Summary
Thank you for joining me tonight. Let’s do it all again in Brisbane next weekend. Until then, here’s tonight’s match report, hot off the press. Tuck in to more from Rob, Gerard, and Angus during the week.
Dave Rennie: has had a word with Australian TV, glowing about his side’s character, and Noah Lolesio in particular, who was called up at the very last second when Quade Cooper tweaked his calf in the warm-up.
“We didn’t fire too many shots in the first half, but it was much better in the second half. Pretty comprehensive,” Rennie said.
“I thought we controlled things pretty well. The great thing about this group is we don’t panic. We’ve got some great leaders.”
“England will be better.”
England only have a week to regroup before the second Test in Brisbane. The third follows a week after that in Sydney.
Congrats to the Wallabies. Gritty and committed, particularly in the second half. Makes you wonder how England will fare against 15 of them...
— robert kitson (@robkitson) July 2, 2022
In the wash-up, there’s further coverage of the Hill-Swain incident. The Australia will be rubbed out for a couple of weeks for leading with his head, but Hill may also face sanction beyond his yellow card for a previous incident when he thrust his hands into Swain’s face at an earlier breakdown.
Samu Kerevi has been awarded the player of the match bauble for a superb display of outside-back wrecking-ball running.
A memorable night for the Wallabies. Nothing went right for Dave Rennie’s side for an hour, but with 14, and then 13 men, they pulled out a miraculous 15-minute spell to score three converted tries and wrestle an unlikely victory. England will feel mugged after controlling the game for long periods and enjoying a man advantage for decent chunks.
“How good’s sport?” asks Michael Hooper.
Nic White: “Gee-whizz, we showed some real fight there.” Bloody oath!
Owen Farrell kicked the conversion to narrow the margin, but it was Australia’s night after a chaotic match in Perth.
Updated
Full-time: Australia 30-28 England
A famous victory for the Wallabies.
TRY! Australia 30-26 England (Jack van Poortvilet, 84)
80+2 mins: Arundell with another break. Penalty England 5m out. Pick and drive leads to another advantage on the line. Just 13 Gold defenders - and Jack van Poortvilet is the man gifted the task of crossing.
Updated
Yellow card (Lolesio)
There’s still enough time left after the siren for Lolesio to hit the showers early for a professional knock-on.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 30-21 England (Arundell, 80)
Out of nothing, the young England sub bursts through two tackles then turns on the afterburners to whizz around the outside and touch down in the corner. Shame it will count for little, but that was a heck of an introduction to Test rugby.
Updated
CONVERSION! Australia 30-14 England (Lolesio, 79)
Lolesio scores, of course he scores.
TRY! Australia 28-14 England (Samu, 78)
The phases never end. The gold wall drives forward relentlessly. 5m out in the right corner the ball is fired inside, Samu takes a step, buys himself some space and wriggles with Stuart for company over the line. Unbelievable.
Updated
76 mins: More interchanges keep the game paused. When the action resumes Kerevi and Koroibete batter the defensive line to send Australia from halfway to the 22. Both runners have been destructive tonight. The ball is recycled to Lolesio, he darts into contact before offloading to Philip. 11 phases becomes 12, the clock heads toward 77 minutes, the Wallabies are grinding superbly.
75 mins: A scrum reset bleeds another minute from the clock, and then when the game restarts the Australian pack pours through England like an avalanche. That was a massive statement of intent. The Wallabies are soaring home with 14 men.
74 mins: England are running out of time to find two scores ads the clock stops awaiting a scrum to pack down on Australia’s 22. England’s feed.
73 mins: Superb restart recovery from England sets up a frantic drive deep into Australian territory. Care and Ludlam keep the ball alive, there’s almost a gap on the right wing but the doorway is closed and the ball comes infield. The drive gets to the 5m line near the posts, Chessum the carrier, but the ball doesn’t come clear and the Wallabies get a fortunate penalty to clear their lines.
CONVERSION! Australia 23-14 England (Lolesio, 71)
From the right touchline Lolesio kicks Australia beyond a converted try in front.
TRY! Australia 21-14 England (Fainga’a, 70)
Lineout secure. Maul forms. Penalty advantage. Momentum builds. Folau Fainga’a keeps his balance, peels off and spins over. Australia cannot believe their turnaround.
