Feed the Hunger - Win the Game (a Day 3 report)

Today Australia 11 lost to England 12.

I am just having another look at the way the playoffs work and I am thinking there is now no realistic chance of us making the Bronze game. We have now lost 3 from 3 and would need to beat Iroquois to get us off 5th spot in our pool. All this is assuming that Japan goes down to us in a screaming but brave heap. While I will talk about the Iroquois more later when I write up their game against Canada later in this blog I think it is fair to sum up our chances of beating them as, well, none what so ever.

So where England a 'better' team then Australia? Probably not. They didn't seem to have huge depth and you could see on some of the plays mistakes class teams (ie USA, Canada, Iroquois and on a good day, Australia) wouldn't have made. Actually mistakes is probably a bit cruel a comment and from the vantage of the stands it is easy to see the passes that should have been made to the players that should have then scored. They are even easier to spot when you have just spent 3 days watching USA and Canada make those passes.

So I don't believe England were or are a better side then us on a skill level. I don't believe Australia is a bad side even taking into account what I wrote about the Aust v Canada game two days ago. However what England clearly showed today was a huge and salivating hungry to win the game.

This came out at the start at the national anthems. The Advance Australia they play in my view is not one of the best I have ever heard recorded and not actually that easy to sing along with but even then the team and us fans gave suitable voice.

Then it was England's turn. With arms linked around each other's shoulders the full team projected vocally their emotion across the sidelines towards their equally supportive fans. And cheered. And leaped. And came out of the anthem ceremony so built up with energy that if the game had then been suddenly delayed or canceled the counter shock would have probably killed them.

England lead 4 nil at quarter time. Hunger. Australia was probably a bit unlucky not to score but played skilled enough to goto half time 5 to 6 down.

So my half time notes to myself...


Good comeback 2nd 1/4 as we looked dead at 1/4 time. ENG look very fired up and hungry to win. I feel we have more skill but they want to win and feel they can. After Canada and USA it almost is like we have lost a bit of self belief.

England just run on field after 1/2 time break. RAN. They are displaying a lot of self belief. ENG will be pumped and hard this 3rd qrt. If they get a run on us at the start they might be hard to catch.

Well fortunately for us we scored next and got in front 9 to 7 at 3/4.

But that hungry was never lost. They came out last quarter, got even, drop a goal behind, got in front, got even and then in the last minute of the game got in front.

To say they were pleased to win is a complete understatement. England have been regarded a low fifth in lacrosse pecking order to Australia's rather higher third. The sight of their full team sprinting across the field at full time to be with their equally excited families and supporters clearly shows they understood fully the significance of this game.

The came. They wanted. They won.