England vs Tonga LIVE: Rugby result and reaction from 2021 autumn international fixture today
Follow all the latest updates from Twickenham as Eddie Jones’ side begin their autumn campaign
England responded to the loss of captain Owen Farrell to a positive Covid test by overwhelming Tonga 69-3 in their Autumn Nations Series opener.
The first 82,000 full house at Twickenham for 20 months because of the coronavirus pandemic noisily celebrated a 11-try rout led by Jonny May, Ben Youngs and Jamie George, who each crossed twice.
Victory was completed despite a disrupted build-up that saw Farrell withdraw as fly-half and captain after testing positive for Covid with confirmation of his absence delivered only 90 minutes before kick-off.
George Furbank was promoted to chief conductor for his fifth cap and a rookie who is more accustomed to playing full-back rose to the occasion by showing several attacking flourishes until he was replaced by Marcus Smith.
The intention had been for Farrell and Smith to form a playmaking axis but Covid and Smith’s leg injury sabotaged that plan and instead the Harlequins prodigy had to wait until the 53rd minute to step off the bench.
Smith entered the fray at a time when England were becoming scruffy in the face of successful Tongan spoiling but his arrival gave Eddie Jones’ men a second wind and he picked a brilliant support line to finish a break by man of the match Henry Slade.
The 22-year-old’s afternoon was marred only when he was elbowed on the floor in the 70th minute by Viliami Fine, who was sent off as a result.
England 41-3 Tonga, 70 minutes
Fine would have been carded twice there, by the way - the high tackle wasn’t particularly pretty, either. England win another penalty and return to the corner.
RED CARD! Viliami Fine is sent off! England 41-3 Tonga, 69 minutes
It is an initial high shot from Viliami Fine, failing to get low enough as his arm connects with Radwan’s jaw. And that isn’t nice at all! At all! After the ruck comes to an end Fine inexplicably decides to throw his elbow into the face of a fallen Marcus Smith! It is a certain red card, and Craig Evans has short shrift for the player, sending him down the tunnel as he produces the red. Tonga will see out the match short a man. A real cheap shot.
England 41-3 Tonga, 68 minutes
Marcus Smith gets his baton out and begins to conduct England’s percussive orchestra, using his runners well as England create problems for the Tongan defence. Mark Atkison is chopped down by a sliding no-arms tackle and on the opposite side a looping Adam Radwan is taken high.
In fact, Ben Whitehouse has radioed in from the TMO truck - there is something we need to check. Viliami Fine might have been a little naughty...
England 41-3 Tonga, 67 minutes
That will lift Tonga a touch, though. A better effort at the scrum and strong midfield tackling allows Afusipa Taumopeau to limpet over the top of the ball. England seal off - penalty to the Pacific Islanders.
More changes, and debut number two for England. Alex Mitchell replaces Ben Youngs to win his first cap, while Joe Marler gets a big roar as he returns to the international stage for the first time in a while. Will Stuart follows him on, with Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler taking a rest.
England 41-3 Tonga, 65 minutes
A free kick against Tonga means it will be an England feed instead, and Craig Evans has cause for further conversation as he penalises Ma’afu Fia. The Tongan tighthead gets a proper talking to and England are all-too-happy to scrum again.
England 41-3 Tonga, 64 minutes
Scrum penalty and Ben Youngs is in a hurry, tapping and passing on to Marcus Smith.
It is all a bit higgledy-piggledy, though, broad, hasty brushstrokes as England try to paint into the right corner and eventually held up in an inadvertently formed maul.
England 41-3 Tonga, 63 minutes
Oh dear! Finer butchery you cannot find at even the most reputable meatsellers as England squander a virtually certain score. Marcus Smith puts Tom Curry into a hole and Alex Dombrandt will surely power over as he is found by his back-row colleague, but the replacement unselfishly, and foolishly, offloads blindly having heard a teammate’s call, and his pass goes awry.
A ping-pong with the post and the ball eventually comes up in Tongan hands, but as they look to clear a charge-down means England will have opportunity to attack from a five-metre scrum.
England 41-3 Tonga, 62 minutes
That is the end of the afternoon for England captain Courtney Lawes, with Charlie Ewels sent for. Tom Curry or Ellis Genge will presumably step up and take over - looks like it may be Curry as England win a penalty and kick onwards into the Tongan half.
TRY! ENGLAND 41-3 Tonga (Jonny May try, 60 minutes)
Very nicely done! England feign the maul and allow Tom Curry to leap from the back of it, Ben Youngs pushing wider and used as a ball-handler with Jonny May lurking ominously behind his scrum-half. Youngs fades to the outside, May fills the inside space, and a lunge for the line as he is tackled is sufficient to snare him his second score.
Marcus Smith knocks over the extras.
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