Yahoo Sports England v Australia LIVE rugby: Result and reaction after Wallabies snatch victory in Twickenham thriller
Australia secured a dramatic victory over England in a Twickenham thriller as Max Jorgensen’s final-minute try piled more pressure on Steve Borthwick.
After a narrow defeat to the All Blacks in their Autumn Nations Series opener continued a run of close losses, England raced out of the blocks, surging in front through two tries from Chandler Cunningham-South and a Marcus Smith penalty. But their control soon lapsed as Australia came to the party, showing off their entertaining attacking game to take the lead before half time. After the interval, the Wallabies widened the gap as Jeremy Williams powered into the corner, leaving the hosts staring down the barrel of a fourth successive defeat.
Some excellent play from Harlequins’ Marcus Smith and Alex Dombrandt set up Ollie Sleightholme for two tries in quick succession to edge England back in front, before Andrew Kellaway and Maro Itoje traded scores as the game swang back and forth. But Jorgensen’s scamper to the corner snatched victory at the last in another difficult day for Borthwick’s side.
Re-live all of the action from Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in our live blog below:
England v Australia - live updates from Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
England face Australia at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in a must-win Test, live on TNT Sports
Steve Borthwick’s England have played well in their last three matches, all against New Zealand, but lost every one late on
83’ TRY! Jorgensen wins it after good work from Ikitau [ENG 37-42 AUS]
79’ TRY! Itoje goes over in the final minute [ENG 37-35 AUS]
75’ Kellaway runs in after mix-up in England backline [ENG 30-35 AUS]
69’ TRY! Sleightholme goes over again after smart play [ENG 30-28 AUS]
51’ TRY! Williams’ try is given after lengthy TMO [ENG 18-25 AUS]
34’ TRY! Wilson goes over after great work from McDermott [ENG 18-17 AUS]
26’ TRY! Wright goes over for the Wallabies [ENG 15-10 AUS]
11’ TRY! Cunningham-South goes over for his second try after a tap-and-go [ENG 12-3 AUS]
5’ TRY! Cunningham-South goes over in the corner [ENG 5-0 AUS]
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii sparkles to give Wallabies fresh life in dramatic win over England
18:00 , Chris Wilson
On 26 minutes came the glimpse of talent that Wallabies fans had been hoping to see. A step and a skip around Ollie Sleightholme, a deft drop over the top for Tom Wright to provide the finishing touches on Australia’s first try; Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii had arrived.
Australian rugby union fans have suffered for years of the nation’s top athletic talent being lured to rugby league or the AFL, tempted by the riches and ruder health of the competing codes. Now, though, union had pinched a princely talent of their own. The $5m man is Suaalii, a pretty penny paid for a player that Rugby Australia hope will sparkle in next summer’s British & Irish Lions series and at a home World Cup in 2027. His signature was a significant statement, and in search of a sprinkling of stardust, Joe Schmidt had wasted no time getting Suaalii in the starting side.
There are far more hospitable environments in which to make one’s senior bow in rugby union than an England against Australia clash, Suaalii thrown in at the deep end. It spoke to Schmidt’s faith in his new recruit – and a desire to see him succeed to inject a struggling team with new life.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii sparkles to give Wallabies fresh life in dramatic win
Problems old and new plague England in latest heartbreaking loss to raise serious questions about future
17:49 , Chris Wilson
Another week, another heartbreak for England and now serious questions must be asked about the direction of the Steve Borthwick project as a flawed Australia side exposed familiar failings and shone a light on some new ones for good measure in a helter-skelter thriller of an Autumn Nations Series Test match.
Whereas last week ended with George Ford missing a penalty and drop goal as the All Blacks celebrated, this clash ended with Max Jorgensen streaking clear down the left wing, arm aloft to snatch a 42-37 victory for the Wallabies in a game that England won, then lost, then won before somehow finally losing.
The hosts led by 12 points early on at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, found themselves trailing by 10 early in the second half and the lead then changed hands multiple times in the last 10 minutes but ultimately, Borthwick’s men wilted in the final stages of a Test match on a day when they simply couldn’t afford another narrow defeat but fell to one anyway.
