Bruised, booed and beaten. There was a rare sight of Steve Borthwick smiling as England charged to an early lead but it was the Wallabies who had the last laugh. A laugh like a howling hyena that will echo all the way back to Sydney.
There was no room for Borthwick’s excuses here. Australia have handed out 18 debuts this year – the most since the 1960s – so England’s coach could not trot out lines about caps or a lack of preparation time.
At times, it felt like a free-for-all in the middle of a green and gold smoke bomb. One that’s starting to give off some heat. And just to rub it in, the Wallabies’ latest debutant – a 21-year-old who has never played a minute of professional rugby – was named man-of-the-match.
The statistics show that England missed 35 tackles but that does not factor in the times when they could not lay a finger on their unfancied opponents. This is the same Wallabies team that shipped 67 points against Argentina.
England slipped into crocodile-infested waters. There were moments of magic from Marcus Smith that ensured a thrilling finale but once again England came out on the wrong side of the result. ‘Unacceptable,’ was Jamie George’s captain’s assessment.
England were stunned late on at Twickenham once again as they lost to Australia 37-42
Max Jorgensen scored the winning try in the dying moments before Noah Lolesio converted
Maro Itoje’s try with minutes left looked to have put Steve Borthwick’s men on course to win
The last time Australia beat England, in 2015, Sam Burgess was at the heart of the Twickenham midfield. His time in union did not last long but Joseph Suaalii, the new Wallaby posterboy who has crossed codes, looks like a player who will be here for the long-haul.
He played schoolboy rugby, his name known all around Sydney as a 14-year-old, and pulled off some dazzling moments to put the Wallabies on track for a half-time lead. England’s blitz defence overshot – out-coached by Joe Schmidt – as holes appeared all over the pitch.
England missed 19 tackles. A penny for the thoughts of Felix Jones, one of the world’s leading defence coaches, who quit in the summer because he could not work with England’s management. ‘There are going to be some clips that will be very difficult to watch back,’ admitted George.
In recent weeks, England have been unable to see out a lead in the final-quarter. Their ability to see out a match has come under fire but here they slipped off after just 20 minutes.
Borthwick was having a jolly old time as two tries from Chandler Cunningham-South gave the hosts a healthy lead inside 12 minutes. Jamie George was leading by example, throwing deft offloads, with Ellis Genge and Ollie Lawrence both getting their hands on the ball.
Genge won a couple of scrum penalties against Taniela Tupou but they failed to lock out their opponents. It became fast and furious, speed over shape, with Suaalii’s ability to steal the restarts wreaking havoc.
Rob Valetini and Angus Bell brought the physicality, with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tom Curry both knocked out and likely to miss next week’s daunting game against the Springboks.
The Wallabies beat 21 defenders to 10 during the first-half, with replacement scrum-half Carter Gordon sniping down the side of rucks. Tom Wright scored their first try, collecting Suaalii’s offload, and Harry Wilson scored their second. Noah Lolesio kicked a penalty to snatch the lead on the stroke of half-time and suddenly the jersey looked heavy on English shoulders.
Chandler Cunningham-South had scored two early tries as England raced into the lead
Ollie Sleightholme also crossed the line twice but England lost in a finale that swung to and fro
Marcus Smith stuck away two penalties and made three conversions but looked dejected
Australia’s code crossing star Joseph Suaalii was named man of the match on his debut
Australia’s display is good news for the Lions tour as the Wallabies look set to put up a fight
Will Stuart vomited all over the pitch when he returned for the second half. A sickener? This certainly was.
Schmidt had another trick up his sleeve. Early in the second half, the Wallabies launched a trick play from a shortened lineout. They rolled up their sleeves and ran with an intent that England lacked, with Jeremy Williams scoring down the left wing. His foot appeared to be in touch but fortune favours the brave.
Ultimately, Australia’s performance was good news for next year’s Lions tour. Perhaps the Wallabies – or the Wobblies as they have been more recently known – will put up a fight, after all.
They ran the ball about with a style that David Campese would be proud of, leaving English faces planted into the scorched earth. Lolesio kicked his side 10 points clear and England were on the ropes.
By coincidence, Smith spent part of his summer holidays with Manny Pacquiao, the famous Filipino boxer. He has been England’s shining light this autumn and he swept around the back of a scrum and prodded the ball through for Ollie Sleighthome to score.
‘We were keen to suffocate Marcus but he just keeps breathing,’ said Schmidt. ‘He finds little spaces in between you. We have a chase line with some big men in the middle of it and he doesn’t mind picking them out and creating a focus point.’
Jamie George told TNT Sports that ‘leaking 42 points at home is unforgivable’
Borthwick must now prepare his men for a daunting match against South Africa next week
With an hour on the clock, Borthwick began to unload his bench. There were jeers when George Ford and Harry Randall appeared on the big screens, although they eased when the fans realised Smith was shifting to full-back rather than making way entirely.
The lead swung back and forth. Emotions swinging. Sleighthome’s try from a quick lineout punished the Wallabies but Ford threw a loose pass which was scooped up by Andrew Kellaway to fight back. Borthwick will no doubt look back and ask why they didn’t simply kick for territory. Once again, England’s late game management came unstuck.
Maro Itoje gave England the lead in the 79th minute but Suaalii stole the restart – again – and the Wallabies had one final throw. Borthwick slammed his desk in frustration and the pressure ramped up.
Len Ikitau, Suaalii’s right-hand man, bounced out of a tackle and Max Jorgensen scorched down the left wing to score. English bodies were left in a heap, humbled and humiliated, leaving Borthwick facing a long autumn of discontent.
