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:
New Zealand 22-32 Ireland, 69 minutes
But having claimed the mark, Ireland curiously tap reasonably quickly, and then fail to kick for touch. New Zealand return with an up-and-under, which is knocked on by Jamison Gibson-Park, who is covering the backfield after Irealnd’s back three hared up in pursuit of the previous kick. New Zealand scrum, 40 metres from the Irish line on the right.
New Zealand 22-32 Ireland, 68 minutes
This is a corker of a Test match. New Zealand have plenty of ball players on the pitch with Richie Mo’unga on and try to work to open outside spaces, but Ireland rush up well, as they have all afternoon, to close the corner and take Beauden Barrett behind the gainline.
That forces Mo’unga to kick long and high, and relatively aimlessly.
TRY! New Zealand 22-32 IRELAND (Rob Herring try, 65 minutes)
Remarkable power from Rob Herring!
This is brilliant from the hooker. Pretty much his first job on the field is to throw the lineout, and Herring hits his jumper before hurrying to the back of the maul. It makes initial progress but appears ready to collapse in a heap as Herring extracts it, confronting several black shirts around the corner.
Herring somehow powers through three or four bodies, extending a long reach of his right arm and keeping control of the ball as he grounds on the white line. Over the conversion goes, too - a crucial score for Ireland.
New Zealand 22-25 Ireland, 64 minutes
Restored to full complement, Ireland go close! Brilliant attack to the blindside from the back of a scrum and Bundee Aki is dragged down five metres out.
Ardie Savea rushes to grab a ball not yet out - penalty to Ireland, with Savea probably fortunate that Wayne Barnes does not go to his pocket.
Ireland kick to the corner.
New Zealand 22-25 Ireland, 63 minutes
Andrew Porter has served his period in the sin bin, and returns as the All Blacks look to their bench - Dane Coles, Folau Fakatava and Richie Mo’Unga look to have come on.
TRY! NEW ZEALAND 22-25 Ireland (Will Jordan try, 61 minutes)
Electric from Will Jordan! What pace from the Crusaders flyer, such a danger in the open field.
Jordan takes an inside ball from Ardie Savea just outside the New Zealand 22, bolting through a sizeable hole in the Irish defence.
He sizes up the backfield, and spots Johnny Sexton, who no longer has quite the acceleration in his legs he once had. Jordan arcs to the right, engaging Sexton in a foot-race and scorching him, sprinting away into the corner for yet another international try.
Jordie Barrett’s conversion is mighty, mighty close to going over, and the full-back seems to think it was inside the right-hand post - but the flags stay down.
Missed penalty! New Zealand 17-25 Ireland, 59 minutes
OFF THE CROSSBAR! Sexton gave that an almighty thump but his penalty rebounds off the meat of the crossbar and back into All Black hands.
New Zealand 17-25 Ireland, 57 minutes
Vital turnover from Tadhg Beirne! New Zealand again begin to make close-in progress, Akira Ioane once more brushing away the green shirts, but Caelan Doris hangs on to the All Blacks’ blindside flanker, allowing Beirne to get over the top with speed and accuracy. Holding on, and another penalty for Ireland right on halfway - is this within Sexton’s range?
PENALTY! New Zealand 17-25 IRELAND (Johnny Sexton penalty, 56 minutes)
And the Ireland captain sends the ball between the sticks with a crisp strike from the tee.
New Zealand 17-22 Ireland, 55 minutes
Cian Healy is introduced to ensure Ireland have a properly qualified front row on the field for a scrum, which creaks under the weight of the All Blacks’ drive, but Ireland manage to get the ball away. James Lowe carries brilliantly, and Sam Cane is trapped on the wrong side - penalty to Ireland. Johnny Sexton points towards the posts...
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