Hockey World Cup 2018: Australia vs England - 5 Talking Points

#2 Fast breaks from England in the first half

Phil Roper (right) was extremely impressive

There were many English players who had a good day on the field even as their team lost 0-3. Liam Ansell was again brilliant and always at the heart of all of England's attacks. There were some sizzling runs made by Roper. Phil Roper even hit the post in the 22nd minute as Lovell was beaten for a change.

England's circle penetrations were more down the middle while Australia's were majorly from the left. There was a lot of intent whenever England went forward. Barry Middleton of England made a few good runs and was exceptional on the field. The veteran midfielder also fulfilled his defensive duties and got a couple of good blocks in the way during the game. He was always composed on the ball.

All these players were the important cogs in the England machine. However, it failed to get the match-winning goals this time around.

The multiple chances England missed in the 2nd quarter came back to haunt them at the end of the match. It was a closely-contested match in the first 3 quarters but the Australians took it away in the 4th. Had England pushed hard enough -- as the Aussies did -- when not in possession of the ball, the scoreline would have been different.