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As stated by skipper the England captain, the national team were handed a brutal "sobering lesson" as the Kangaroos clinched the coveted Ashes trophy.

The Kangaroos' decisive 14-4 win at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on the weekend gave them a unassailable 2-0 advantage, making the upcoming final match in Leeds a academic contest.

Shaun Wane's side had come into the series dreaming of sending the Kangaroos to their first Ashes series defeat since 1970.

In the past two years, they had achieved a 3-0 series win over the Tongan side and a 2-0 triumph over Samoa. But as the prestigious competition returned after a two-decade hiatus, England were failed to advance further against the world champions.

"We're not making excuses. We've had enough sessions to get it right on the field, and I don't think we've quite done that," Williams stated.

"Full marks to the Kangaroos. They proved strong defensively. But there's plenty to improve. It seems not as prepared as we believed we were entering this series.

"This serves as a good reality check for us, and we have plenty to improve on."

The Kangaroos 'Arrive and Prove Ruthless'

Having been comprehensively defeated in an error-strewn display at the national stadium, Wane side's were much improved on Saturday back in the core regions of England's north.

During an energetic initial stages, England caused turnovers from the Australians and had superior positioning and possession, but importantly did not capitalize on the scoreboard.

Notably, the English team have now managed just one score over two full matches, with player the forward powering through late on in the setback in London.

Conversely, the Kangaroos have racked up six so far - and when mistakes began to appear in the hosts' play just after the interval, it was a case of certainty, they were going to be heavily penalized.

Initially the playmaker scored, and then so too did Hudson Young. From being tied at four-all, the home side were down by double digits.

"Proud for the bulk of the game. In my view for 70 minutes we were competitive," said the coach.

"The lapse for 10 minutes after half-time damaged us severely. Munster's try was soft and should never happen in a international fixture.

"We're devastated. So proud the squad had a go but so disappointed with that post-interval, which cost us dearly."

Although the next World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea is just under 12 months away, England's primary concern will be on trying to restore some pride, avoiding a series whitewash and eradicating the issues that frustrated Wane.

"I hoped to see more thrown at the opposition. I wanted us to apply sustained attack in the game - we fell short last week," added the veteran coach.

"We did this week. It's just a lack of precision in our offense where we could have applied under more pressure. It's essential to stop each of [tries] with greater resolve.

"Fair play to the Kangaroos - that is no slight to them. They turn up and are merciless when they get a chance, and we weren't, but defensively we can and should do enhance.

"They will be obsessed to win the series whitewash and we need to be just as focused to make it a respectable scoreline. I've told that to the squad. It has to be our obsession. It's going to be a challenging week but the side that strives for it the most will emerge victorious next week."

Intensity Must to Improve in Domestic Competition

England have participated in a comparable number of international fixtures to the Kangaroos since the last World Cup in 2022.

However Wane thinks that the caliber of the NRL - and standard of the domestic rivalry matches between New South Wales and QLD - offer a more effective foundation for performing at the top of the international game than what is available in the Europe.

Wane commented that the hectic domestic league fixture schedule left no time for him to train his team during the season, which will only pose more issues around how England can bridge the gap to the Kangaroos before heading to Oceania in 2026.

"The Australians play a large number of Test matches in their league," he stated.

"England play ten to fifteen a year. We need demanding games to enhance the competition and increase our chances of winning these high-stakes fixtures.

"It was impossible to even practice with the players. There was no chance to got on the field in the season and despite having the complete support of all clubs in Super League.

"I understand in the position of the head coaches that need to win games. The league is that congested. It's a pity but it's not the cause we got beaten today."