Farrel in the spotlight after no-arms tackle

WORLD Rugby’s officiating protocols have come under fierce attack yet again this autumn as Australia were overwhelmed 37-18 by England at Twickenham.

England celebrated a successful series which culminated in a sixth successive victory over the Wallabies, but Owen Farrell was once more at the centre of attention for a no-arms tackle that went unpunished by referee Jaco Peyper.

Farrell (below) used his shoulder to stop lock Izack Rodda as he neared the whitewash on the stroke of half-time, mirroring his challenge in the closing seconds of the opening Quilter International against South Africa which also went unpunished.

Jonny May, Elliot Daly, Joe Cokanasiga and Farrell ran in tries to sink a feeble Australia team that ended 2018 with nine losses in 13 games.

Meanwhile, England can look ahead to the World Cup with renewed purpose after overcoming the disappointment of a fifthplace finish in the Six Nations and 2-1 series defeat in South Africa.

“We’d had a tough Six Nations. We’d got some things wrong in planning, some things wrong in terms of where we were going as a team and we needed to regroup and we did that,” head coach Eddie Jones said.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted in South Africa but in terms of the togetherness of the team, how we want to go forward, this series was a step forward and the 2019 Six Nations will be another step forward again.”

Since replacing Stuart Lancaster at the end of 2015, Jones has enjoyed complete mastery against the team he coached for four years until he was was sacked in 2005.