Problems old and new plague England to raise serious questions about future
FULL-TIME! England 37-42 Australia
17:45 , Chris Wilson
On TNT, Ugo Monye is far more critical of England than Danny Care, with the former winger saying that it “feels like groundhog day for England”.
“The ending is this continuous nightmare of not closing out a match. It is a real problem and not unlucky anymore. This is a trend that has stuck with England,” he adds.
“Composure and a huge amount of skill and bravery from Australia won them that game. One mistake and the game was over.
FULL-TIME! England 37-42 Australia
17:40 , Chris Wilson
Here’s a picture to give you an insight into the offload for the winning try. Lovely stuff.
FULL-TIME! England 37-42 Australia
17:30 , Chris Wilson
Jamie George speaks to TNT after what was, in the end, a disappointing result. He says that he thinks “the blueprint to how we wanted to play was in the first 20 minutes of the game”.
“We took our foot off the gas, you’ve got to give credit to Australia. It’s going to be a tough one to watch back.
“It’s a tough one, it’s a fine balance between closing up shop and trying to see out the game, and attacking.
“Do we need to have a look at that? Potentially.
“What I do know is we’ll have a look at where we went wrong.
“I think the system and the principle all works. Tonight it was collisions.
“Leaking 42 points at home is unacceptable, and a lot of that is down to loss of collisions,” he adds.
FULL-TIME! England 37-42 Australia
17:24 , Chris Wilson
A brilliant game for the neutral, and it was a deserved win in the end for the Wallabies, with some great performances from several players.
England started far more brightly, but faded in parts despite some flashes of brilliance and some great forward play.
That is England’s fifth defeat in the last six matches, with South Africa up next a week today.
17:17 , Chris Wilson
FULL-TIME! England 37-42 Australia
17:14 , Chris Wilson
Such a disappointment for England, but take nothing away from Australia, who fought back brilliantly and showed some real flashes of brilliance.
It doesn’t get any easier for England, who face South Africa next week.
CONVERTED TRY! England 37-42 Australia
17:12 , Chris Wilson
84 mins
Heartbreak for England at the last.
The Wallabies continue working it with the forwards until the chance comes to move it wide. They do so quickly while there are gaps in the defence, and it comes to Len Ikitau, who carries hard before slipping it to Jorgensen who is almost unchallenged as he runs in and dives over in the corner!
The conversion goes over and it finishes England 37-42 Australia.
TRY! England 37-40 Australia
17:09 , Chris Wilson
83 mins
TRY! And Australia have won it against all odds! What an ending!
England 37-35 Australia
17:08 , Chris Wilson
80 mins
Into the last minute now and Itoje loses it forward just after the restart. From the scrum, Cole folds in and it’ll be re-set. Into the red now.
Australia win at the second time of asking. They work a couple of phases and gain a bit of ground, but the ball runs loose and is knocked on for an advantage. Tense times.
CONVERTED TRY! England 37-35 Australia
17:05 , Chris Wilson
79 mins
TRY! England are back ahead!
A great reply from England as they advance around the 22 and Smith pokes in a kick that Wright is forced to touch down behind his own try line for the scrum.
England win it and Earl picks and goes from the back, and England win the penalty advantage. They don’t need it though, as Itoje picks up and flies over the line!
It’s a simple kick for Smith and he squeezes it in!
CONVERTED TRY! England 30-35 Australia
17:02 , Chris Wilson
75 mins
TRY! Again out of nowhere, but this time for the Wallabies!
England work it through the backs and it’s looking good but the pass is slightly behind Lawrence and he fumbles it! Kellaway picks it up and he’s got free space to run into. He’s got the legs and he goes over!
England 30-28 Australia
16:59 , Chris Wilson
74 mins
England win their scrum on halfway but the kick chase isn’t successful, and both sides exchange kicks in between a few phases each, before Randall’s kick is chased down by Salakaia-Loto for a lineout.
Cowan-Dickie is down so there’ll be a break here.
England 30-28 Australia
16:55 , Chris Wilson
70 mins
Smith, who has moved to full-back now, is still co-ordinating a lot of the England threat.
Australia bring off Bell and Lolesio for Slipper and Donaldson, while England have brought on Cole for Stuart.
CONVERTED TRY! England 30-28 Australia
16:52 , Chris Wilson
67 mins
TRY! Out of nothing for the home side.
