Key events
39 min: So sloppy from Australia! My goodness they have been poor. They try to work a clever routine at the front of the line-out but make a proper mess of it, spilling it. England run it and get it to Feyi-Waboso in no time. Soon after Australia give away a penalty on the floor that Smith kicks out to set up a line-out on the 22 to the left.
37 min: Penalty for Australia on the 10 metre line and a chance to kick to the corner and land a blow before the break. Itoje tried to steal from McReight’s carry. That was loose from the skipper. The kick finds touch inside the England 22. Can they get themselves in gear?
36 min: England haven’t been brilliant, but they’ve bossed the basics. That is a great exit from JvP at the back of a ruck. His box kick finds touch around halfway from inside his own 22. England though give away a free-kick (so maybe scratch the first line of this post) and Australia run it hard through Canham.
TRY! England 19-3 Australia (Heyes, 34)
The big man scores and is mobbed by his mates! He looks a popular try scorer. It started with a maul from about 10 out. It was stopped, but when things fractured, Heyes emerged from the morass to dive over from close range. Was Australia missing the heft of Bell? Perhaps. But that’s what happens when you get yourself sin-binned. Smith slots the extras and this is quickly becoming a rout.
Yellow card! Australia (Bell, 33)
I’m not sure how much intent was there, but that is dangerous and needs punishing. Feyi-Waboso is carrying on which might save Bell.
Smith kicks this out of touch inside Australia’s 22.
33 min: Australia just haven’t got out of second gear. They’re back inside their own 22 after Wright has to field a Smith grubber close to his own try-line. The fullback doesn’t kick but chooses to run. He needs help as he’s swamped by three men in white. Eventually they clear, but Lonergan hooks his kick and England will get the line-out inside the Wallaby’s 22.
Oh, sad news though as it looks like Feyi-Waboso’s race might be run. Was that an illegal tackle by Bell who fell on the winger’s leg? They call that a hip drop tackle as the tackler drops his weight onto the ball carrier’s limbs.
31 min: Jorgensen plucks a great grab from the skies. But soon after they lose it as Itoje comes away with it after a steal. He runs hard at Bell. England fling it down the right to Freeman who off-loads with one hand back infield. Was that forward? No says the referee. So they build inside the Australia 22 down the right corner. But the clear-out was illegal, deemed a neck-roll. Furbank the guilty party there. Australia get another let off.
TRY! England 12-3 Australia (Chessum, 27)
Quality, real quality from England! It’s Chessum who bulldozes over in the corner after hanging out in the tram down the left and then exploiting the overlap, but this has Feyi-Waboso all over it. Lonergan’s box didn’t find touch and Feyi-Waboso gathered and sparked the counter, later involved down the right where Earl carried over the line. Smith to Furbank who got his head up and recognised that the big man was loitering on his own. The looping skip pass was perfect. Could he catch it clean? You bet. There was no stopping him from there.
Smith lands the extras to open a deserving lead for the home side.
24 min: Whenever Feyi-Waboso gets the ball, as he does soon after the scrum thanks to a lovely pass from Furbank, they look half decent. He scampers into the 22, steps and is tackled. The ball is spilled, Freeman tries to kick it but knocks-on. One step forward, one step back. Scrum to Australia down in their own right corner.
23 min: My word, this is dross! Australia now throw skew at the line-out, 10 inside England’s half.
“The way this is being broadcast is as if it’s being played behind closed doors. NO crowd noise is very off-putting! It’s weird to watch,” says Richard Slassor.
No kidding. It’s been that sort of game.
22 min: But England make another soft mistake. Not straight at the resulting line-out from George. So Australia get a scrum feed inside their own patch. England have been by far the better side but they’re only two points ahead.
Now they give away a scrum penalty. Heyes nailed.
This has been incredibly stodgy from both sides.
21 min: Lonergan hoists another high ball that Suaalii catches with ease. Australia eking out territory. Bell runs over a tackler in centre field but there’s a turnover on the floor as England win a penalty 10 out from their own 22 as Curry stoops over the ball and snatches an important steal. That’s why he’s in the side.
