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:
South Africa 10-18 Wales, 50 minutes
This isn’t nice for Tomas Francis. He had not long been on the field but appears in real, real strife. The tighthead is helped on to a cart to be taken off, head and neck protected. We wish him well.
South Africa 10-18 Wales, 50 minutes
A brace of back-row changes for South Africa. Siya Kolisi is off, replaced by Kwagga Smith, and there is a debut for Elrigh Louw, a rather promising talent who enjoyed a fine season with the Bulls. Franco Mostert is the other departee.
Francis is still being seen to, with the stretcher out. Alun Wyn Jones is into the action for Wales, who still lead by eight but suddenly feel very much on the back foot.
Here’s Bongi Mbonambi’s maul score.
South Africa 10-18 Wales, 50 minutes
Two more penalties against Wales, who are beginning to struggle to contain South Africa’s heavy artillery. Dan Biggar is again spoken to about his team’s discipline.
Tomas Francis appears to be down in some discomfort. It looks like his head collided with the sharp edge of Steven Kitshoff’s knee. After what happened at Twickenham, a worry for Francis, who must surely be removed.
South Africa 10-18 Wales, 49 minutes
And momentum seems to have swung. First Lood de Jager makes a dynamite break up the right from the restart, before an accurate Damian Willemse high bomb lands in the hands of a leaping Dan Biggar, back from his spell in the bin, as South African bodies mob the Welsh captain. Penalty to the Springboks for holding on and another visit to the Wales 22.
TRY! SOUTH AFRICA 10-18 Wales (Bongi Mbonambi try, 46 minutes)
And soon after the South Africa hooker is over! A powerful flexing of the mauling muscles from Bongi Mbonambi and the rest in South African green, Wales initially firm but helpless as the drive pivots away from the initial pressure point and down a pass of limited resistance.
Damian Willemse converts as Mbonambi delivers some instructions to Malcolm Marx, who will replace him at hooker. It looks like the rest of the front row “Bomb Squad” are on, too - welcome to Vincent Koch and Steven Kitshoff.
South Africa 3-18 Wales, 45 minutes
Wales remain down to fourteen with still three minutes or so left on Dan Biggar’s yellow card period. They drive the South African maul into touch, but only thanks to a rather obvious side entry.
The Springboks will try again as Bongi Mbonambi lines up his throw...
South Africa 3-18 Wales, 44 minutes
Sloppy from Wales. First their lineout is disrupted and then they take an age to clear their lines, Kieran Hardy’s box kick option shut down and quickly coralled. Ryan Elias carries with Dan Lydiate as a latcher, but the blindside fails to keep his feet, as is required under the law changes brought in last year.
South Africa kick to the corner, turning down three.
South Africa 3-18 Wales, 43 minutes
A problem with the officials’ communications system will necessitate a pause, a technician trotting out to make sure that Nika Amashukeli can hear both of his assistants and Joy Neville in the TMO truck.
It is worth noting that Willemse, though a fine age-grade ten, has played little fly-half of late. It is a big gamble to task him with steering South Africa back into this - but Elton Jantjies did not have a first half to be proud of.
South Africa 3-18 Wales, 42 minutes
This time the whistle is in Wales’ favour - Frans Malherbe’s jackal is legal, his two forward colleagues’ failure to roll away not.
But Liam Williams takes Willemse’s lead and misses touch with his punt.
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