England work out wide but they’re dragged out of play, and it’s a lineout for the Wallabies within their own 5m line. The away side work a couple of phases before McDermott’s box kick finds touch.
But England play it quickly and there are plenty of gaps in the Aussie backline. Smith finds the first one before finding Lawrence. From the ruck, they spread it wide again and the defence can’t keep up, with Sleightholme going over in the corner.
England 23-28 Australia
16:47 , Chris Wilson
65 mins
England lose it about five metres from the try line, but Australia fluff their chance to clear and it’s straight to Freeman.
The game is stopped with Wilson stumbling, and he’ll need to be taken off.
England 23-28 Australia
16:44 , Chris Wilson
62 mins
A bit too much on the pass from Genge and the ball is out for a Wallabies lineout in their half. It’s won cleanly but there’s a mix-up in midfield and it’ll be a penalty for the away side.
England make more changes, as Baxter, Randall and Ford replace Genge, Spencer and Furbank.
England 23-28 Australia
16:41 , Chris Wilson
60 mins
Great play from both sides as Australia get it through the backs with a series of impressive offloads, before Smith comes in with an important challenge to deny Jorgensen. There are then huge cheers as England win a penalty.
Both sides make a change as Martin comes off for Nick Isiekwe and Williams is replaced by Salakaia-Loto.
TRY! England 23-28 Australia
16:38 , Chris Wilson
56 mins
TRY! So much better from England.
It comes as Smith makes some ground before the referee blows for holding on. Smith kicks for the lineout, which is taken easily, but the maul seemingly fails to make any ground.
However, they sweep it out from the back and Smith dummies inside before poking a kick through the gap and perfectly into the path of Sleightholme, who goes over unchallenged.
In the meantime, Jamie George has been replaced by Luke Cowan-Dickie.
England 18-28 Australia
16:34 , Chris Wilson
53 mins
Scintillating stuff from the Wallabies as Wright bursts through the gap from his own 22 before offloading to Lolesio. The fly-half kicks into the space and the phases end with a penalty for the Wallabies, which Lolesio knocks over to extend the lead.
TRY! England 18-25 Australia
16:31 , Chris Wilson
The angles of the cameras and Feyi-Waboso in the way make it extremely difficult to tell if this is a try or not. They’ll likely have to stick with the on-field decision...
...and they do! Australia go 25-18 up!
Lolesio misses a difficult kick to keep the gap at seven points.
England 18-20 Australia
16:29 , Chris Wilson
50 mins
TRY! It’ll be checked, but the Wallabies have another try (for now).
It’s simple stuff from the Australians as they play through the forwards and quickly make 10 metres. The England defence are scrambling to get back as the Wallabies’ forwards pour forward, before it’s shipped wider to Williams, who goes over right in the corner.
There’s a lengthy TMO as it looks like his foot is in touch a millisecond before he grounds the ball.
England 18-20 Australia
16:26 , Chris Wilson
49 mins
A little break in play as some England players are receiving some treatment, with Jamie George among them.
England 18-20 Australia
16:25 , Harry Latham-Coyle at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
England just can’t get any control of this game. It feels like a time for a steady head like George Ford’s, though there is no real sign of activity on the bench beyond Luke Cowan-Dickie, who puts his coat back on with Jamie George ok to continue for now.
England 18-20 Australia
16:24 , Chris Wilson
48 mins
Spencer’s box kick is collected by Wright but it’s lost in the ruck and England have a chance, before they themselves knock it on in the ruck.
Jorgensen has replaced Pietsch on the wing for the Wallabies.
England 18-20 Australia
16:22 , Chris Wilson
47 mins
Some more trickery from Sua’ali’i as he catches and offloads in mid-air, and it almost creates an opening for the Wallabies, but it breaks down and England clear for touch.
England 18-20 Australia
16:21 , Chris Wilson
46 mins
Wright opts for the kick and chase but Smith does brilliantly to win it under pressure from the Wallabies full-back, and England manage to clear after a great counter-ruck.
For Australia, Tupou comes off for Alaalatoa.
England 18-20 Australia
16:18 , Chris Wilson
43 mins
Some good early phases from England and a good chase from Freeman. They spread it wide and Lawrence gains some more ground, but the ball goes loose from the ruck after Slade was tackled.
