It was heartening to see the progress at international level of such relative newcomers as Alex Goode and Charlie Sharples and also the impact made by our debutant hooker Tom Youngs. Joe Launchbury and Mako Vunipola will also benefit from the experience.
However you could have been forgiven for thinking that we had lost if you had been present at our training session on Tuesday at our HQ at Pennyhill Park. We were put through a really tough session of full-on contact in the course of which I needed five stitches after a clash of heads with Phil Dowson!
We were given a break on Wednesday and fortunately, as I am now based here in the UK, I could return home to spend some time with my wife – something completely impractical when we lived in Paris.
Our opponents Australia will be a different proposition to Fiji in the way they approach the game. They will be well organised and, coming off a run of internationals in close proximity to each other, their patterns of play should be nailed on.
Don’t underestimate the Wallabies because they underperformed in France last weekend. France are capable of beating the very best – look how close they came to defeating New Zealand in the final of the World Cup. And, Australia, just a few weeks ago, ended the long winning run of the All Blacks by holding them to an 18 – 18 draw.
Having played in France for the last two years I was delighted for my old Stade Francais captain Pascal Pape and there were very significant contributions from Freddie Michalak, now restored to favour and playing for Toulon after his sojourn in South Africa, and No.8 Louis Picamoles, who is one of the very best ball carriers in world rugby.
Australia will raise their game at Twickenham on Saturday. It is a classic rivalry that is mirrored in other sporting disciplines.
They have creative backs who have already announced themselves on the world stage and their pack will be as combative as ever led by second row Nathan Sharpe who has over 100 caps to his name. Openside flanker Michael Hooper is already playing like his mentor Dave Pocock and so we will need to raise our game again if we are to secure victory and move up the world rankings ahead of the draw for the next World Cup here in 2015.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom Palmer is writing for Greene King IPA