Updated
69 mins: Kerevi and Sio drive Australia forward from the penalty restart. The Wallabies are flying! Kellaway chips forward, Steward covers, then Petaia flies into the England fullback to earn a 5m lineout. Everything going Australia’s way.
68 mins: 14 v 14 for the closing stages...
Yellow Card (Vunipola)
“Direct head contact, with mitigation” is the call from the TMO. The debate was whether a penalty was sufficient, but at the last minute it was upgraded to a yellow.
68 mins: The knock-on penalty was the consequence of England’s No 8 making contact with Hooper’s head with his lead shoulder.
68 mins: The TMO is back involved... Vunipola is in trouble.
68 mins: Those Farrell misses from the tee are looking pretty costly right now. But England are once again on the front foot in open play and soon earn a knock-on penalty.
CONVERSION! Australia 16-14 England (Lolesio, 66)
From the right touchline, Lolesio splits the uprights and kicks undermanned Australia ahead!
TRY! Australia 14-14 England (Petaia, 62)
64 mins: What can Australia do from this set-piece? Valetini breaks from the back of the scrum but he’s scragged. Hooper breaks the gainline with a dart. Philip makes metres. Sio keeps the ball alive. Kerevi pounds the line on the blind side. The Wallabies get to ten phases, the penalty advantage comes into play, and the ball comes out and through hands to the right. Lovely catch and pass on the angle, Kellaway straightens up, buys enough time for Petaia outside him and the youngster takes Care and ball over the line for a brilliant 14-man try!
Updated
62 mins: ... that dominance not including Koroibete pounding Nowell at the restart and earning a very handy attacking scrum on the left wing.
PENALTY! Australia 9-14 England (Farrell, 61)
Farrell gives England some breathing space on the scoreboard to reflect their dominance on the field.
59 mins: Again Australia can’t capitalise with the ball in hand and England respond with a huge bomb that’s too hot for Lolesio. Slipper picks up the scraps but he can’t release and the whistle blows. Farrell has another shot for goal.
59 mins: England enjoy a few phases of quick ball near halfway but there’s little momentum. Eventually there’s some air and Smith spins the ball wide to ... Itoje! And the big fella can’t hold onto the pass on the touchline.
59 mins: The Wallabies can’t hold onto the ball for long though and a neat kick from Nowell turns the gold defence on its heels, extracting a hurried clearing kick. England controlling ball and territory at the moment.
58 mins: England secure the lineout but the maul moves at glacial pace forcing Care to shift inside to Nowell on the burst. The defensive line holds firm and then a phase later there’s a turnover when the industrious Hooper is denied possession when a white shirt holds on to the pill on the ground.
56 mins: England kick to the right corner and again mount a fierce attack. Vunipola looks to step around the outside but the Wallabies have enough bodies to smuggle the ball out... for another lineout, and another huge heave.
55 mins: Kerevi puts Smith on his backside with a bullocking carry on halfway. Koroibete can’t do likewise and loses the ball in the carry. On the ground Lolesio is outnumbered and England win the penalty. That was a real show of strength from England’s forwards in contact there.
Rennie is going to his bench early, trying to shuffle his pack and account for the man disadvantage.
53 mins: England now have the scoreboard advantage, as well as the man advantage. All about game management for the tourists now. Australia recognise the situation and try to run their way out of their own half, but they continue to be pushed backwards, Kellaway especially profligate, so White concedes defeat and box kicks. Steward shows off his brilliant leap again, Smith kicks downfield and Kellaway is again smashed in a tackle. It doesn’t matter much those because both Hill and Genge infringe at the breakdown. Very very sloppy from England.
51 mins: Farrell drags his second kick for goal across the face. This wasn’t easy from the right touchline.
TRY! Australia 9-11 England (Genge, 49)
This time England shove their way over! The short lineout, the medieval maul, and Genge comes up with lots of head pats.
Updated
48 mins: England secure the 5m lineout throw but the home defence is superb, denying the maul any momentum, and White pilfers and breaks! Counter on? No... Hooper is penalised for entering the maul incorrectly. England get another shot.
47 mins: Good lineout from England allows Vunipola to break. Penalty advantage so Farrell tries to kick, twice, on both occasions England recovering scrappy ball - the latter after excellent play by Nowell. Another penalty advantage, this time in range, but England keep the ball alive to the left until play is called back. Farrell kicks to the right corner. Heave o’clock.