England pick it back up but there’s work to do from their own half, before the home side win a lineout near halfway.
KICK-OFF! England 18-20 Australia
16:16 , Chris Wilson
Australia begin the second half with the ball, and Gordon is back on after his HIA.
HT: England 18-20 Australia
16:15 , Chris Wilson
The two sides are back out at Twickenham!
HT: England 18-20 Australia
16:08 , Harry Latham-Coyle at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
A concerning half for England, sucked into an open game and increasingly struggling to combat the Wallabies as it wore on. Tom Curry is gone for good and both Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Ollie Lawrence have been off for HIAs, disrupting England significantly after a bright start in attack. Could they kick more and try to take some more territorial control?
HALF-TIME! England 18-20 Australia
16:07 , Chris Wilson
HALF-TIME! England 18-20 Australia
16:01 , Chris Wilson
Ben O’Keefe blows for half-time and the teams head in with the scores close, but the visitors ahead despite a good start from England.
PENALTY! England 18-20 Australia
16:00 , Chris Wilson
40 mins
The clock is in the red as Lolesio eases the kick over, and the Wallabies have a half-time lead of 18-20!
England 18-17 Australia
15:59 , Chris Wilson
40 mins
Cunningham-South is penalised after blocking the chase from Kellaway. The Wallabies work their way into the 22, advancing after some strong running from the forwards, until they win a penalty and opt for the kick.
England 18-17 Australia
15:57 , Chris Wilson
37 mins
A speculative effort fro Sleightholme – who’s come back on as Lawrence is getting an HIA – as he receives the ball on the 10m line and opts to chase a kick, but it’s overhit and runs out.
Another messy scrum and England are penalised again.
CONVERTED TRY! England 18-17 Australia
15:54 , Chris Wilson
34 mins
TRY! Great play from McDermott twice. He’s just come on for Gordon, but he spots a gap after Australia play it wide through the hands. He sneaks under the tackle, darts into the space and offloads for Wilson to go over!
England 18-10 Australia
15:52 , Chris Wilson
33 mins
There’s a brief break to clean up a cut and when play resumes, Australia win a free-kick from the scrum, before an advantage after Stewart is offside.
England 18-10 Australia
15:49 , Chris Wilson
28 mins
England claw back some of their advantage as Smith kicks over for three, while it emerges that Feyi-Waboso has passed his HIA and will return to the field soon.
CONVERTED TRY! England 15-10 Australia
15:48 , Chris Wilson
26 mins
TRY! The away side are back in it!
There’s an advantage after England collapse the maul and Australia take it, advancing into a central area. There’s a 3-v-3 from the ruck but Slade overcommits, and some great footwork from Sua’ali’i allows space for a good offload, and Wright has plenty of space to finish in the corner.
15:43 , Chris Wilson
23 mins
It’s a scrum near the English 22 to resume. There’s some real intuition shown in the backline as a poor netball-type pass is then punched on brilliantly by Pietsch.
Australia come again but England are penalised for not moving away, and the Wallabies kick to the corner.
Tom Curry injury a significant blow
15:41 , Harry Latham-Coyle at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
A worrying incident for Tom Curry, but pleasing to see him able to walk off the field having seemingly been out cold. That’s a significant blow, though, both today - with Alex Dombrandt on and Ben Earl shifting to the openside - and with South Africa to come next week in a game that Curry will now surely miss as he observes the concussion stand-down period. His twin Ben would have been a like-for-like replacement (literally) but isn’t in today’s 23.
England 15-3 Australia
15:39 , Chris Wilson
23 mins
A solid start from England overall, with two well-taken tries from Cunningham-South the difference at the moment. The hosts have been bright in attack, though some fine-tuning is still needed.
England 15-3 Australia
15:37 , Chris Wilson
22 mins
Sloppy from England as Genge’s pass is to a gold shirt, and Australia make plenty of ground from the confusion. They play several phases short through the forwards, but the game is stopped as it looks like Curry has been knocked unconscious.
England 15-3 Australia
15:35 , Chris Wilson
21 mins
There’s a brief break after some confusion, but in the end Feyi-Waboso is heading off for an HIA, and he’s replaced by Sleightholme.
