After Wembley, and Britain's crushing defeat by a side representing half of Australian rugby league, obituaries were being prepared for the international game. Laurie Daley's champions would surely thrash the hapless Poms at Old Trafford, as they had done after defeat at Wembley in 1994, to clinch the series; and a pitiful attendance would turn up at Elland Road to see them complete an inevitable whitewash. Instead Maurice Lindsay and his staff at the Rugby Football League reported lengthy queues at their Leeds headquarters yesterday morning, such is the desire to see next Sunday's decider on the other side of the city. It is no exaggeration to say that Saturday's stirring performance (20-12) by Andy Farrell and his team has saved international rugby league.
It is the Australians who should be most grateful. Competition from Britain, and to a lesser extent New Zealand, is their best card against the growing threat from Australian Rules Football, now expanded from its southern base to the league strongholds of Sydney and Brisbane. It has nothing to match next Sunday's decider.
It is the fourth consecutive series to reach the third Test at one-all. In both 1990 and 1994, however, Australia went to Elland Road with momentum, having come back from defeat at Wembley with victory at Old Trafford. This time the advantage lies with Britain.
Among their players on Saturday evening, once the initial euphoria of a stunning victory had died down, there was a feeling of quiet confidence that the series could, and would, be won.
Coach Andy Goodway can be relied upon, as it was his first pledge on taking the job in September, not to rely upon lightning striking twice at Elland Road. Australia did not play that badly on Saturday, and there is certainly some truth in saying they played only as well as they were allowed. However, they could still have won the game had Richardson's pass found Smith in a late breakaway, while many of their problems were self-inflicted. Captain Daley and coach John Lang both identified indiscipline as the single biggest cause of their defeat - a polite way of blaming Gorden Tallis.
The rampaging Brisbane Broncos second-row, who was outstanding at Wembley, played more like a pantomime villain.
Having bought Farrell's dummy to allow Britain to respond to Steve Walters' opening try, he thundered into Chris Joynt to earn his first rebuke from the referee. He was later placed on report by Mr Houston for a reckless high tackle on Alan Hunte, and ended the game in the sin-bin after conceding the penalty which allowed Farrell to seal the game.
Tallis has already been cleared for Elland Road, RFL officials ruling after viewing a video of his tackle on Hunte that he had no case to answer. However, it is by no means certain that he will play, after Australian coach Lang has balanced his undoubted ability with his suspect discipline, especially with Bradley Clyde expected to have recovered from the calf injury which has ruled him out of the first two Tests.