45 mins: It’s now 14 v 15 on the field, but the Wallabies have the advantage on the scoreboard. White box kicks to halfway after the restart but Steward again shows his grace in the air with a supreme mark. England have some momentum and a series of phases cross the gainline - until Smith is mugged after taking the ball into contact and Australia clear.
PENALTY! Australia 9-6 England (Lolesio, 43)
Koroibete runs into Leota, but like a pinball only builds up more momentum to hit the line at pace and earn a penalty advantage. White orchestrates multiphase play behind the penalty but it loses impetus and the kick for goal is gratefully accepted. Australia have inched ahead on the scoreboard either side of half-time with some nifty running rugby exploiting England’s indiscipline at the ruck.
41 mins: England accept the restart with 14 men, but they will soon be back to their full complement - unlike the Wallabies.
The big lads are back for another 40 minutes of action. Hopefully we get a little more rugby this half.
Obviously the headlines (no pun intended) were mainly on Australia’s side. The bad news began when Quade Cooper felt his calf tighten in the warm-up, it continued when Tom Banks broke his arm in a fall, and got a whole lot worse when Darcy Swain landed a nut on Jonny Hill following a scuffle. It also remains to be seen if Allan Alaalatoa will return to the field following an HIA.
Maybe you saw things differently at home, but the only rugby of interest to stand out that half was England’s use of Smith and Farrell. The two lines of attack look very dangerous but the combinations with ball in hand haven’t been executed just yet. If they find their runners, that could become a very exciting development.
Half-time: Australia 6-6 England
Not much rugby to report in Perth but in amongst all the stoppages there have been plenty of injuries, a couple of cards, and five shots for goal, of which four have gone over. Scores level at the break, but England will expect to benefit from their man advantage in the second half.
PENALTY! Australia 6-6 England (Lolesio 40+3)
40 mins: Lovely short one-two lineout from Porecki. The short side run sets up momentum with the ball shifted quickly from left to right. The speed of the move forces to England to scramble and in doing so Curry concedes a penalty and Lolesio cannot miss the shot at goal from gimme range.
40 mins: Excellent run off the back of a scrum from Valetini sets up the Wallabies to attack from their own half. England concede a penalty at the ruck and after the half-time siren sounds Lolesio kicks to the 22 on the left for one final attack before the interval.
39 mins: Still 14v14 for the time being as England feed a scrum midway in Australia’s half. Those two lines of attack on the angle again form but as Farrell pops up a runaround for Care the England scrumhalf is absolutely nailed by the massive Kerevi.
38 mins: The second feed just about gets away and both teams go to the boot on the far side until Kerevi tries to run at Itoje but he fumbles in contact.
36 mins: Australia with the scrum feed just outside their 22. Care tries to pinch it and dart away but there’s a reset instead.
35 mins: The shot on goal that was a guaranteed three points, following Australia’s best passage of the night, ends with the penalty reversed and the Wallabies down to 14 men, after already losing Cooper, Banks, and possibly Alaalatoa...
RED CARD / YELLOW CARD
Massive drama here.
Red - Swain sees red for his headbutt.
Yellow - Hill is sent to the bin for ten minutes
34 mins: It looks like typical handbags, until Swain lands a daft headbutt on Hill.
34 mins: The officials are reviewing some footage on the big screen. Perhaps Hill pulling the hair of Swain in a maul?
32 mins: Australia win their scrum feed in their own half. White feeds Kerevi who kicks behind England to dribble the ball out on the 22. England secure the short lineout and Care kicks clear. Koroibete and Kellaway show intent to run the ball back. White follows suit, then the ball goes through hands to the right. Better from the Wallabies. Kellaway’s back to the line, he offloads to Bell who bursts through! He has no support and accepts contact. Australia keep the ball alive, and earn a penalty advantage 10m out. England regroup in midfield and slow the play down, Australia begin to tread water and eventually the whistle blows for the earlier infringement.
The best passage of the night from the Wallabies and Kellaway was instrumental twice.
30 mins: There’s an almighty scrap for the ball in the ruck on the far side near halfway. England retain possession and try to run from left to right but the ball goes to ground when Farrell is lined up by Kellaway.
