The stakes could not be higher when England face Australia on 1 October at 8pm BST in a crucial Rugby World Cup Pool A crunch match at Twickenham.
England’s 28-25 defeat to Wales at the same venue last weekend leave their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread. Stuart Lancaster’s men know that anything but a win will see England eliminated at the group stage of the tournament for the first time ever. They would also break another unwelcome record in becoming the first host nation to fail to make it out of the group stages.
Stuart Lancaster is fully aware that his reputation is on the line at Twickenham on Saturday eveningGetty
Australia, meanwhile, have breezed through their opening two games of Pool A, beating a stubborn Fiji 28-13 and thrashing Uruguay 65-3, still the highest score by any team this tournament. But the Wallabies have yet to face a real test and could be overawed by what is sure to be an emotionally charged home crowd at Twickenham.
But will England buckle under the weight of expectation? Nerves certainly seemed to beset the team as they let a 10-point lead slip from their grasp, conceding needless penalties in a performance strewn with errors.
Whatever happens on Saturday, England will know that their World Cup involvement, and Stuart Lancaster’s reign as head coach, will rest on them being able to get a winning result against the Wallabies.
In this video, IBTimes UK sports editor Nick Howson previews the match and gives his predictions on who will emerge victorious.
