This weekend, England will play the Wallabies in Brisbane. The sides have met four times before, with England losing in both venues. The worst defeats came at Suncorp Stadium in 1998 and 2004 and the best in 1975 and 1988. In the first visit to Brisbane, England led 15-9 at halftime.
In Brisbane, England’s fans were booed for most of the game, but that did not deter Eddie Jones. His hard-fought second Test victory levelled the series and set up the decider in Sydney next week. Afterwards, the England skipper revealed that Wallabies supporters had warned him that England would be “belted” in Brisbane.
Australia have won all of their previous ten Tests, but England had a rough time of it. They were not prepared for the conditions, and even after match practice, they were undercooked. After all, they lost a couple of players due to the weather. Godfrey Evans was not at his best and had heat-stroke. Debutant Keith Andrew, meanwhile, was dropped behind the stumps, and took no catches.
After a slow start, England started to dominate the match. They made the Wallabies’ scrum look weak. Their forward runners made easy ground for their forwards and put massive pressure on Australia’s backline. The Wallabies had suffered a series of injuries in the lead-up to the match, including their exciting fullback Jordan Petaia. Despite this, England finally broke through after a rolling maul from No.8 Billy Vunipola. The try was converted by Farrell.
England’s best chance to win a Test match in Australia is to win in Brisbane. Brisbane is a great ground with a fast-swinging pitch that offers plenty of seam movement. This ground is also a good place to spin a ball early. So, don’t be afraid to take your chances.
The Australians will look to counteract England’s spinners with part-time off-spinners. In addition to Nathan Lyon, England will also have three other spinners. In this match, the hosts will be desperate for spin options. They are unlikely to be able to bowl England with the same confidence as they did in Adelaide.
After the second World War, Brisbane’s population growth was slow. As a result, Brisbane gained a reputation as a bad place to live. However, with the government’s help, businesses started booming again and the population grew by 2.2% a year. Its population has remained stable since then.
Queensland was officially separated from New South Wales in 1859 and Brisbane was selected as the capital city. Its river provides various ports for economic and trading activities. In fact, Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city. It is also the state’s third most populous city. The city was named after Major General Sir Thomas Brisbane.
On Boxing Day, the English team will wear black armbands. They will be wearing the black armband to commemorate the late Ray Illingworth. He was a former player of England, a coach, and a member of the selectors. He was also a pioneer for women’s cricket. Eileen Ash is the oldest living female test cricketer.
Stuart Broad has a good record in Brisbane. He was so good that the local paper refused to print his name. The Australian top order has many left-handed batsmen, and Broad dismissed David Warner in the 2013-14 Ashes. With Broad’s form, the English team should make a good first innings total. Then, Anderson’s return will be crucial. The veteran spinner is one of the greatest wicket-takers in England history.
The population of Brisbane is diverse and multi-ethnic. The majority are of English descent, but there are also significant populations of Australian, Irish, German, and Scottish descent. Although there is a diverse mix of people, English is the primary language of the city. Around 78% of Brisbane’s residents speak only English at home. Brisbane is set along a coastline with beautiful natural landscapes and many attractions to enjoy.
As for the England team, the squad was missing some key players. Vic Wilson, a Yorkshire farmer, had a difficult time adjusting to Australian pitches. In his absence, the England team was bolstered by the presence of Oxford undergraduate Colin Cowdrey. The latter had excellent timing on the ball. He was given devastating news of the death of his father just prior to the start of the tour, but persevered through the pain.