ENGLAND 14, AUSTRALIA 28

MAYBE Martin Johnson can't walk on water after all.

When Jonno waltzed into Twickenham everyone assumed he would wave his magic wand and England would be back to the glory days of 2003.

But it was never going to be that easy.

The authorities were so desperate to get Johnson on board they gave him everything he demanded - five star hotels and unprecedented player access.

However, on this evidence they have got little return on their investment.

Johnson has staked his credibility on his job as head man.

He could have lived on his reputation as a World Cup hero and banked millions from mega buck blue chip companies who were chucking sponsorship money at him. He must be wondering why he bothered.

It is back to the drawing board for Jonno after his side were outsmarted by the Wallabies and their discipline went walkabout.

Time and again they gave away needless penalties against an Australian side that can hardly be classed as world beaters.

Paul Sackey, Phil Vickery, Tom Rees, Steve Borthwick, Andrew Sheridan and Danny Care all gave away schoolboy three-pointers within kickable range and Aussie fly-half Matt Giteau made them pay.

Difficult

Johnson moaned: "Australia scored 28 points and we didn't make them work for it. We gave them eight kickable penalties and they scored seven of them. We made it difficult.

"We are so frustrated as we had opportunities to create pressure and chances and we didn't exploit them.

"There were guys who in the heat of battle went back to what they do week-in week-out with their clubs instead of sticking to what we are trying to achieve and we ended up losing a game we should have been in.

"All that detail ends up in a position from where you can't win and that's what happened today.

"Our guys are learning what Test match rugby is about - it is a simple game, you have got to control the ball and Australia did it better than us."

England were under the cosh thanks to their lack of nous and when the Twickenham crowd were crying out for a leader of Johnson's old stature, they got nothing from Borthwick.

The second row couldn't lift his troops and his days in charge look numbered.

Danny Cipriani was off colour - after from a couple of moments of brilliance - and Sheridan failed to repeat his heroics of Marseilles in the last World Cup when he murdered the Aussie scrum.

Cipriani made two telling line breaks but kicked the ball too often instead of trusting his pace to take on the Wallaby defence.

Prop Sheridan was a shadow of the player who left Al Baxter eating dirt in France.

By the time he was substituted late in the second half the Aussie lightweight had ruined Sheridan's reputation as a man eater.

England barely landed a blow in the first 20 minutes and Giteau's boot kept the tourists out of range until Johnson's side very briefly got their act together.

With Sheridan off the field with a blood injury, Matt Stevens took over at loosehead as England camped on the Aussie line and a series of drives saw Nick Easter dive over for England's only try.

But still they kept leaking penalties and Cipriani, after making a searing 30 metre break, missed rugby's equivalent of an open goal when he fluffed a drop kick from less than 20 yards straight under the posts.

Sleep

Jonny Wilkinson would have knocked it over in his sleep.

Rees then blew a three on two overlap by taking the ball into contact instead of releasing men outside and with 10 minutes left, Australia stuck the knife in.

The hosts' hapless defence was exposed and Adam Ashley-Cooper strolled over for a simple try that left Johnson contemplating the massive task he has in front of him.

This abject defeat has huge ramifications for England and their bid to regain their world title in 2011.

A win here would have virtually guaranteed them a top-four seeding when the draw for the tournament is made on December 1.

That now looks unlikely now with clashes against South Africa and the All Blacks coming up.

SCORERS - England: try Easter; pens Cipriani 2; drop Armitage. Australia: try Ashley-Cooper; con Giteau; pens Giteau 6, Mortlock.

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