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Key events
58 min: There’s a scrum now, can England’s bomb squad come up with a penalty? It’s why Borthwick set up his team as he did but the new front row does not come away with it. Ford then knocks it on so we have another scrum. England fans, what have you made of Ford this afternoon? For me he’s been solid but nothing magical.
56 min: England go through the hands straight off of the training pitch but Curry’s pass goes behind Chessum and out of play. Australia’s clearing lineout is scrappy – the word to define this game – but they just about get it away.
55 min: England win another penalty and Ford aims for the corner. Some kind of score is needed to put some more energy into this encounter.
54 min: Australia’s lineout is good and they immediately run it through the hands. They go all the way to the other side of the pitch but they can’t come up with the goods with England’s defence turning it over.
52 min: This is such a scrappy game and it is only getting more scrappy. Maybe because of the rain but this is not a game for too much free-flowing rugby. Australia have kicked to the corner but before the lineout Cowan-Dickie, Stuart, Genge Pollock and Curry as all on for England. Talk about bomb squad.
51 min: I am running out of ways to describe the ball being turned over back and forth between the two, but that is what has happened again. England are preparing a quadruple change but not yet.
49 min: We’re back underway and George is okay to continue. An England attack begins the next phase of play.
48 min: The tennis back and forth remains the trend with England’s defence winning a penalty as Potter goes off feet. It looks like there will be a break in play as referee Nika Amashukeli can’t hear the TMO and George receives some treatment.
48 min: Australia make their first change with Tufou is off for Alaalatoa. Neither side are putting in sustained possession as the moment, it very much feels like we’re watching tennis with the heads going left and right. But just as I type that Australia come streaming through with Valetini spotting a gap.
46 min: England win a breakdown penalty and Ford boots it into touch. It’s a good platform to build from, the lineout coming on the edge of the 22. It goes through the hands but Australia wrestle back possession at the ruck.
44 min: England’s lineout not the cleanest early on in this second half but on the second time of asking they do secure it. Possession then exchanges hands as they bitty nature of this encounter continues.
42 min: No changes at the break for either team but one difference is that is had started to rain in London which may lead to more unforced errors.
Back underway: England 10-7 Australia
It’s a tight game but will England hold onto this? Or will Australia secure a comeback win? All to come.
Guy Hornsby has emailed and said:
Afternoon Sarah. A match full of zip and power today. And really tight, as often is between these rivals. Just here to salute Sam Underhill and his chop tackle. He’s much more than that, of course – just look at his position following the kick for Earl’s try – but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone so proficient at felling large men at pace. His technique is a mixture of a surgeon’s precision and wanton destruction.
Afternoon Guy. Yes, Underhill’s ability to do so within the laws of the game is also incredible, I completely agree. A real asset and a great example for young rugby players coming through.
Half-time: England 10-7 Australia
England may have had more positive moments, giving them the lead with Ben Earl’s try and George Ford’s boot, but it’s Harry Potter’s excellent intercept which is the highlight so far.
40 min: Australia come away with the ball from the scrum and set up another attack. However, England win it back and Ford boots it forward. Roebuck runs after it but Australia recover the ball. All action this one!
38 min: Some absolutely huge and crushing tackles from Australia as England look to attack. The physicality pays off with Earl spilling the ball from a huge shot from Suaalii. They are replaying a tackle from Edmed of Roebuck, it does look like it took him over the horizontal, but it’s not pinged for any penalty.
36 min: And to think Potter could be in a white shirt today but he chose to play for Australia. England trying to see out this half with a lead with all of the momentum with the Wallabies now.
I did say he would do something good shortly. England look like they are about to score but Potter reads it perfectly, intercepts a few metres from his own tryline. He runs the entire pitch to score. Absolutely worldclass.
TRY! England 10-7 Australia (Potter, 34)
That was magic. Clean conversion, game on.
34 min: England come again, they are looking confident with ball in hand.
33 min: I know I should have said something wizardry there with his name being Harry Potter, I will do better next time he does something well which should be no time at all judging his performance so far.
32 min: Underhill is okay to continue and England’s lineout is clean, they clear their lines. The hosts are the next to attack but my, oh my what an incredible bit of defence. Out of nowhere Earl is up and over but Potter tackles him and gets underneath. That was huge.
30 min: Australia were being sloppy with their attack but Wilson puts in a magnificent kick to gain valuable territory. It’s almost a 50:22 but it’s an inch or two too short. England will have the lineout but they’ll be under pressure. Before that Underhill receives some treatment as Sweet Caroline rings around – that song plagues English sport now, an unpopular opinion of mine that I find that song so annoying.
28 min: The catch and drive begins but Underhill legally wins the penalty to thwart the Australia attack. They may come to rue not taking the penalty shot.
26 min: Australia kick to the corner instead of a shot at goal. The Wallabies stretch it left and right, they think they are over but George holds it up. We are pulled back for an advantage which again is sent to the corner.
24 min: We are pulled back to advantage but before that some players are receiving treatment. England are using the break to go into a huddle before dispersing with all the players able to continue.
24 min: Well it has been lively since kick-off but we’ve definitely seen pace injected into this fixture now. Australia need to respond and they are heading into the 22 with penalty advantage.
The restart is great for England. Mitchell box kicks after they collect and Underhill and Earl connect well. The Saracens player’s pace after sees him over the line.