England 15-3 Australia
15:32 , Chris Wilson
18 mins
Perhaps a harsh penalty as Ikitau is penalised for going over the top of the ruck, and Smith will have kicking opportunity. 39m, and slightly to the right, but it favours a right-footer.
Drilled straight and low for 15-3!
England 12-3 Australia
15:30 , Chris Wilson
16 mins
The penalty goes against Tupou from the scrum, and England kick for the lineout. George delivers the lineout and then picks it from the maul, but England lose the ball in the ruck.
That’s followed by a quick Aussie counter attack, with Pietsch and Wright combining to make 40 yards, but they can’t keep it!
Mistakes from both sides as England make plenty of ground of their own, but Furbank mistimes his pass and we’re soon back around halfway.
TRY! England 12-3 Australia
15:26 , Chris Wilson
12 mins
TRY! England extend their lead!
Great running from the home side! Ollie Lawrence is the first to break the gain line, before Smith dummies and sneaks between two men to take England to within 10 metres. The forwards lead from there, until a penalty is given on the 5m line.
It’s a tap-and-go, with Genge shipping it to Cunningham-South, who goes over again!
Wait...there’s a review. It appears the back row might have lost control of the ball from his hands when going over, but the slow-motion replays show that he just about kept his hand around it when under the tackle.
Smith makes the conversion easily for 12-3!
England 5-3 Australia
15:22 , Chris Wilson
9 mins
Good work from Australia as they get their first break of the game, with Wilson making ground in the middle of the park. They work it well to Pietsch, who comes back in and eventually the ref blows for the advantage. The Wallabies opt for the kick from around 45m.
Lolesio lines it up – it’s smooth and easily over for three points.
TRY! England 5-0 Australia
15:18 , Chris Wilson
5 mins
TRY! England are ahead within five minutes!
England win the lineout and Earl leads the forward charge. Smith receives it, sees he’s short on space and drops a chip into the path of Ollie Lawrence – it bounces kindly and the Bath man takes it well. England work it from the ruck and spread it wide to the right, making use of the extra man to send in Cunningham-South in the corner!
Smith misses the conversion so we stay at 5-0.
England 0-0 Australia
15:15 , Chris Wilson
3 mins
The ball is fumbled forward from the ruck and it’s the first scrum of the day, with the away side to put in. Australia win it and the kick goes for an England lineout near halfway.
In defence, Slade and Lawrence are once again swapping back, returning to ‘normal’ when in attack.
England 0-0 Australia
15:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
England suggested in the week that despite the swap of centre shirts, Henry Slade would continue to defend outside of Ollie Lawrence having done such a fine job leading the blitz this year. That has proved true, with Slade stationed in the vital 13 channel as England lined up defensively for the first time.
England 0-0 Australia
15:13 , Chris Wilson
1 min
A clean take from the kick and it’s cleared, with England picking it up and having their first chance to run it through the hands.
Some early touches for Lawrence, Slade and Smith.
KICK-OFF! England 0-0 Australia
15:12 , Chris Wilson
KICK-OFF! The hosts get us underway.
England v Australia
15:08 , Chris Wilson
The anthems are underway after a moment of remembrance during the Last Post, so kick-off will follow.
Which side will end their losing streak today?
England v Australia
15:03 , Chris Wilson
The two sides are emerging from the tunnel now, so we’ll be underway after making some time for the national anthems.
Is England v Australia on TV? Kick-off time, channel, team news and how to watch Autumn Nations Series
15:00 , Chris Wilson
With 10 minutes to go until kick-off, here’s a reminder of how you can watch today’s match.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage on the channel from 2pm GMT. Subscribers can stream the action via discovery+.
TNT have coverage of all the Autumn Nations matches, including Wales v Fiji and Scotland v South Africa later this weekend.
Line-ups
14:55 , Chris Wilson
Here’s a reminder of the starting 15s, and the replacements, for today’s match.
England XV: 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George (capt.), 3 Will Stuart; 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Martin; 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Ben Earl; 9 Ben Spencer, 10 Marcus Smith; 11 Tommy Freeman, 12 Henry Slade, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; 15 George Furbank.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Alex Dombrandt; 21 Harry Randall, 22 George Ford, 23 Ollie Sleightholme.