28 mins: England are forced to kick from slow ball, something they haven’t needed to do often tonight. They’re soon back in possession on halfway though - but not for long with a turnover on the ground. A series of kicks are then exchanged on the far touchline, none of them particularly purposeful. The kick-to-kick shifts to the nearside for a while until Genge decides to put his dead down and his bum up.
Penalty miss!
35m out, just to the right of the posts, and Farrell tugs it wide. That was disappointing.
25 mins: White box kicks from his 22 allowing Steward to show his Superman skills on the burst. England keep the ball alive, looking to go through hands. Care snipes, he earns a penalty advantage at the ruck, England kick to the left corner and the contest goes to ground, so we’ll be back for the earlier infringement and another simple shot at goal.
Allan Alaalatoa is coming off for an HIA - he doesn’t look great.
Freddie Steward is so much fun to watch under the high ball.
PENALTY! Australia 3-6 England (Lolesio, 24)
Lolesio calmly slots Australia’s first points of the series from 30m out just to the right of the uprights.
23 mins: After Banks leaves on the medicab, England resume with a scrum, but it ends with a penalty to Australia and the first chance for points.
The Wallabies, by the way, have restructured by placing Kellaway at fullback and Petaia enters on the wing.
22 mins: 0-6 down, no Cooper, no Banks, not the best opening to the series for Dave Rennie.
Tom Banks injury
22 mins: Devastating news for Tom Banks. The Australian fullback landed awkwardly chasing the kick-off, and it seems unambiguous on replay that he has broken his right arm. That was very ugly indeed.
On comes the youngster Petaia.
PENALTY! Australia 0-6 England (Farrell, 21)
England kick a penalty to the 22 and attack off the back of the lineout through Care. Smith then drops a grubber to the corner. Under pressure, Australia secure safe ball and then stuff it up their jerseys until the clearing kick can be launched. Nowell runs the bomb back with rubbery legs but the breakdown isn’t secured and a serious of scruffy phases in midfield begin. Stuart straightens England up and Farrell at first receiver sets Curry through the line. England are through - almost - as the ball flies to the right wing but Kerevi does magnificently to hold up Marchant. That was a try-saving highlight reel classic. England recycle the ball somehow and by the time play next stops infield it’s for an England breakdown penalty and Farrell dabs over the gimme three points.
Positive start for England.
Fine try-saving tackle from Marika Korobeite on Joe Marchant but that's precisely the kind of opportunity England are supposed to be scoring if their attack really is improving
— Gerard Meagher (@gerard_meagher) July 2, 2022
Updated
17 mins: This time the attack gets a chance, and again it’s Kerevi invited to hit the line first. It doesn’t take long for a turnover though with the massive frame of Itoje securing ball for England. In response England again look to run, this time from left to right, once more finding lots of angles, exploiting the 10-12 variety of playmaker Jones’ selection has afforded. You can see those combinations carving sides open if the combinations can be hit crisply.
15 mins: Creative lineout from the Wallabies on halfway but Kerevi can’t get through Curry - who might have suffered a head knock in his defensive action. Soon afterwards England concede another breakdown offence and the Wallabies again kick tot he right corner.
13 mins: England’s forwards cross the gainline for a few phases before the backs are offered some run to the left but Smith is handed a hospital pass he does well to hang onto. After nine phases Farrell goes to the sky on the right wing and Nowell wins the tap back, keeping play alive on the 22. The ball is recycled from right to left, not always with control, but the Wallabies scramble defence with energy and push England back behind the gainline on the left before securing the breakdown for a penalty infield. Bell gets plenty of pats on the back.
Enterprising football from England. They’re looking to take the game on with ball in hand.
11 mins: Great action. Itoje tries to disrupt the lineout call by howling like a banshee. The ref is, quite rightly, having none of it, and very calmly tells the England lock to pipe down. Australia win the throw but then cough up possession with an accidental offside soon afterwards. That’s compounded when England win a scrum penalty on their first feed. The Wallabies went from promising field position and possession to defending a lineout on halfway.
10 mins: Australia twice go through hands to the right inside their own half with White directing traffic. Lawes is pinged at the breakdown for playing off his feet and the Wallabies kick to the right corner.
8 mins: Another breakdown penalty for England, this time for Swain landing on the wrong side of the ruck as England tried to drill their way out of their 22m. The clearing kicks gets to halfway but Swain redeems himself by winning the lineout against the throw.
