It may take several days for them to dry out but England are into the World Cup semi-finals.
There was never any chance of the Red Roses losing, and 29 Tests have passed since they were defeated, despite the fact that the monsoonal rain in Auckland initially made this more resemble a game of water polo.
The close-quarters strategy adopted by England was clearly dictated by the circumstances and was also appropriate.
Rugby knockouts are obviously not decided by aesthetic appeal, and the day was definitely not conducive to kicking the ball around.
Despite not doing anything particularly remarkable, England still managed to score seven tries thanks to Marlie Packer’s short-range hat-trick.
Even if it were held in a car wash, the first half might have been a little bit drier for everyone involved, it was still not particularly memorable for the impartial.
There wasn’t much fun to be had other than when the organisers played Rihanna’s Umbrella over the public address system in the second half.
Even in light of Australia’s fierce defence and the wet ball, England’s performance was inconsistent at times.
Although Packer and Abbie Ward’s work ethic and the Red Roses’ scrum’s consistent dominance were commendable, and the Wallaroos spent the majority of the afternoon confined to their own half, it still seems as though this talented team had more to offer.
But with the job done for England, it’s on to this Saturday’s match at Eden Park. They remain difficult to break down defensively, and Packer had another successful day at the breakdown.
Because of the UK’s time change, the first 40 minutes were practically over before they had even started. This made the first half particularly noteworthy.
Australia would have benefitted from a shortened competition because stopping England’s massive pack was undoubtedly a difficult task.
However, England can continue and use their super strength for the time being.
If England isn’t purposefully keeping their powder dry, it’s a shame that there wasn’t a little bit more of that incisiveness as the weather dried up.
They have the firepower to make that possible, but they didn’t exert the kind of ruthless control they would have preferred until it was too late, when Australia was worn out and the rain had stopped.
There is still the nagging feeling that they will need to be a little bit more incisive in both their execution and the pace at which they play on dry days against good opposition in order to avoid giving expansive opponents like New Zealand an advantage.