Australia XV: 1 Angus Bell, 2 Matt Faessler, 3 Taniela Tupou; 4 Nick Frost, 5 Jeremy Williams; 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.); 9 Jake Gordon, 10 Noah Lolesio; 11 Dylan Pietsch, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Andrew Kellaway; 15 Tom Wright.
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20 Langi Gleeson; 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Max Jorgensen.
The rivalry
14:50 , Chris Wilson
England first faced Australia back in 1909, with various sources putting the total number of matches played between the two at around 55. Of these, Australia have won 26, England have won 28, and just one has ended as a draw.
The most famous meeting between the two of course came in the final of the World Cup in 2003, when England won 20-17 in Sydney thanks to Jonny Wilkinson’s extra-time drop goal.
The last time these two met was in June 2022 – England ran out 21-17 winners thanks to tries from Freddie Steward and Marcus Smith, and this victory wrapped up a 2-1 series win.
Jamie George urges England to be bold and brave in Australia clash
14:45 , Chris Wilson
Jamie George has urged England to be bold when they face Australia at Allianz Stadium with the ambition of kick-starting their autumn campaign.
Steve Borthwick’s side are determined to bounce back from an agonising run of three consecutive narrow defeats to New Zealand, including the 24-22 last-gasp loss that opened the month’s programme of four Tests.
A victory over the Wallabies, who have given a debut to rugby league superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, would ignite the Autumn Nations Series ahead of a grudge match against South Africa in seven days time.
Jamie George urges England to be bold and brave in Australia clash
Australia make bold selection call with rugby league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii set to start England clash
14:35 , Luke Baker
Australia have thrown rugby league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii straight into their starting side for the clash with England.
Suaalii is yet to feature in a senior game of rugby union but is backed at outside centre by Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt after making a shock switch of codes ahead of the Autumn Nations Series.
His inclusion in midfield is the sole change to the side that began Australia’s final Rugby Championship clash with New Zealand as Schmidt sticks with a settled team.
Jake Gordon and Noah Lolesio continue in the halves while Harry Wilson retains the captaincy at No 8.
Australia make bold selection with league convert Suaalii set to start England clash
England name unchanged starting side for Australia clash as Steve Borthwick recalls Luke Cowan-Dickie to bench
14:25 , Luke Baker
Steve Borthwick has kept faith with the same starting side as his England team look to bounce back against Australia, while replacement hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie is set for his first appearance under the head coach.
England suffered another narrow defeat to the All Blacks in their Autumn Nations Series opener, but Borthwick has resisted the urge to make radical changes.
His sole alteration to the starting fifteen is a swap of centres with Henry Slade now wearing 12 and Ollie Lawrence 13. The rest of the run-on side is identical to that which began at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham a week ago.
The bench is reshuffled, though, with the six/two split favoured last week abandoned for a traditional combination of five forwards and three backs. Ollie Sleightholme is recalled to the squad after impressing in his debut series in New Zealand in the summer, and Cowan-Dickie takes the place of Theo Dan.
England name unchanged starting side for Australia clash
England’s Ollie Lawrence wary of unknown quantity Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
14:15 , Luke Baker
Ollie Lawrence admits he is stepping into the unknown when he takes on Australia’s rugby league superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii today.
England centre Lawrence lines up opposite Suaalii after the 21-year-old was given his Test debut less than a month after switching to union from NRL side Sydney Roosters for £2.7m.
It is hoped that Suaalii will help lift the Wallabies out of the doldrums in time for next year’s British and Irish Lions tour amid predictions Down Under that he will become their most successful cross-code convert yet.
Lawrence insists that preparing to face a player with no union experience since representing Australia Under-18s presents a challenge.
“It’s obviously difficult because he’s just switched codes and so we’ve been looking at the league side of things,” the Bath centre said. “I’ve seen a lot of his footy over the years and he’s been an incredible player in league.
“If you just look at his stature, he’s a big lad at 6ft 5ins and he’s quick, so you know you have to take time and space away from him as quickly as possible. There’s definitely a bit of unknown about him and we don’t know how he will step up, but I’m excited to go up against world-class players. Like we do for every opposition, we look at their strengths and weakness and look where we can go after them.”
England vs Australia prediction: Wallabies may wilt at Twickenham
14:04 , Luke Baker
England face Australia at Twickenham this afternoon desperate to put the disappointment of the narrow defeat by New Zealand behind them.