PENALTY! Australia 0-3 England (Farrell, 7)
35 out, 18 in from the left touchline, and Farrell makes no mistake.
6 mins: Play resumes with a Lolesio bomb that Steward collects and runs into contact 10m from halfway. England go through Farrell’s hands to the left before Itoje straightens up. The garryowen is claimed emphatically by Lolesio but Curry does magnificently to get over the ball, resist any clearout, and earn the penalty. Owen Farrell has an early shot for goal.
4 mins: When it finally packs the front rows collapse and the penalty goes Australia’s way.
Nothing takes the sting out the start of a Test series between England and Australia quite like endless reset scrums inside the first four minutes
— Gerard Meagher (@gerard_meagher) July 2, 2022
Updated
3 mins: No surprises that the first scrum of the series has to be reset... twice.
2 mins: Australia secure the deep kick-off. Two rucks are very slow and White box kicks to touch on halfway. England secure their first lineout, on the right, then the forwards get to work in midfield. That is until Neville makes a superb first impression at international level, holding up Hill one-on-one and earning a penalty. Excellent start for the debutant.
Kick-off!
The first Test is underway in Perth...
Great stadium, beautifully illuminated with indigenous designs. Here's hoping the game matches the setting. pic.twitter.com/aX8rqT4s0l
— robert kitson (@robkitson) July 2, 2022
The anthems will be sung by the Ten Tenors. Whatever happened to the Italia 90 trio? Inflation, eh?
Updated
And now the home side, marched out by Michael Hooper. Nothing covering the famous golden Wallaby jerseys, including that of Noah Lolesio, who looks a little shellshocked to be out among the pyrotechnics.
Here come England, led by the giant Courtney Lawes, strolling out to a chorus of boos in crisp white Umbro drill tops.
The lights have been dimmed at Optus Stadium in anticipation of the entry of the two sides. First comes Mark Ella, carrying the newly minted trophy bearing his name.
Gerard Meagher has more on how upbeat Australian rugby is at the moment, with the prospect of a ‘golden decade’ ahead.
The British & Irish Lions are due in 2025, the 2027 and 2029 World Cup tournaments were secured in May and the Olympics is coming to Brisbane in 2032. The Rugby Australia chairman, Hamish McLennan, speaks of a ‘golden decade’ for the sport with a mixture of anticipation and relief considering how the pandemic brought the organisation to its knees to the extent that a $40m loan – at a considerable rate of interest – from a US investment firm was required last year. Tellingly, he also speaks of how the ‘lean years’ will be between now and when the Lions arrive. But the brighter future that McLennan talks about at least offers security.
As my colleague Angus Fontaine has just noted, with Sydney flooding as we speak, perhaps it was always destined to be Noah’s night...
Quade Cooper a late withdrawal
BREAKING NEWS: Quade Cooper is out! Noah Lolesio moves into five-eighth and James O’Connor joins the bench. Huge late news. It looks like Cooper has tweaked his left calf.
Updated
🚦 Almost go time!#Wallabies @eToroAU pic.twitter.com/M1dpOrE8sQ
— Wallabies (@wallabies) July 2, 2022
... and the South gained an early advantage in that battle of the hemispheres with New Zealand putting Ireland in their place this evening.
At play this series there’s not just the context of Australia and England’s enduring rivalry, or the looming World Cup, but a recommencement of the battle of the hemispheres with bilateral contests all over the place, as Rob Kitson reports.
The next few weeks may not prove wholly decisive. But try telling that to the host nations. If England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland go home with just a couple of wins between them it will represent a significant southern revival.
Freddie Steward, England’s giant fullback, is going places, fast, as Rob Kitson reports.
As recently as six years ago the Leicester full-back was a bit-part member of Tigers’ age-grade academy side and had absolutely no clue how far rugby would take him. Suddenly here he is, still only 21, preparing to play his first Test in the southern hemisphere having recently been named England’s player of the year. When a high bomb is hoisted his way there are few better equipped to defuse the aerial danger.
Eddie Jones has spoken to Australian TV about what his England side needs to do tonight. “It’s more about the mindset,” Jones said, “you know Australia’s going to be up to the challenge playing on flat hard surfaces.” Adding, with an extra Aussie twang: “We’ve got to make sure we hop in, mate.”