19 min: They don’t maul, but instead go through the hands. Feyi-Waboso collects a short pass on the angle but spills it just before he takes the contact after joining off his wing from the left. Australia run it back. They go through a few phases before Lonergan kicks and it takes a deflection so Australia will have the throw. They win that and box again. They win the ball back on halfway. It’s stodgy, but they’ve inched their way to England’s territory.
17 min: Scrum penalty for England! That will make them feel a whole lot better. Smith punts it out, inside the 22 but not quite the corner on the left. They’ll need to maul 15 metres or so to score from here.
16 min: A better box kick from JvP puts Australia under pressure, forcing Suailii to rise and grab it. He doesn’t, but it comes down for Australia and then they regroup. Wright steps inside but is tackled by Atkinson on the 22. Australia keen to run it rather than kick. Now they kick a contestable and it’s spilled on halfway by the chasing Jorgensen so it’ll be an England scrum on halfway about 10 metres in from their left touch.
13 min: Australia take an age to kick a clearance from the restart. That puts extra pressure on Lonergan who looks to box but is charged down by Itoje inside his own 22! It’s a super messy ball for the Aussies and in fact they spill it. That’s a knock-on and England get a scum feed between the Aussie 22 and the try line. Short blind on the right. Big chance here. OH! But they’ve gifted a free-kick for an early shove by Heyes back to Australia. What a let off. Borthwick must be sick with that.
Penalty! England 5-3 Australia (Lonergan, 12)
Australia are on the board. From just left of the poles, about 35 metres out, Australia’s 9 slots his team’s first points.
11 min: JvP box kicks after the restart and finds touch 10 metres from halfway. Australia win the line-out and get to work. A rush defence puts huge pressure on the Aussie midfield and there’s a spill on halfway! Oh, but the English were too eager and in fact they were off-side. Wright has the ball as he and Wilson consider what to do. In fact, England were off-side at the line-out. They point to the poles. What a throwback!
TRY! England 5-0 Australia (George, 8)
No denying them this time! George finds Chessum and then joins the back of the maul. Australia look to have sacked it, but the English pack keeps its feet. A second shove gets another rumble on and George is hauled over the line for his 18th Test try. Smith can’t stick the conversion, hitting the post from the left. Still, England deserve that after a blistering start.
8 min: Australia kick from the scrum. England back on it. Chessum is winning every collision. JvP box kicks, not very well. But that’s OK as two Aussies chasing get in each others’ way and there’s a penalty call for obstruction against them. So Smith can hoof the ball into the corner. England with a chance to maul from about seven out down their left.
6 min: Off the scrum England are keen to get the ball down to Feyi-Waboso as quickly as possible down the left wing. That’s what they do and the crowd fizled with anticipation. Jorgensen tackles him. Furbank and then Smith carry it on. Coles though loses his feet as he goes to clean a ruck and Australia get the penalty inside their own 22. England look sharp, but need to clean up.
3 min: England will get a scrum 10 in from the halfway inside their own patch. That came after Australia attacked down the line through Sua’ali’i who stepped in off the wing but was isolated and held up in the tackle. So it’s turnover ball for England. Early signs of what Joseph is keen to do. But that was sloppy not getting to ground after taking the hit.
DISALLOWED TRY! England 0-0 Australia (Feyi-Waboso, 2)
What a start for England! Oh my word, how clinical! They won the line-out (just) and went down the blind. Chessum with a meaty carry got them rumbling. It came back infield. Earl with a carry in the build up, Curry too. Then Smith with a little pass for Atkinson who then found Feyi-Waboso off his right wing and he did the business.
Oh wait, was there a forward pass? Yes, there was. Curry’s pass to Chessum down the blind was forward. But that was ages ago! But fair dos, them’s the rules.
Australia scrum.
1 min: Australia win the kick-off. Ikitau carries after a couple of phases before the box kick finds touch 40 metres down town. Early line-out for England.
Kick-off!
F Smith gets us under way!
England in all white, the Aussies in green and gold. What a picture!
Stirring anthems done and dusted.
