THE performance against Australia was probably the finest first half display that I have ever seen from an England side.

The whole week was an extremely satisfying experience even though I did not come off the bench during the match.

The result was poetic justice as there had been some talk in the press leading up to the match that Clive Woodward had got his selections wrong, and that he was over-reacting to the defeat in Dublin by making seven changes. But once again, both he and the team responded superbly.

I think that we answered our critics in the best possible way by playing some superb rugby in attack, defending heroically and taking the Wallabies on up front.

The credit must go to the forwards though. They were absolutely outstanding, pressurising the Wallabies into giving away penalties and creating a platform from which the backs were able to mount incisive attacks.

The World champions simply could not compete for over 50 minutes, as they had to soak up wave upon wave of England attacks.

The statistics said it all. At half time we had made just 17 tackles in comparison with Australia's 80, and had nearly 75 per cent of the possession. It was a truly awesome performance when you consider that the Wallabies are the best attacking side in the world.

We were disappointed that we did not score a try during the half, but that is something that we can work on over the next couple of weeks.

I mentioned last week that the atmosphere prior to the Ireland defeat was not of the intensity you would expect before a Grand Slam decider. Neil Back ensured that there were no such problems against the Wallabies.

Backy, who is doing an excellent job as captain in the absence of Martin Johnson, gave a rousing pep talk before the kick off which certainly worked. However, I couldn't possibly repeat it.

Yes it was a fantastic win against a full strength Australian side, but we should not get too carried away.

There is still a small matter of the Springboks visiting Twickenham next Saturday, and they are always tough to play. I don't want to take anything away from the Romanian match tomorrow (for it is an important fixture for many reasons), but I can't help but feel that with the All Blacks touring the UK, it is a shame that we cannot have a crack at them.

To play the 'big three' Southern Hemisphere sides at Twickenham in consecutive weekends would have been totally awesome for both players and fans alike.

It would have also produced the big tournament intensity that is usually associated with a World Cup, and a chance to truly assess our position within World rugby.

Attention for me has already turned to the Bristol match on Sunday. Derby matches are always great occasions, and I'm sure that the Bristol supporters will give us a warm welcome.

Actually, we have a bit of a score to settle having lost at the Memorial Stadium last season, and even without a whole host of International players, I'm positive that it will be a cracking match.

Gloucester thumped Bristol last weekend in another derby match, but that will count for little on Sunday. Like Bath Rugby, Dean Ryan's side has been disrupted by International demands of late and with the Argentine duo of Pichot and Contepomi back to pull the strings, they will be extremely competitive.

The key as ever will be up front. Bristol are a strong scrummaging side, but if we can contain their powerful front row, we should be able to provide a platform from which we can unleash our talented back line.

Despite a few mistakes against London Irish last weekend, I am totally confident that we can make it two wins on the trot.

The likes of Olly Barkley and James Scaysbrook and Andy Beattie are improving with every match, and I'm sure that everyone from 1 to 15 will give an excellent account of themselves on Sunday.

Thanks for your support

Matt Perry