They went down 24-22 to the All Blacks last weekend but had more than their fair share of chances to win the match, including George Ford missing both a penalty and a drop-goal attempt late on.
Steve Borthwick’s side have now lost four of their last five games, albeit three of those defeats came against New Zealand, but should view this weekend’s game as an opportunity to get a win on the board.
Check out our predictions and best bets for England v Australia:
England vs Australia predictions: Wallabies may wilt at Twickenham
England v Australia talking points: Wounded Wallabies
13:50 , Luke Baker
Australia are not the force of old and what was once a fierce rivalry is now anything but with the Wallabies winning just one of their last 11 meetings dating back to 2016.
Only a 30-28 loss in Perth in 2022 interrupts England’s dominance of the fixture and with the tourists finishing bottom of the recent Rugby Championship, there is little evidence that a revival is imminent, even with astute former Ireland boss Joe Schmidt at the helm.
England v Australia talking points: Suaalii takes centre stage
13:40 , Luke Baker
Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Israel Folau are among the big-name rugby league stars who became celebrated Wallabies, but Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is being tipped to outshine them all.
Suaalii makes his first senior appearance in union less than a month after switching from the NRL, where his athleticism, physical prowess and skills marked him out as a special talent from the moment he made his debut as a 17-year-old.
Now 21 and benefiting from a £2.7m contract, cash-strapped Rugby Australia are eager to see if their investment will pay off with the 2025 Lions tour and 2027 home World Cup on the horizon.
England v Australia talking points: LCD returns
13:30 , Luke Baker
Luke Cowan-Dickie will make his first Test appearance for two years if he steps off the bench on Saturday, ending a challenging spell for the Lions hooker.
Neck surgery that went wrong caused nerve damage in his arm that took over a year to heal and he also spent time out with atrial fibrillation, a heart condition.
But having made a full recovery and given up gaming – Call of Duty was his poison – as well as alcohol, he is poised to add ballast to England’s scrum at a stage of the game where it was found wanting against New Zealand.
England v Australia talking points: Midfield reshuffle
13:20 , Luke Baker
“Cohesion and clarity” is the principle underpinning Steve Borthwick’s selection policy, resulting in an unchanged side being picked to take on the Wallabies.
The only adjustment is a midfield positional switch that sees Ollie Lawrence move to outside centre, where he is at his most dangerous for Bath, and Henry Slade take the number 12 jersey.
It is a variation designed to bring out the best in Lawrence in attack, both in the volume and impact of his carries.
England v Australia talking points: No margin for error
13:10 , Luke Baker
Following a 24-22 defeat to New Zealand in last Saturday’s opener, England are already on the back foot in their pursuit of an acceptable return from the autumn.
Australia’s visit to Twickenham is must-win territory given that world champions South Africa provide the campaign’s box office fixture a week later.
Three victories in the four Tests – Japan complete the series on November 23 – would be a respectable pass mark, anything less and Steve Borthwick will face urgent questions over the team’s direction of travel.
Jamie George weighs in on Eddie Jones’ conduct after Danny Care’s damning book revelations
12:54 , Luke Baker
Jamie George recognises Danny Care’s damning assessment of Eddie Jones’ England regime but insists the Australian’s contribution to the national team is reflected in his success.
Danny Care, who won 101 caps until his international retirement earlier this year, is highly critical of Jones in his autobiography Everything Happens for a Reason, claiming that “everyone was bloody terrified of him”.
The Harlequins scrum-half added that Jones’ England environment was “like living in a dictatorship, under a despot who disappeared people”.
Jamie George weighs in on Eddie Jones after Danny Care’s damning book revelations
Australia pose dangerous threat in clash England cannot afford to lose
12:42 , Luke Baker
For England, Australia lurk like a snake in the outback. Many an unfortunate trekker has learned the hard way of taking one’s eye off the ball: a moment of complacency, an unchecked boot, pain aplenty or worse.
Test rugby’s bite can be just as deadly. Steve Borthwick’s side are already counting the cost of a year of missed opportunities, their proclamations of progress somewhat evident but harder to believe as the failings recur. In each of their last three outings, England were in control against New Zealand at some point in the second half only to let the opportunity slip. The figures are stark – three points in an aggregate hour across the final quarters of each encounter – and even if each has had its own characteristics, there is recognition in the ranks that it is time to step up.