Those came after a lovely tribute to those who have given their lives defending both nations.
England have history on their side.
They’ve won 15 of their last 19 meetings with Australia, including last year’s 25-7 victory here.
And what about the Wallabies?
Andy Bull makes a case that they need more than ‘moments’ to really start mixing it with the big boys:
Off the field, a pay dispute has cast a shadow over the European tour:
Beware the cornered lion.
So says Ugo Monye, who argues that this turbulent build up could bring out the best of England.
Australia team news
Two years ago, in his first senior rugby union match, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii dazzled at centre as the Wallabies pulled off a dramatic heist.
Since then, he’s not really made that 13 jumper his own but he’s too good to sit on the bench. That means he starts on the wing and will no doubt join the line as well as offer threats in the air.
It’s a big game for Declan Meredeth at fly-half. He’s one of seven starting 10s for the Wallabies since the 2023 World Cup in a position that appears more cursed than the Defence Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts.
This is his fifth start at first receiver in this period (tied now with Ben Donaldson and Tane Edmed, but still catching Noah Lolesio’s tally of 12). If he can get enough front-foot ball, a sparkling backline will surely cause havoc.
Fraser Mcreight, holder of the John Eales medal for best Wallaby of the year, wins his 50th Test cap. There is surely no better fetcher in the game.
Rob Valetini surprisngly starts on the bench. But that just means an already hefty looking list of replacements, which includes prop Taniele Tupou and flyer Filipo Daugunu, carries even more threat.
Australia: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Isaac Henry, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii; Declan Meredith, Ryan Lonergan; Angus Bell, Billy Pollard, Allan Alaalatoa, Josh Canham, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Jeremy Williams, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt).
Replacements: Josh Nasser, Isaac Kailea, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Filipo Daugunu.
England team news
Maro Itoje returns after an international sabbatical and the birth of his son to skipper his nation once again.
Not only does he bring leadership but also class to a second row that includes the tall timber of Alex Coles.
George Furbank starts at 15 with Fin Smith at 10; Borthwick has been desperate for that axis for some time and finally has both playmakers fit.
The experienced Henry Slade wins the battle for the 13 jersey while Tom Curry’s injury means his twin, Ben, gets the nod at openside. A formidable bench – with Henry Pollock alongside the debutant Greg Fisilau – promises to bring some power in the closing stages.
Perhaps the most significant development is the return of Fin Baxter who starts at loosehead. His presence means Steve Borthwick has four elite props in the group.
England: George Furbank; Tommy Freeman, Henry Slade, Seb Atkinson, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; Fin Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Fin Baxter, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Maro Itoje (capt), Alex Coles, Ollie Chessum, Ben Curry, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Martin, Greg Fisilau, Henry Pollock, Ben Spencer, Marcus Smith.
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
English rugby is under siege.
That’s not a yarn peddled by the Guardian. No, that’s the message coming out of the England camp after a piece published on Thursday triggered a circling of the wagons.
The gist is that Steve Borthwick lacks the charisma and nous needed to turn things around after a worst ever Six Nations campaign and an exodus of assistant coaches. That less than a year out from a World Cup, this is a team that is merely making up the numbers.
Not so was the resounding retort from some senior players including the returning skipper Maro Itoje and the former skipper Jamie George. They say that things are right as rain and they’ll prove how much they rate their coach with a performance against the Aussies.
But which Australian side will they face? The swashbuckling world beaters who stuffed the Springboks, or the no-hopers who got spanked by the All Blacks? Look up the word mercurial in the dictionary and you’ll see an accompanying picture of Les Kiss’ Wallabies.
This all adds up to a cracking occasion. A packed Twickenham. Two teams with something to prove. Two coaches desperate for a win. I can’t wait!
I’m lucky enough to be in the stadium this afternoon. If you spot something on your TV or radio and you’d like to flag it, then please do drop me a line.
I’ll quickly make my way to my seat where I’ll bring you team news and other bits. Between then and now, get your drinks and snacks ready and get comfy. I’ve got a feeling this will be quite special.
Kick-off at 15:10 GMT.
