Australia v England LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as England win deciding Test
Follow live updates as England beat Australia in a huge series decider at the Sydney Cricket Ground
England outwitted and outfought an error-prone Australia 21-17 to win their July series 2-, a second success for northern hemisphere rugby after Ireland’s earlier triumph over the All Blacks.
Young guns Freddie Steward and Marcus Smith scored the tries and England’s streetwise pack bossed the breakdown as coach Eddie Jones masterminded a second series victory over his own country after their 3-0 sweep in 2016.
Australia scored tries through Tom Wright and Folau Fainga’a in front of a sellout crowd of 43,274 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but the home side’s accuracy deserted them too frequently at crucial moments.
Australia won the opening test 30-28 in Perth but England struck back with a 25-17 victory in Brisbane to take the series to Saturday’s decider.
Follow live reaction from the Australia vs England series decider below:
PENALTY! AUSTRALIA 10-3 England (Noah Lolesio penalty, 31 minutes)
Simple enough for Noah Lolesio, who has bounced back from that early miss and is running things well. Australia extend their advantage.
Australia 7-3 England, 29 minutes
Australia are properly on it in attack. Reece Hodge’s injections have been superb, the full-back beating Guy Porter in the 13 channel, forcing Owen Farrell into a scrambled tackle.
Marika Koroibete is roaming with intent, too, beating three in quick succession to advance Australia into the England red zone. English hands get to the ball at the breakdown, but illicitly.
Australia 7-3 England, 27 minutes
Another high kick ends up bouncing up in the air to be contested like a basketball tip-off, with Ollie Chessum, who looks like he’d make a decent small forward, leaping well to tap it back. Danny Care collects; Michael Hooper connects, thumping Care into the floor and forcing a knock on.
TRY! AUSTRALIA 7-3 England (Tom Wright try, 25 minutes)
A brilliant Australia score! They’ve made inroads every time they have gone wide so far, and finally they add the finishing touches to convert progress into points.
Marika Koroibete arcs out the back, shaking free of a tackle. England are again to narrow as a result, and Koroibete’s nice miss pass sends his fellow wing Tom Wright on up the right.
Wright interchanges in a quick one-two with Nic White, whose swift return is bright and right as Wright gallops into the corner.
Noah Lolesio converts.
Australia 0-3 England, 23 minutes
A commanding take from Freddie Steward, but sharp from Michael Hooper! Two moments of real skill from two fine exponents of very different arts: first Steward taking charge above Reece Hodge to win back Marcus Smith’s up-and-under, but then forced to hold on as Hooper jackals superbly.
Australia 0-3 England, 22 minutes
Both sides are finding open pasture on the edge, in fact. It is Tommy Freeman once more on the canter, this time more directly up the left wing.
Samu Kerevi goes rather well to snare a piece of Freeman, allowing Marika Koroibete on the cover to biff the England wing into touch.
Australia 0-3 England, 21 minutes
England’s maul makes little ground so again to the boot they go. Australia continue to create problems in the outside channels, Marika Koroibete brushing Guy Porter out the way, but Marcus Smith hurries across to make a good cover tackle. Nic White’s box kick is charged down, and Hunter Paisami can’t resist playing the loose ball on the floor.
Australia 0-3 England, 19 minutes
Australia are varying their attacking play nicely, Scott Wisemantel’s touches evident as the Wallabies use clever inside balls and switches to ask plenty of questions of the England defence. They are just about being answered at the moment, Australia eventually forced to kick rather tamely in behind.
England clear long, and Australia return with a healthy nudge up the right that settles in Freddie Steward’s hands just over the touchline, 30 metres out from his own line with no prospect of quick lineout.
PENALTY! Australia 0-3 ENGLAND (Owen Farrell penalty, 18 minutes)
No mistake from Owen Farrell - England have had little possession in Australia’s half but it is the visitors who take the lead.
Australia 0-0 England, 15 minutes
Lovely from England! A trademark skip to the outside from Marcus Smith and then a pretty pass to put Freddie Steward into space. The full-back tidily dummies and sends Tommy Freeman on.
The Northampton youngster, quiet but effective last week, darts through the retreating Australian defenders but a handling error ends England’s chances of capitalising. There was, however, a penalty to return to - and Owen Farrell will have his first shot at goal.
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