Shaun Wane was visibly emotional after England's narrow 14-4 Ashes defeat to Australia, with the head coach tearing up when asked about his grandchildren following the match. Wane, known for his tough exterior, admitted he was 'devastated' by the result, particularly criticising his side's performance in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.
The England coach blamed the lack of intensity in the Super League for his team's inability to compete with the ruthless Kangaroos. 'They turn up and they're ruthless,' Wane said. 'We did a lot of good things, but not enough.' He called for more 'really intense games' to prepare his players, though next season's expanded league includes newly promoted sides York, Bradford, and Toulouse, which may not provide the required challenge.
England prop Mike McMeeken took some pride in the performance but stressed there was no satisfaction. 'Some people probably say they were off, but we made them play that way,' he said. 'Opportunities are going to be small against Australia, and they scrambled very well.'
Australia's man of the match, Cameron Munster, acknowledged that England had put 'trouble' on his side but credited their defence. 'Good job as we were pretty pathetic with the ball in hand,' he said. Australia won despite not being at their best, and coach Kevin Walters hinted at rotating his squad for the third Test in Leeds.
England will have limited on-field preparation for the next Test, with only two training sessions planned. 'There's a lot of stuff that will happen off-field – a lot of video looking at the positives and the negatives,' McMeeken explained. Joe Burgess will replace the injured Dom Young, whose absence leaves England lacking pace and elusiveness in the outside backs.
