Rugby World Cup 2015: Winners, Losers from England vs. Australia

England were eliminated from the Rugby World Cup 2015 after suffering a humiliating 13-33 defeat to Australia.

The hosts, their management and the tournament were the big losers on a night in which the Australian scrum and its fly-half Bernard Foley earned many a plaudit.

Wales would have looked on from afar with mixed feelings. They have now qualified for the quarter-finals after three matches, but they will not fancy taking on the Wallabies next weekend.

Here are the winners and losers from the Pool A clash between England and Australia.

Losers: Stuart Lancaster and His Coaches

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Lancaster and his fellow coaches, Andy Farrell, Graeme Rowntree and Mike Catt will all fear their positions. There will need to be fall guys, and it looks like being either the Rugby Football Union bureaucrats or the England management.

Lancaster had, prior to the Wales and Australia defeats, restored pride in the England jersey and the red rose, but more concerning is his ability to get through to his players.

Despite a well-publicised no-nonsense policy on poor on- and off-field behaviour, England had to make do without their most experienced first-choice forward in Dylan Hartley and their best player when fit in Manu Tuilagi.

The message didn’t get through to players England desperately needed at the World Cup, and neither, in spite of constantly speaking of the need to be disciplined on the pitch, has Lancaster been able to instil some sense into his charges.

Owen Farrell’s yellow card against Australia typified Lancaster’s inability to communicate his message.

Loser: The RFU

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The RFU made two major risks with regard to Stuart Lancaster’s appointment as England head coach. The first was selecting a man with excellent values and a vision for the sport in England, but without top-level club, let alone international management experience.

The second was to extend Lancaster’s contract until the end of the 2019 World Cup so far in advance. Much more prudent would have been to reassess after the home World Cup.

The RFU have invested time and money into Lancaster and his coaching staff. Will that faith remain after England’s failure to make the knockout stages of its own World Cup?

On Thursday, RFU development director Steve Grainger stressed the importance of what happens after the tournament in a blog for the Huffington Post.

But England’s short-lived participation at Rugby World Cup 2015 and the following legacy that will leave is another enormous concern for the RFU.

Winners: Bernard Foley and Australia

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Australia managed to bury the ghost of 2003 and Wilkinson’s right boot by inflicting the ultimate revenge on England.

They did so by and large thanks to a superb performance from their own No. 10, Bernard Foley. Foley completed justified the exclusion of Quade Cooper, scoring all bar five of Australia’s 33 points.

Loser: The England Scrum; Winner: The Australia Scrum

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England’s game has been centred on a powerful set piece for time immemorial.

Australia have only started taking the scrum seriously since the arrival of head coach Michael Cheika and forward guru Mario Ledesma, Argentina’s hooker at the 2007 World Cup.

Humiliation for England up front and enormous reward for the Wallabies.

Winner and Loser: Wales

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Wales, along with Australia, were big winners following England’s exit. Wales are now assured of a quarter-final berth and have two more days than the Wallabies to prepare for their encounter at Twickenham.

Australia’s impressive form, however, will worry injured-depleted Wales ahead of their Pool A clash on October 10.

Loser: Rugby World Cup 2015

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The Rugby World Cup 2015, like all major sporting events, is poorer for a weak performance from the host nation.

The English public will continue to support, and given the number of expatriates from around the world living in the UK, interest will far from subside. However, one of the important ingredients for a great tournament has been lost halfway through.