“We can’t be making excuses. As players we have to step up and be more consistent,” flanker Tom Curry said this week, a sometime circuitous talker entirely forthright.
Read our Rugby Correspondent Harry Latham-Coyle’s full preview ahead of a must-win clash for England:
Australia pose dangerous threat in clash England cannot afford to lose
The changes Steve Borthwick could make to solve England’s scrum woes
12:30 , Luke Baker
The failings are becoming all too familiar for England — having seized control of the contest after half time, the final quarter arrives and victory slips from their grasp. In each of their three recent Tests against New Zealand, Steve Borthwick’s side have led the All Blacks after the interval and come out on the losing side on 80 minutes.
The circumstances of each has been slightly different and George Ford was the width of a post away from snatching victory at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday, but it has become a concerning trend.
The good news for Borthwick is that his side have played well in each of their last six games; the bad news is that England have won just two of them. If the hope is that regression to the mean will ensure they come out on the right side of a close game soon enough, the fear is that any dip in their level, perfectly natural in elite sport, will mean that they will no longer be able to stay in the fight to set up match-winning opportunities.
The endgame scenarios in each defeat have differed but one common flaw can be found. It is just over 12 months since South Africa dismantled England’s scrum to turn an arm-wrestle of a World Cup semi-final their way, the “Bomb Squad” detonating Borthwick’s bench forward unit.
Something similar happened on Saturday against an All Blacks scrum that is probably the second best in the world – while the starting pack held up well, with Ellis Genge and Will Stuart on top against the sizeable duo of Tamaiti Williams and Tyrel Lomax, replacement Fin Baxter was twice penalised on the loosehead after his introduction while a creaking set-piece was key to Ford’s misfire in the final moments.
The changes Steve Borthwick could make to solve England’s scrum woes
Australia team news
12:17 , Luke Baker
Joe Schmidt throws rugby league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii straight in from the start as the former Sydney Rooster makes his first senior appearance in union.
His inclusion at outside centre is the lone change to the starting side that ended the Rugby Championship, meaning there is no place for either Samu Kerevi or Will Skelton, who have returned to the squad ahead of the Autumn Nations Series. Harry Wilson continues as captain in a well-balanced back row.
Australia XV: 1 Angus Bell, 2 Matt Faessler, 3 Taniela Tupou; 4 Nick Frost, 5 Jeremy Williams; 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.); 9 Jake Gordon, 10 Noah Lolesio; 11 Dylan Pietsch, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Andrew Kellaway; 15 Tom Wright.
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20 Langi Gleeson; 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Max Jorgensen.
England team news
12:05 , Luke Baker
Steve Borthwick sticks with the same starting side beaten by New Zealand last weekend, though Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence swap shirts in the centres.
On the bench, Luke Cowan-Dickie is set for his first cap under Borthwick after being recalled in the place of Theo Dan, while Ollie Sleightholme comes in for Ben Curry as England revert to a traditional five/three forwards-to-backs split.
England XV: 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George (capt.), 3 Will Stuart; 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Martin; 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Ben Earl; 9 Ben Spencer, 10 Marcus Smith; 11 Tommy Freeman, 12 Henry Slade, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; 15 George Furbank
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Alex Dombrandt; 21 Harry Randall, 22 George Ford, 23 Ollie Sleightholme
When is England vs Australia?
11:55 , Luke Baker
England vs Australia is due to kick off at 3.10pm GMT on Saturday 9 November at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage on the channel from 2pm GMT. Subscribers can stream the action via discovery+.
England v Australia LIVE
Friday 8 November 2024 11:15 , Luke Baker
Good afternoon and welcome along to The Independent’s LIVE coverage of England’s fascinating Autumn Nations Series clash with Australia.
The November action got underway with a thriller between the All Blacks and England last weekend and a narrow defeat for Steve Borthwick’s men means they head into this contest at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in desperate need of a win to stop an alarming recent pattern of playing well but losing matches.
Against an Australia side that is a shadow of their former selves and struggling for results under new coach Joe Schmidt, England are arguably in must-win territory.
Kick-off is at 3.10pm GMT.
