The Sunday Telegraph's Paul Ackford believes that England have to beat the struggling Wallabies by a significant margin.
”If England don't beat the Aussies by a significant margin when the two sides clash at Twickenham in three weeks' time, then Heaven help Maestro Martin Johnson and his merry men. Seriously. I can't remember a period in the last decade when Australia have looked so discombobulated.
“The on-pitch stuff is bad enough, just one win in six from their Tri-Nations encounters, and a big fat zero when it came to Australian sides participating in the knock-out stages of the Super 14 competition. But it is the declining allure of the sport which is most alarming.
“According to a leaked report, commissioned by the Australian Rugby Union, crowds for Test matches have fallen by 37 per cent in a three-year period, declining from 617,555 in 2006 to 386,287 this year.
“Research into the game's 'brand health' also indicated that rugby union was the least entertaining, innovative, grass roots-orientated and social when compared to rugby league, Aussie rules, soccer and cricket, as well as being "exclusive and hard to follow".”
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