Slater mentioned we were very across the park and moved the ball about well, I think we need to not change the team much for the next game just 1 or 2 here and there and work it, I think we have a great team here and we can take the Aussies I reckon.

I also thought that it was a poor turn out considering it was Cronk & Smiths last appearance on their home ground. Also what does Highington have that keeps Taylor/any other forward out of the team?

I thought it was almost full, didn’t notice many empty seats.

Agree about Roby making a difference but I bet he got sick of Klemmer running at him in that second half.
Out of Englands two starting props I am far more dubious about James Grahams impact. Not the player he was.

The attendance was 22,774 - the stadium hold 30,000. I'd blame our inability to beat them in anything meaningful in the last 30 years for the lack of interest. Hopefully that will change by the end of the tournament.

Be interesting to see attendances for the remaining games across the tournament....hopefully they'll exceed the last event over there and we can hopefully grow something meaningful off the back of it......yes, I do live in hope.

Heighington was useless in attack. Walmsley and Percival must be brought in, and Bateman to 2nd row to replace injured Sam Burgess, if England is to defeat France.

I just don't get Bennett's thinking putting Bateman in the centre.
He's a good player but he hasn't even played at centre for his club, who have experienced a mini-crisis in that position for much of the year. There's not even anything to suggest he could do well there - he's made three try assists all year.
Meanwhile, the centre with more try assists that most half backs is watching on TV at home, and the centre with far more tries than any other in that position is watching from the stands.
I just don't get it.

Good from Roby, Widdop and both wingers. Gale seems a bit out of his depth, but he is still inexperienced at this level. Halves who look world-beaters in SL find they can't do the same against the likes of Aus and NZ. If Sneyd was waiting in the wings I'd be tempted to see how he went the next time we play a decent team, but for me there is no contest between Gale and Kevin Brown, so Gale should be playing every game.

Negatives:
End result
Burgess injury

Positives:
-Hall and McGill are beasts
-Not crumbling in the first half when things weren't going our way
-The entire second half, our shape, go forward. We went set for set, so much so that Cam Smith was banging the ball into touch just so they could have a breather. In the washout at the end stat wise, the only difference was an extra 4 or 5 sets the Aussies had in the first half due to a penalty and our unforced errors. Which resulted in their extra try (I'm ignoring the last one).
-Our combinations are rusty, put us into the 2nd half scenario a few weeks down the line and we score. Remember, the key Aussie combinations have been honed through a decade of SOO and club football, they have less leeway for rustiness.

I'd stick Percy in for Bateman, move Bateman in place of Burgess and walmsley in place of heighngton.

Australia have no inglis or Thurston, NZ are weaker due to turncoats. We can win this guys, we really can, we need to believe.

As Sir Kev said afterwards: We lost the battle but not the war.

The kicking game was poor and we needed more composure close to their line but I think that will come in the weeks ahead.

We're only going to improve as the tournament progresses, under a coach as shrewd as Bennett, and I can see a re-match between Australia and England in the Brisbane Final on 2 Dec.

We were never going to beat them twice...just once will do us nicely. I'm very optimistic after that effort because this is an Aussie side without a Lewis or Meninga, a Thurston or a Daley, a Johns, Fittler or a Kenny. Sure, the Slater-Cronk-Smith spine is exceptional but they're no longer spring chickens (34, 34 and Cronk turning 34 a few days after the final). And the rest ? Nothing to worry about unduly from what I've seen today.

As Sir Kev said afterwards: We lost the battle but not the war.

The kicking game was poor and we needed more composure close to their line but I think that will come in the weeks ahead.

We're only going to improve as the tournament progresses, under a coach as shrewd as Bennett, and I can see a re-match between Australia and England in the Brisbane Final on 2 Dec.

We were never going to beat them twice...just once will do us nicely. I'm very optimistic after that effort because this is an Aussie side without a Lewis or Meninga, a Thurston or a Daley, a Johns, Fittler or a Kenny. Sure, the Slater-Cronk-Smith spine is exceptional but they're no longer spring chickens (34, 34 and Cronk turning 34 a few days after the final). And the rest ? Nothing to worry about unduly from what I've seen today.

My thoughts:
Lomax has to be dropped. He was rubbish and he's out of his depth. Ratchford in.
Gale was garbage. Him or Williams? Not sure.
Tom Burgess shouldn't be getting a game at xlub level never mind his country. His attitude is woeful. He has openly flirted with a move to NFL for 12 months or so, and his performances reflect it. Has to be dropped.
I thought everyone else for England did well, including Heighington.

Much to build on, but the trouble is Australia will be saying exactly the same. We may have a couple of gears to go up, they have more. Can't help but feel de ja vu, how many times after a first Test have we gone away thinking we could have won it and can do them in the next game, only to get steam-rollered?

by what measure?
you forgot his p*ss poor effort at defending their second try or just ignoring it?

Didn't see that happen in the 2nd half at all, it got more back and forth as the 2nd half went on. It was only when the Aussies got that iffy penalty that England had to chase the game, whch was the only the last 3 minutes. Anyway if you think you're correct, it's hardly going to be helped with our best forward Sam burgess going off after 20 odd minutes is it and being a interchange player light. With the speed of the game that was always going to be hard to deal with and put extra pressure on the likes of Graham etc.

For me we just need a slight bit of tinkering with the side.We were far far better in the 2nd half but obviously need to to play a safer more structured game in the first 20 and then earn the right to play the more of the cuff stuff. Obviously we need to stop the silly passes when not needed as well. We also definitely need to tighten up in the middle of the park defensively, far too many missed.

With Sam being out, we need a big man who can make meters especially after contact, so I'd bring Walmsley in. Heighington shouldn't be in next game, play Bateman in the 2nd row, and Percival in the and you could play Roby the full 80 minutes for me, Hodgson was poor all around. Gale was poor and maybe let Williams have run against some of the other sides to see what he can do Keep Currie on the bench and maybe play Taylor off their as well if we go with an 80 minute hooker. Probabaly wouldn't need to tinker that much till we meet the next big team.

Thought Widdop was alright in the 2nd half , Sam was great while he was on. Roby was great when he came on and changed the feel of the game. Graham was a workshorse, Hill did OK and the wingers were especially excellent imo. Lomax wasn't good at all and Gale was hardly visible.