Sticky-taped Wallabies looking to silence Eddie Jones and England
Revenge is a dish best served cold but it's turned into a never-ending banquet for England coach Eddie Jones.
The former Australian boss has taken particular delight in skewering his countrymen at every opportunity, beating – and, at times, humiliating – the Wallabies seven times in seven games since accepting the England job in 2015.
Ten years lapsed between Jones receiving the flick from the Wallabies and taking over England, but he has not forgotten nor forgiven.
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While the key protagonists in the Australian set-up are no longer around, the England boss does not waste an opportunity to remind them of what they could have had.
He also doesn't mind playing with their heads, as evidenced by his comments this week that Australia suffers from an "inferiority complex" when it comes to England in any sport.
It was actually meant as a compliment of sorts – that Aussies are driven to beat the mother country at every opportunity – but with Jones it often comes off as a dig concealed in a wrap.
All roads points to another Jones triumph when England host the patched-up Wallabies at Twickenham on Sunday morning (AEDT).
The visitors are running on empty, having lost props Taniela Tupou and Allan Alaalatoa to concussion and utility back Jordan Petaia to a torn hamstring.
You can almost see the sticky tape under the Australian jerseys as they attempt to negotiate the final stages of an arduous international campaign without many of their first-choice players.
Tough outings against New Zealand, France, South Africa, Argentina and Japan – coupled with travel and quarantine restrictions – are testing Australia's limited resources to the limit.
Who would have said at the start of the year we'd see Kurtley Beale lining up at fullback and James O'Connor at 10?
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Wallabies fans back home are pessimistic about the team's chances against England, most hoping the damage is minimal and disregarding any suggestion of an upset.
That's why the narrow loss to Scotland hurt so much.
Victory at Murrayfield would have secured at least one win on the European tour but Dave Rennie's men will be doing well to remain competitive against England and next week's opponent, Wales.
Rennie, of course, believes the Wallabies can win both but his pre-match comments hint at a team trying to convince itself.
He said of the England match: "We've talked a lot about embracing it - it's going to be noisy, it'll be 'Swing Low' being sung in the crowd - but you've got to get excited and embrace that sort of situation," he said.
"It's a massive game and a great opportunity for us, playing a great England side at Twickenham.
"We're going to throw everything at them."
Everything sounds good but might not be enough against a more than decent England side.
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