Bouncing back from a disappointing first Test defeat in Australia can occasionally be done. England last managed it in 2010 when, as now, they lost in Perth to leave their head coach Martin Johnson in need of urgent salvation. He responded by relegating his old World Cup winning teammate, Jonny Wilkinson, to the bench. England sneaked home 21-20 in Sydney a week later, assisted by a simple missed penalty from Matt Giteau late on.
It allowed Johnson some temporary respite but, in retrospect, papered over fissures that reappeared at the subsequent 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Which prompts an uncomfortable question: would England ultimately benefit more in the longer term from losing the second Test this Saturday – and with it the series – than from a face‑saving win that masks fundamental wider issues?
