanasiga in the backs England have a real physical threat to any side.

The threat that Tuilagi poses was to the fore when the Wallaby defence watched him while George Ford fed the ball to Farrell to pop over for a try in the 75th minute.

Moments later Farrell failed to reach touch with a penalty which let the Wallabies in for a consolation second try for Israel Folau.

An ebullient Jones was counting the campaign successes with mounting competition for places when the injured Billy and Mako Vunipola, Joe Launchbury, George Kruis, Chris Robshaw, Anthony Watson and Jonathan Joseph all return.

Jones was looking forward to the Six Nations in World Cup year and his side’s opening match against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium.

“I am confident for us against Ireland and I can’t wait,” he said.

Neither can the rest of us.

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