Australia v England LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Wallabies win despite Darcy Swain red card
Follow all the reaction from the first Test of England’s summer tour
England went down 30-28 to Australia in a rollercoaster first game of the three-match series in Perth on Saturday.
The Wallabies’ win snaps an eight-match losing streak against their old rivals despite the loss of lock Darcy Swain to a red card before half-time.
Winger Jordan Petaia, hooker Folau Fainga’a and loose forward Pete Samu scored tries in the last quarter as Australia recorded their first win over England since knocking the co-hosts out of the 2015 World Cup.
Samu’s try took Australia to a 30-14 lead but England debutants Henry Arundell and Jack van Poortvliet scored tries in the dying minutes to make the scoreline more respectable.
The series continues over the next two weeks with tests at Brisbane’s Lang Park and the Sydney Cricket Ground. Follow all the reaction with our live blog:
England vs Australia
This is the only summer tour of the World Cup cycle for Eddie Jones and England, making it all the more important. Jones has never lost to his former employers with England - could familiar friends and foes be the perfect opponents to lift his side out of their Six Nations rut?
England meet familiar foes Australia in pursuit of revitalising summer down under
Eddie Jones, keen to rebound from a humbling at the hands of the Barbarians, looks for a repeat of the 2016 series when the Red Rose inflicted a painful 3-0 defeat on the Wallabies
On to Australia against England...
We’ll have plenty more reaction to New Zealand’s opening win over Ireland across the next couple of days, but such is the relentless nature of this super Saturday of international rugby that we must quickly switch focus to events across the Tasman.
And it is to the far side of Australia we turn, with the Wallabies and England familiarising themselves with the gleaming Optus Stadium in the western outpost of Perth. Kick-off is little more than half an hour away, so let’s get in to it...
F/T: New Zealand 42-19 Ireland
New Zealand might be forced into some changes, though - I reckon the citing officer might want another look at this Scott Barrett challenge at a late ruck. Ireland tapped the penalty quickly before the TMO could request further inspection of the footage.
F/T: New Zealand 42-19 Ireland
O’Mahony appeared slightly more upbeat than you might expect for a beaten Irish player, particulalry given the optimism with which Ireland entered the game. There were certainly good bits of their performance, including the manner in which they controlled the opening exchanges, but the All Blacks showed the clinical edge that so often lifts them in encounters like this. That was comfortably the sloppiest that Ireland have played for a good while - and with Johnny Sexton presumably out of next week’s second meeting in Dunedin after failing a head injury assessment, it will be a huge seven days for Joey Carbery.
Peter O’Mahony reflects on Ireland’s defeat
“I thought we started really well, got into our flow nicely, but a couple of loose plays and a couple of dropped balls and a side of the All Blacks quality will take advantage. I think the challenge is to be consistent with our ball skills.
“Set piece battle was tough. I think the All Blacks got the upper hand. Three tests over here, it is a huge honour to be here, and I thought it was a great first test match. Plenty to work on for our side but a huge amount to take from it.
“We’ve got to understand how important it is to hold on to the ball and keep phases. WE have got to be on our very, very best game and be as consistent as we want to be.”
F/T! New Zealand 42-19 Ireland
Sam Cane has a chat with the host broadcaster on New Zealand’s win.
“We are pretty pleased. It is a good start to the year for sure. Super crowd tonight, it is so awesome to be playing at home and we really felt them tonight.
“We were good for patches, but we’ve got a lot to work on. The boys defended really well right to the end, the 85th minute. Our discipline was good to start to the game.
“It wasn’t an ideal week by any means, but this group has been through a lot in the last 18 months, and it put us in good stead for this week in terms of rolling with the punches. It was nice to be able to come out here in front of a home crowd.”
New Zealand 42-19 Ireland, 85 minutes
But Ireland’s maul goes down in a dishevelled heap and that, finally, will be that.
New Zealand 42-19 Ireland, 83 minutes
Held up once more! More stern defence on the goalline from New Zealand, Angus Ta’avao somehow halting a locomotive-like Josh van der Flier and his teammates again preventing an Irish back-row from getting the ball down.
Another penalty to Ireland, though, and another visit to the corner.
New Zealand 42-19 Ireland, 81 minutes
Right, one more chance at late joy for Ireland. Another advantage coming, Jack Conan looks for the score..held up! Good defensive work from Dalton Papalii to keep himself between Conan’s right arm and the turf in-goal, Leicester Fainga’anuku also in close attention to prevent Conan reaching for exposed grass nearby.
There is that penalty to return to. Ireland kick for the corner.
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