While Wales were basking in the glory of their remarkable 28-25 comeback win and trying to recover in time for Thursday’s match against Fiji, England were doing their best to switch the focus to their next challenge – the all or nothing Pool A meeting with Australia on Saturday.
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Youngs insisted that Stuart Lancaster’s side must push the defeat from their minds and realise the importance of the repeat of the 2003 final if they are to emerge victorious next Saturday.
Lots of water has passed under the bridge since Graham Henry coached Wales, but in his latest Guardian column the World Cup-winning coach did not even attempt to disguise how happy he was with their dramatic win over England on Saturday.
Fiji would like to forget their last World Cup showing against Wales, a 66-0 drubbing in 2011, but have drawn inspiration from the way they beat them 38-34 in 2007 to ensure they progressed to the knockout stages at the expense of the Welsh.
Vunipola was one of England’s best performers against Wales, casting aside his error-strewn displays in the warm-up matches to rediscover the form he showed in the World Cup.
Injury-ravaged Wales battled back from 10 points behind to overcome the home side at Twickenham, prompting a rapturous reaction from some big names.
“I’m very convinced we can still make the quarter-finals”.
“The call came down to myself, we wanted to go for a win, unfortunately it didn’t come off”, Robshaw later admitted.
“It is never nice seeing your mates go down, but from number one to 31 in the squad we have always been there together”.
Had England secured a draw against Warren Gatland’s underdogs, they would have been in a stronger position come the final reckoning of an unprecedented tough Pool A.
England lost 28-25 at Twickenham after turning down a shot at goal from the touchline with less than two minutes remaining, opting instead to go for a line-out and a chance to win the game.
“So as a coach, the way that these players stuck at their task, took the points and kept playing – we were a bit more expansive in the second half – I can’t ask for any more”.
“It was a great Welsh team performance and we have to understand that 80 minutes of rugby is going to be the minimum amount of effort for us”, said Matson, speaking from Fiji’s base in Swansea on Monday morning.
He said that he “100%” stood by the selections for the game against Wales and that he believed the team could beat Australia.
“We back the captain and we back all the players; we always have done and always will”, he said.
“We can’t be sitting feeling sorry for ourselves”.
“We’ll have to be right on our mettle to get things right“.
The Wallabies moved to the top of Pool A with their 11 try, 64-3 hammering of Uruguay in Birmingham at the weekend, but still only have nine points, the same as Wales.
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But England hooker Tom Youngs warned Australia, recent winners of the southern hemisphere Rugby Championship, were a real threat up front.
