All that is true, but even if they're underperforming a bit, I'd still expect an Australia-Norway R16 match to be pretty fun to watch. Contrasting styles, and quality offensive players.
We've got one of the marquee matches of the group stage coming up in a few minutes: Japan-England (with Argentina-Scotland as the undercard). Despite their finish in the Finals in the last WWC, Japan has spent the last 4 years sliding back into the pack while England has risen to world #3. Japan couldn't find a goal against Argentina, while England did, so that's what separates them going in, and what gives England the group in the event of a draw.
It's a bit odd to me that they'd put England-Japan in Nice, while Argentina-Scotland happens at the much bigger Parc des Princes in Paris, hundreds of miles closer to England and of course much larger airports. England's first game was also in Nice, at the southern tip of France, while their 2nd was in Le Havre, in Normandy at the very north of the country - and now back down. If I didn't know better, I'd say the tournament's French organizers were messing with the English, though I can't imagine any reason they'd want to do something like that...
