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 5-0 Tonga, 8 minutes
First blood for Tonga at the set-piece - Kyle Sinckler is confused but Craig Evans believes he has stepped back on engagement, causing an instability. Sinckler poses a question of the referee as England prepare for a defensive lineout just outside of their own 22.
England 5-0 Tonga, 7 minutes
Stable ball for Tonga and a first sighting of the rather large Walter Fifita off his wing as he looks to make dents in the England midfield. He is, just about, well handled, and England crab across well as Tonga play to width for the first time, and a knock-on from a stooping Paul Ngauamo means both eights will settle down again for another scrum, about 25 metres across the pitch.
England 5-0 Tonga, 6 minutes
England look to work the phases but there is the first miscommunication of the afternoon as George Furbank plows into the back of Manu Tuilagi like an impatient commuter having failed to peel quite far enough around his inside centre as Henry Slade pulled the pass back for the looping ten. Scrum to Tonga - a first visit to the abattoir for the afternoon, and an inevitable first reset.
England 5-0 Tonga, 5 minutes
Maro Itoje takes down the restart very effectively once more and Tonga infringe needlessly at the maul, darting in at the side as England just start to get a nudge on. England possession on halfway.
TRY! England 5-0 Tonga (Adam Radwan try, 3 minutes)
Adam Radwan’s over! A perfect start for England, moving the ball efficiently back across the field, drawing a penalty advantage and a licence to further spread it. Ben Youngs fizzes a pass across the face of George Furbank and a hop, skip and jump from Radwan, with a burly final barge, takes him over for the early score. Typically swift footwork from the newcastle wing.
Henry Slade has assumed kicking duties with Owen Farrell absent, but drags his first effort left of the uprights from the touchline. 5-0 it will stay, but England are away.
England 0-0 Tonga, 2 minutes
“Heave” is the cry of the crowd as England maul, but Tonga defend well, and stall it.
A first midfield carry for Manu Tuilagi and he is nearly through a half-gap. Wide, now, Jonny May jinking and jiving to five metres out...
England 0-0 Tonga, 1 minute
England go straight to the air and have success immediately, Jonny May out-jumping his man and earning England possession near halfway. To the boot again, and this time Tonga take the ball down deep in their own territory, from where they will play.
Now they look to clear, and that’s a little ugly from Kurt Morath - skewed out short of his own 22. A fine attacking platform for England.
KICK OFF!
A Covid-19 positive test to England’s captain and a slight delay to kick-off, but we are finally ready to go. Craig Evans whistles and we are underway at Twickenham!
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