By JOHN DAVIDSON
KALLUM Watkins has reflected on England’s Ashes whitewash, saying execution was the key difference between the two teams before insisting the series must stay part of the international calendar.
Australia prevailed in 3-0 late last year in Tests in London, Liverpool and Leeds to keep its 53-year-old grip on the trophy.
Watkins was a veteran member of the England side and was philosophical about the series.
“I really enjoyed it,” the forward told rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads.
“Things didn’t go our way. A lot of people didn’t expect us to do much in those games but I felt at times we put ourselves in a really good position to challenge them.
“But we just didn’t execute our plays. It’s always about small details and the Aussies did that with the quality that they’ve got and took advantage when they had those opportunities.
“Usually, that’s the key difference to it. Putting yourselves in the right positions but you’ve got to execute those plays. To be fair to the Aussies, they scramble like mad. That’s what it’s all about.”
Despite the results, the back-rower was pleased the Ashes returned after a 22-year hiatus.
“I’m glad that it happened because it’s been such a long time since the last Ashes,” he said.
“It was probably only myself, George [Williams], John Bateman, Alex [Walmsley], who have played the Aussies at the highest level.
“To get everyone else there playing against them, matching them and doing really well – that gives them confidence and then going into a situation where they’re playing them again, then they’re in a much better position and know what’s required because you don’t get many opportunities to get points against them.
“And you’ve got to take them.”
The 2025 Ashes series was the first time England had faced the Kangaroos since the 2017 World Cup final. England has also not met New Zealand in a game since 2018, with Great Britain touring the Land of the Long White Cloud in 2019.
Watkins admits it is difficult to gauge where England is really at as a team without facing Australia and New Zealand regularly.
“I remember in the Third Test the scoreline pulled away from us but the majority of that game we were right in,” the Leeds Rhinos forward said.
“It’s always about those small details and making sure you get those things right.
“It is difficult but I think everyone is in the same position internationally anyway because apart from the Aussies, they’ve got State of Origin and use that to build their Aussie team and work on combinations.
“But building up to the World Cup they’ve got no warm-up game or anything in between that, which is tough.
“But that’s how it is and you have to work through that.
“So when you do play those teams, in an Ashes series or a Test series, you have to take full advantage of it because it might be a long time before you do that again.”
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