Moody’s memories of 2007 clash with Wallabies
Speaking to England Rugby in 2016, Lewis Moody relives the famous RWC 2007 quarter-final between England and Australia.
Lewis Moody always craved the opportunity to play against Australia.
He was part of six England teams that beat the Wallabies in a 71-Test career - the most famous of which ended in World Cup glory - and although 2003 remains an unparalleled achievement, what happened in Marseille four years later tasted just as sweet, albeit for different reasons.
Brian Ashton had replaced Andy Robinson eight months before the 2007 Rugby World Cup, in which time England lost six of their 10 Tests. Ranked seventh in the world, tournament expectations were so low it later emerged that some players had planned flights home after the group stages.
An unconvincing win over the USA was followed by a trouncing from South Africa, where England were nilled, and flattering victories against Samoa and Tonga. A quarter-final defeat at the hands of Australia loomed, but Moody and co were determined to upset the odds.
“We had lost heavily to South Africa in the pool stages and Australia thought they were going to walk all over us,” recalls Moody. “We were in a terrible position, playing poor rugby and the only people who actually believed we could beat the Aussies was us.”
Moody remembers a disgruntled England camp who at the time were experiencing issues with selection. He himself had only been called into the starting lineup for their final pool match against Tonga, where his fierce competition at the breakdown brought a noticeable change to the side.
The former openside flanker admits the team’s confidence prior to the quarter-final against Australia stemmed from that ability at the breakdown, and it was an area coaches at the time - Graham Rowntree and John Wells - deliberately focused on prior to the match.
“Australia were coming into the game against us off the back of four easy wins, where they didn’t have to commit anyone to the breakdown in order to win their own ball,” said Moody. “Every time they carried into contact, we smashed the breakdown and got turnovers. It was key to the win.”
England prevailed 12-10 winners in a closely contested encounter dictated by the boot of Jonny Wilkinson, where Moody’s grit on the fringe of the scrum was superseded only by Andrew Sheridan’s dominance at the front of it. The victory was a morale boost, and acted as a huge momentum shift for Ashton’s men.
“Sheer determination and belligerence got us that win,” admits Moody. “Not because we were the better team, but because we were focused on not letting ourselves down.”
The result was made all the sweeter for Moody as it coincided with his 50th international appearance. A landmark he remembers for different reasons.
“Despite a miracle win, the following days’ papers focused on the fact that I had usurped the captain Phil Vickery in the tunnel, and blindly sprinted onto the pitch like a mad man,” he said. “I was just marking the occasion.”
A 14-9 victory over host nation France in the semi-final was followed by a 15-6 loss to South Africa in the final, and they are two performances the 41-year-old credits to confidence gained from the Australia Test, as well as individual form seamlessly synchronising.
“In terms of a united team, that eight-week period brought us together like no other team I’ve seen,” said Moody. “The belief we had in each other was incredible. We knew that so long as we played to the best of our ability and left everything on the pitch, we could walk off of it with our heads held high.
“That game against Australia and the Tests that followed act as a true testament to what can be achieved by a group of like-minded individuals all focused on a common goal.”
