Quote Stooby Doo="Stooby Doo"Agreed that it was a poor game but it worries me that the play the ball was so slow. If it stays like that throughout the competetion we may struggle as we won't make many yards from Roby from dummy half which would normally be one of our major strengths.
Two major differences I spotted though in that game compared to SL was the physicality in defence, and the vigour of the kick returns. Granted this tailed off as the game went on but certainly in the first half it was far superior than anything in SL.
After saying all that, our pack I think has the edge and the team just need to man up, have some belief and get really stuck in, not just one or two of them, but all of them.'"
I think the physicality has more to do with the reffing of the ruck area than the players. The Aussies style is to play slower around the ruck, whereas the British is much faster. Longer ptbs mean that a defensive line have longer to set, find their mark and put in the bigs hits. Accumulatively over a match it is less taxing on the players because it means that they are not as rushed in defense. It also means more men can commit more fully in a tackle because of the time they have to set and they can wrestle them on the floor for longer.
The British style is all about speed; speed of the ruck, speed of the ptb, speed of the ball. The speed of play means defenses don't have as much chance to set and can't wrestle on the floor. It leads to a different emphasis of play; more scoots, more emphasis on using all six tackles as one attacking movement and ball work i.e. flowing passing set plays.
This would explain the vigour of kick returns. I always think of the Aussie style largely being one up rugby of the highest level; one man more often than takes on the line using sheer brute strength, if they break they take it from there, if not, take the tackle and let someone else take on the line. Kick returns have less vigour in British style because of the greater emphasis on the team working together to use the six tackles as one attacking movement, rather than one person just having a crack.
A lot of England's success will come down to how the games are reffed; Aussie style wrestle-fest and we'll struggle, British style speediness and we could steam rolling them. This is providing the team have, as you point out, the belief.
