Wynne Gray: Instinctive Wallabies break down England

Sekope Kepu gives a thumbs up to the supporters after Australia's win. Photo / Getty

Forever and a day it seems, England have crowed about their scrum prowess especially at Twickenham.

When they hosted the Wallabies they lauded it over a pack who scrummed on ice-skates or marbles depending on which mocking version you heard. Those taunts were hollow today.

The home of rugby became the tomb of doom for England as the World Cup hosts were dispatched 33-13 as victims of their puffed up muscularity and media support.

The Wallabies crowned that insult as they earned several scrum penalties and then in the dramatic closing sequences, cracked England's scrum apart. The bully boys were broken and had nothing left while the Wallabies jumped on that advantage.

Another attack put Owen Farrell in the sinbin for an illegal tackle and England's demise was sealed.

Referee Romain Poite penalised England's scrum several more times, Bernard Foley banged over more penalties before Matt Giteau scored in a final move breakout to complete England's dismay.

Scrum coach Mario Ledesma, the former Puma hooker, will be getting extra plaudits for the work he has put into the technical resurrection of the Wallaby scrum. It has also been helped by the rise of loosehead Scott Sio and the continued surge from Sekope Kepu.

Four years of talent identification, player recruitment, specialist coaching and squad pampering under Stuart Lancaster ended in a simpering grimace at Twickenham.

They failed to front for the most important match in their World Cup history as the Wallabies rode home on the back of magnificent breakdown work from David Pocock and Michael Hooper, a strong setpiece and a clinical five eighths performance from Foley.

Their work across the park mocked Danny Cipriani's comment that none of the Wallabies would be picked ahead of England's men. That sort of superior sentiment has regularly eaten at England's work and been springboard motivation for those visiting Twickenham.

With their set-piece sorted, the instinctive Wallaby game was a step too sharp for their foes. Even with an early injury to Rob Horne and subdued input from Israel Folau, there was better snap from their attack until the arrival of replacement halfback Nick Phipps.