Cheating storm erupts before Matildas game with wild English accusation

Australia has been accused of spying with a sensational storm erupting hours before the Matildas’ semi-final against England.

England’s final training session. Picture: Richard Dobson.

England has accused Australia of cheating with a storm raging just hours before the Matildas’ semi-final.

With sporting relations between the two countries at breaking point after the fiery Ashes series in England, the Pommy press has taken a swipe at Australia after News Corp newspaper The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday sent a helicopter to catch a glimpse of England’s final training session.

The stunt has gone down like a lead balloon back in the UK with the notoriously sassy English press firing shots at the entire country — just weeks after the Aussie cricket team retained the urn.

UK newspapers The Sun and The Daily Express shared the news, labelling Aussies “cheats.”

The Daily Telegraph’s chopper has caused some drama. Picture: Richard Dobson.

“The cheating Aussies were up to their old tricks when a helicopter was caught spying on England,” The Sun wrote.

“Manager Sarina Weigman was running her Lionesses through their final training session before today’s big match when it was spotted.”

The Guardian wrote the England squad had been “on the end of a spying controversy”.

The London Telegraph’s Luke Edwards wrote: “The underhand methods deployed by a prominent Australian newspaper will anger players and supporters alike”.

The English Football Association has declined to comment on the incident

England manager Sarina Weigman did not seem too disappointed and it appears no valuable inside information was captured in the helicopter raid.

The Matildas held their final training session behind closed doors at Kogarah in Sydney while the Lionesses were on the Central Coast at Gosford.

The Lionesses have been roared on by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak — who urged them to “finish the job” against Australia.

He told The Sun: “It’s been an amazing summer of sport for our country and having fought back from the brink to draw the Ashes, it’s time to ­finish the job. The nation’s hopes of beating the Aussies now rest on our Lionesses.

“They’re just one win away from creating history by reaching their first World Cup final. They’ll take the fight to them in their backyard and we’ll all be roaring them on back home.”

The winner of Wednesday night’s clash will face Spain in Sunday’s final.

— with thesun.co.uk

Originally published as Cheating storm erupts before Matildas game with wild English accusation