TRY! England 10-0 Australia (Earl, 21)
Wow, what a try. It’s converted by Ford.
PENALTY! England 3-0 Australia (Ford, 20)
Australia knock on and then hold on, England point to the sticks and Ford slots it.
19 min: What is this game? Feyi-Waboso makes a great break, beating two defenders, but then offloads to Australia’s Wilson but they can’t quite break through England’s defence. A real stalemate.
17 min: This game is like the Pirate Song I used to sing at school, possession going this way, that way, forward and back. Twickenham comes to life though as Ford sets an electric attack into motion but it ends with a knock on.
15 min: The set piece collapses for the first time this afternoon but the referee says “use it” and another attacking set begins for Australia. The Wallabies produce some gorgeous interlinking passes but Freeman reads it to intercept. A real battle between these two great rugby nations.
13 min: It’s another clean scrum and it’s a great attacking set for Australia. It looked like the visitors have fumbled the attack but it was Mitchell who knocked on so another scrum to come.
12 min: The ball pings around as multiple sets of hands try to catch a kicked ball and then it’s pulled back as Pepper has knocked the ball on so it’s scrum time.
10 min: Possession goes back and forth but it is England again who win a penalty with Ford booting it up pitch. Can they get a reward for their territory this time around? No, England are pinged for coming in at the side of the ruck.
8 min: Another lineout for England eventually goes to hand as the hosts look to strike first. Australia give away another penalty and George takes it quickly. They keep knocking on the door and Heyes gets over but Australia’s Wilson has a brilliant piece of defence by getting underneath him to hold it up.
6 min: Kate Sheehan-Finn has emailed about our traitor discussion and said:
Being Irish, I’m rather partial to the idea of Brian O Driscoll as a Traitor and Johnny Sexton as a Faithful. Going back to former England players, it would be wrong not to propose Johnny Wilkinson. He’s got potential to be a brilliant faithful. But who would dare suspect him of being a traitor? It’s been a pleasure to see Joe Marler on the show.
Oo I like those suggestions, yes Marler has been pretty special. England are being faithful to their attack right now as they turned the ball over in the 22. With an advantage, Ford opts to the boot and Feyi-Waboso almost gets to it. But have Australia deliberately knocked it out? Well, the TMO isn’t looking at it so we come back to the advantage.
4 min: They pack down in the scrum and it’s a clean drive by both teams with Australia coming away with it. They thread it through the team before Potter puts boot to ball but Feyi-Waboso secures the ball and then wins a breakdown penalty.
2 min: England secure the kick-off despite Suaalii coming through with an attempt to steal. However, the visitors turn it over as possession goes back and forth which ends with a knock on by England’s Steward. Australia scrum to come.
Kick-off: England 0-0 Australia
Here we go then.
Rugby World Cup winner Lewis Moody is delivering the match ball, an emotional moment for the England icon after recently being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
The players will be out on the pitch soon and the anthems will follows shortly after. Are you ready for what is set to be a thriller? Strap in. It’s coming.
Former England prop Joe Marler has been quite the star on the Celebrity Traitors in the UK and it it has made me think about who else would be good on the show. Could you see a Rob Valetini as a good faithful? Would George Ford be a good traitor? Let me know your thoughts via email.
There has been a lot of chat between the nations this week about the breakdown, catch up here:
Australia legend George Gregan has outlined what he thinks will be the Wallabies game plan this afternoon, have a read:
A big afternoon for Fraser Dingwall, who could mark himself out as an out-in-out starter:
Here is Ugo Monye’s column for this match:
I don’t know about you but the TV montages always send a shiver down my spine, they set the tone perfectly and it’s the absolute best way to get these internationals underway.
The team news was announced earlier this week and England went early with theirs, naming the team on Tuesday.
It sees George Ford take the fly-half shirt with Fin Smith on the bench and Marcus Smith not included in the matchday 23. Steve Borthwick has also opted for a younger front row with the like of Ellis Genge and Luke Cowen-Dickie on the bench. There is also a return for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso from injury.
England: Steward; Roebuck, Freeman, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; Ford, Mitchell; Baxter, George, Heyes, Itoje, Chessum, Pepper, Underhill, Earl.
Bench: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Stuart, Coles, Curry, Pollock, Spencer, Smith.
Australia, meanwhile, welcome back Taniela Tupou to the side, who will feature for the first time since playing New Zealand in Auckland earlier this year. Harry Potter, who is also qualified to play for England, starts on the wing.
Australia: Kellaway; Jorgensen, Suaalii, Paisami, Potter; Edmed, Gordon; Bell, Pollard, Tupou, Frost, Williams, Valetini, McReight, Wilson.
Bench: Nasser, Robertson, Alaalatoa, Salakaia-Loto, Champion de Crespigny, Lonergan, Stewart, Daugunu.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Autumn Nations Series match between England and Australia. The last time an English team played at Twickenham the Red Roses came away with a Rugby World Cup win and so can the men’s team keep the wins rolling?
Well there is another winning element here against Australia as many of the players in the English team today were a part of the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia earlier this summer which the Lions won 2-1.
That means the Wallabies will be out for a bit of revenge and they have the fire power to execute it. The team news has already been announced and so stay tuned for updates before kick-off at 3.10pm GMT.
