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RWC 2015: What do England need to do to reach the World Cup quarter-finals after Wales beat Fiji?

England can almost guarentee themselves a place in the last-eight with a win over Australia - but defeat is not an option

Jack de Menezes

Thursday 01 October 2015 19:46 BST

England captain Chris Robshaw (Getty Images)

Wales’s 32-13 victory has put the nation on the cusp of the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, but it is more than bad news for England.

The result puts the emphasis on this Saturday’s showdown with Australia that will decide whether they go on to reach the last-eight of the tournament which they are hosting, or if an early exit will be sealed to end a miserable campaign at the pool stages.

The 28-25 defeat to Wales last weekend has left Stuart Lancaster’s side exposed as the weakest of the ‘big three’ in Pool A, and led to a flurry of criticism aimed at the England head coach by ex-pros and members of the media.

England vs Wales player ratings

Show all 30

1/30England vs Wales player ratings

England vs Wales player ratings

<b>England:</b> Mike Brown - 7/10

His usual reliable self in the air, and could do nothing to stop the try that levelled the scores.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Anthony Watson - 6/10

Worked hard with the few chances he did see and one led to three points from the boot of Farrell, but starved of ball as England struggled to impose on Wales in the second half.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Brad Barritt - 5/10

Showed why he rarely plays 13 these days and caught too narrow for Davies’s try. Will be disappointed with his night’s work.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Sam Burgess - 7/10

You couldn’t have asked more from him on his first competitive start. Phenomenal in defence and did the basics with the ball in hand. The try came soon after his exit.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Jonny May - 7/10

Has a simple run-in for his try and probed the Wales defence early in the second that nearly led to another.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Owen Farrell - 8/10

Faultless with the boot, which will raise more questions as to why he wasn’t given the chance to level the scores. His 40m-plus drop-goal a highlight, the final whistle a low-light.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Ben Youngs - 7/10

Much sharper than against Fiji, and his decision to attack the blindside led to May’s well-worked try. Departed early in the second half with a knock.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Billy Vunipola - 8/10

Woke up on the right side of the bed and started like a house on fire. His injury and subsequent removal robbed England of their go-forward.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Chris Robshaw - 6/10

His decision-making comes back into question at the worst time. Panicked when he had the ball in the red zone as he threw it to no one, and despite tackling excellently he will face huge question over why England have lost.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Tom Wood - 6/10

Gave away three points with a penalty in his own territory, but was useful in the air and positioned well in the defensive line to try and nullify the Welsh runners.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Courtney Lawes - 5/10

A little quiet once again, and his departure at half-time suggested an injury more than a tactical decision.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Geoff Parling - 6/10

Took the onus on himself to carry the English lineout and it worked to a degree. Took front ball in the final minute to try and win the game, and soon found himself on the back of a defeat.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Dan Cole - 7/10

Gave Jenkins nightmares of his afternoon here in 2014, but something changed in the second half and England no longer had the clear advantage in the scrum.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Tom Youngs - 6/10

Throwing improved as the game wore on, but he repeatedly found himself on the back foot when receiving the ball and that affected his impact.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Joe Marler - 7/10

Enjoyed phenomenal success in the front row, although the one penalty that went against England in the scrum fell at his feet.

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England vs Wales player ratings

<b>Wales:</b> Liam Williams - 7/10

Strong at the back and his positional play was excellent. Grew in stature in the second-half and threatened on a number of occasions.

England vs Wales player ratings

George North - 8/10

Had the second half of his life, even if he didn’t cross the whitewash. A quiet opening 40 was soon forgotten by bursting runs from his own 22 and also chipped in in defence with an important tackle on Brown to win a penalty when England were attacking.

England vs Wales player ratings

Scott Williams - 6/10

One surging run in the first half nearly led to a try for the Welsh, and gave them a welcome three points before the break. However, his night was cut short by a nasty looking injury after a tackle from Barritt.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Jamie Roberts - 7/10

His battle with Burgess came alive when he ran into a Burgess-Farrell wall and came off second best. However, he repeatedly bashed the English defensive line and was still standing come the end. The poor bloke will feel it in the morning.

England vs Wales player ratings

Hallam Amos - 6/10

Departed with a shoulder injury which unknowingly paved the way to Wales’s only try. Kept quiet throughout.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Dan Biggar - 9/10

Extraordinarily reliable from the tee and his kicking from hand was impressive too. Struggled to control the game in the first half, but more than made up for it in the second with a match-winning performance.

England vs Wales player ratings

Gareth Davies - 8/10

Few will have had the scrum-half being the one who made the difference, but he did what all good 9’s do in sweeping behind and profited with his side’s only try.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Taulupe Faletau - 7/10

Showed his strength whenever he was caught at the base as he stayed upright for long enough to receive support. Very impressive in the air, too.

England vs Wales player ratings

Sam Warburton - 8/10

Looked distraught when he gave away a penalty in the closing minutes, but the pain on his face will be more through his exploits than anything. The flanker was rewarded when the final whistle went after a hard night of constant tackling.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Dan Lydiate - 6/10

Could have penalised for a no-arm tackle on another day, but got away with it under Jerome Garces. Not as impressive as he would have liked and replaced late on.

England vs Wales player ratings

Alun Wyn Jones - 7/10

A commander in the air that gave Wales the lineout advantage, and he tackled himself senseless throughout the 80 minutes.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Bradley Davies - 6/10

Took a nasty knock in the first half but managed to recover to last until he was replaced by Charteris in the second. Neither stood out nor disappointed – solid, in other words.

England vs Wales player ratings

Tom Francis - 5/10

Questions over his fitness died away, but he struggled to cope with Marler’s pressure and left early after the break.

England vs Wales player ratings

Scott Baldwin - 6/10

Started well from the lineout but as the half wore on he became a touch wayward. Struggled in the scrum, and was replaced by Ken Owens early in the second.

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England vs Wales player ratings

Gethin Jenkins - 6/10

Penalised for a penalty metres out from his own line that he was lucky to stay on the pitch for, but his durability ensured Wales retained a presence in the front-row until the last.

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But what do England have to do to reach the quarter-finals?

If they beat Australia:

A win over Australia would lift England above the Wallabies and put their fate in their own hands. With their final match against Uruguay expected to be a walkover, England will still have a chance at top spot given Wales and the Wallabies meet in their final match, and the resulting picture would almost certainly see England into the knockout stages.

If they lose to Australia:

Defeat is now not an option. Should Australia win, they would move to at least 13 points to join Wales’s tally, and even if England picked up a losing bonus point they would trail the pair by six points and with five available against Uruguay, they would be out of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Lancaster: England 'must win'

The twist in the tail:

If England beat Australia but fail to score four tries, they will move to 10 points ahead of the Uruguay clash. Should they somehow fail to put four tries past Uruguay but still beat the South Americans, they would finish the pool stage on 14 points. If Australia beat Wales by scoring four tries, they would also end up on 14 points, and if Wales were to lose to the Wallabies by less than seven points they too would finish on 14 points.

The matter would then come down to points difference, and as things stand England trail massively; their modest 21-point advantage dwarfed by Australia’s 77 and Wales’s 58.

The most likely scenario:

England need to beat Australia and secure a bonus point victory over Uruguay to seal their place in the quarter-finals.

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