Ashes Review #2 - From Churchill to Harry Hill

After last weekend's eye opening and chastening defeat to Australia in the first Ashes test, England fans had every reason to be cautious of what the second test held.

Australia weren't flawless in the first test but won handsomely and still could improve, there was going to be Australian referee meaning a faster ruck (which suits Australia) and England were pretty ordinary in first test.

Yet for some reason, this England fan woke up with a strangely optimistic feeling on Saturday morning, even though there was no logic behind it.

Was it the widely-expected changes to the team? Or recalling how in 1997, Great Britain were thrashed in the first Ashes test at Wembley but won the second? Or maybe I was feeling inspired by Shaun Wane's speech in the latest installment of Chasing The Ashes (a fly on the wall series uploaded to YouTube by England).

I’m obsessed with how accidentally Brent this is. pic.twitter.com/lXzw9H8dis

— Ross Williams (@RossWilliams_) October 29, 2025

It's an aside, but both episodes so far are worth a watch. They offer a rarely seen insight into an international camp. The players who are interviewed largely come across very well and seem a decent bunch of lads. Far better and more relaxed than the robotic and nervous post-match interviews you see on TV.

And it contained some interesting snippets. Such as Matty Lees playing last week despite fracturing an eye socket in training and requiring surgery (player welfare, what's that?). Shaun Wane's penchant for the word 'obsessed'. Jack Welsby and Shaun Wane's visit to Downing Street was interesting. Kai Pearce-Paul's reunion with his brother (Jaden) was heartwarming.

Shaun Wane will probably be glad that Harry Hill's TV Burp has long since ended because he alone, likely accidentally, provides enough content in these two episodes that would have filled most of a series of the once Saturday teatime TV staple.

This writer was confined to watching the second test on TV. The classic assumption was reached that "it's Rugby League, there's no rush to get tickets" came back to firmly bite as all 52,000 tickets were snapped up before even reaching general sale.

If you're interested, out of a desire to see one of the tests, a replacement trip to Wembley last week was arranged instead! So I went to a match that was a couple of hundred of miles from home, rather than the one about 15 miles from home. But you can't miss the Ashes can you?

On to the match and England found itself in all to familiar territory for a second match in an Ashes series. Do or die.

Before kick off, the occasion looked better than last week. Down to the small details. The large flags draped across the pitch weren't facing the wrong way for the TV cameras. The teams walked out side by the side. The atmosphere sounded that little more intense.

Rugby League being Rugby League, that didn't last. A bloke who looked very much out of place was lined up next to Cameron Munster during the national anthems.

At first I thought it was someone who had won a competition to line up alongside the Australia team. But I then realised it couldn't be that as Mark Nawaqanitawase was already filling that role.

Apparently, it was an Australian internet prankster who somehow managed to make it that far without detection.

On one front, it's a light-hearted joke. On the other, it is a serious security failing that would have placed the players at risk if someone with malevolent intent had taken the same action.

Back to the game and the fear that England had that having an Australian referee may make things tougher bore out in the first 20 seconds, with England pinged for a slow ruck.

In the opening few minutes, the hits were thumping and there was a coming together of the players which saw each side reduced to 12 men, for 10 minutes. The relatively gentile feel of Wembley had been replaced with something that felt more intense.

There were no tries in the first half and the sides went in level at 4-4, exchanging two penalties each. England had 55% possession to Australia's 45% in that first half. Given that this sport is designed so that each side gets 50% possession, that was indicative that England had the better of it.

There were no stats for territory shown on the BBC, but had there been you would think that England would have had the advantage here too. Crucially, there was no such advantage on the scoreboard.

Dom Young came close on two occasions, Morgan Knowles came close on two occasions and for a fleeting moment, space opened up for Tom Johnstone. That was five chances for England but no tries scored.

Of those chances, you would only call Morgan Knowles' no try where there was a double knock on to be a clear chance. But the amount of play the balls close to the Australian line and how toothless England looked was a worry.

Australia defended well on their goal line. Their discipline and structure meant there were no gaps. Their one on one defence was strong and England looked dumbfounded at how to unlock it. Even Mark Nawaqanitawase's one man circus performance of a ridiculous flick pass in his own 20 (amongst other bizarre plays) wasn't going to distract the rest of the Australian team.

In the second half, the tide turned and it was Australia's turn to have chances. The difference? Australia took their chances. With the score at 4-14, it was very hard to see a way back for England.

For the first try, James Graham seemed incandescent that the try was awarded despite what he perceived to be an obstruction. Yes, Cameron Munster ran around the back of his own man. The only issue with this analysis was that in the plain English sense of the word "obstruct" there was no England defender anywhere close to being obstructed. Try correctly awarded.

At 4-14, Reece Walsh was sin binned for a shoulder charge, giving England faint hope. What else is he supposed to do?! screeched James Graham on commentary. Not jump off the ground and hit your opponent in the head with a shoulder was the answer. Walsh correctly sin binned.

Despite the man advantage, England never really looked like scoring. Tom Johnstone receiving a pass about an inch from the sideline surrounded by Australian defenders (not for the first time) and a wayward pass aimed at Dom Young (not for the first time) summed up England's series.

And with that, Australia retained the Ashes. I thought their players seemed almost apologetic and embarrassed in victory at the end. That is a terrible place to be for England, where your opponents victory is seen as so routine.

Shaun Wane made several changes for this game, including three to his 'spine' positions. We shouldn't underestimate how big of a call that was. You open yourself up to criticism for your earlier selections by doing that but Wane was big enough to face that down. Wane would also be criticised if these changes didn't work.

It was also a big call to drop Jack Welsby given that Wane had made him captain of the side in George Williams' absence previously.

I think the changes worked. Harry Smith offered control and a better kicking game at half back. AJ Brimson had limited chances to shine but occasionally looked a threat and was defensively sound. Despite my concerns that his time at international level had passed, Kallum Watkins did really well and deserves to keep his place over John Bateman. 

Morgan Smithies was a menace and a thorn in the Australian side (or on one occasion, the back of the knees courtesy of a truly shocking cannonball tackle which thankfully the Australian attacker saw coming and evaded). Mikolaj Oledzki did nothing wrong in the limited time he was afforded on the field.

Before the series, I was concerned about England's forwards and the same was true of last week. On reflection, maybe it was the half backs that we should have been more worried about.

With George Williams, Harry Smith and Mikey Lewis competing for two places, we thought we would be ok when it came to creativity. In reality, England have scored one try in two matches and that was courtesy of Australia switching off last week to allow a cheap score by Daryl Clark. If the game was close, there's no way that try is scored.

Wane tried two different half back combinations in two games but you can't shake the feeling that the right half back combination is in the squad but is the only one he hasn't tried - Mikey Lewis and Harry Smith. Who knows? Maybe next week!

There is still a next week for England to try and avoid the ignomy of being whitewashed in a home Ashes series.

Though going into that match the evidence so far is that the gap between Australia and England is getting no smaller. The question is how do we change that? Finding the answer remains elusive.