Moving on to tactics, Jones indicated gnomically: “We’ve got to be a team that’s good at being fast and slow.”
Referee
Your referee tonight is 31-year-old Kiwi James Doleman. 31! I’m 42 tomorrow and learning I’m that much older than an international referee has done me no good whatsoever. It’s one thing to recognise how much older you are than most of the players, but referees always seem so wizened. It’ll be the coaches I look at with envy next; hopefully.
- Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
- TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
Veteran scrum-half Danny Care has been the subject of much attention after being called up for the first time in nearly four years. Gerard Meagher captures the mood around England’s fan favourite and his call-up by Eddie Jones.
The pair have not always seen eye to eye but Jones will have appreciated the bold approach and with the modern game – not to mention Australia’s fast pitches – suiting a livewire scrum-half, Care’s shot has hit the target.
In the lead-up to the series Rob Kitson sat down with injury-prone England winger Jack Nowell.
In the 29-year-old Nowell’s case there has been a litany of issues, from toe ligaments to hamstrings before his fractured arm in Paris. ‘It was just one of those things. I jumped up for a high ball, landed on it funny and had a clean break of my radius’.
“Physicality; winning the physical battle,” was Quade Cooper’s answer when the Australian flyhalf was asked during the warm up where tonight’s match would be determined.
Conditions
Not unusually for Perth conditions are perfect. After a beautiful sun-kissed day temperatures are dropping into the low teens as night falls. There is no chance of rain, and only the slightest of easterly breezes should be felt in the magnificent state of the art Optus Stadium.
Good morning from Perth 👋#AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/VNWLwPaJv7
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 2, 2022
Australian bolter Cadeyrn Neville’s story deserves a good airing, and Rob Kitson does the honours here.
Neville was first selected in an Australian squad a decade ago but, until now, has never actually made it on to the field. He is the oldest Wallaby to make his debut since Tiaan Strauss in 1999 and the third oldest since the second world war but his impact for the Brumbies in Super Rugby has earned him a deserved call up.
On that man Farrell, he is not happy at losing the England captaincy, and as Gerard Meagher reports, there has been little effort made to hide the fact.
Farrell has captained England for more than four years whenever selected and though Jones admitted his decision has created a ‘difficult situation’, he believes it will bring the best out of the inside-centre.
This series is shaping as one of enormous significance for former England captain Owen Farrell. His 12-10 partnership with Marcus Smith will determine much of the tourists’ attacking edge, as Gerard Meagher investigates.
The idea is that Farrell can step in at first receiver during structured play while Smith lurks, scanning for space and waiting for the opportunity with that little bit more time. Sounds simple enough on paper but lest we forget they did not have Samu Kerevi lining them up back in November and it is a surefire bet they will see plenty of the Australia centre in the coming weeks.
Courtney Lawes wins the toss. Michael Hooper confuses the referee. Lovely stuff.
🤝 @wallabies #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/u5tDeQIHE3
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 2, 2022
Mike Hytner has more on the new Ella-Mobbs trophy.
The Cook Cup, a 25-year-old trophy contested by Australia and England, will be renamed after the two countries’ rugby unions agreed to drop the reference to the British explorer before the upcoming Test series.
‘With such a vast history between them, Rugby Australia and the Rugby Football Union made the decision that the trophy should better represent the proud rugby history of both nations, an RFU spokesperson said.
Angus Fontaine shares his thoughts on Australia’s 35-man squad and what they can expect to accomplish. The tone is one of cautious optimism.
Off the back of an improved Super Rugby season for Australian sides, Rennie’s squad convenes fitter, faster and more experienced than last year. “I think we’ve added a little bit of steel to the group as well,” he reckons. Will it be enough to put England to the sword?
Rob Kitson has cast his eye over a much-changed visiting side that satisfies the cravings of many England supporters.
Not only will Courtney Lawes lead England into Saturday’s first Test against Australia in preference to Owen Farrell but Eddie Jones has also parachuted three experimental new caps into his matchday 23. It is as significant a cabinet reshuffle as English rugby has undergone for a while.
England XV
As expected, Covid has ruled out Jonny May, meaning England go in as listed earlier this week. Plenty of attention will fall on the playmakers with the recalled veteran Danny Care in the No 9 jersey feeding the Marcus Smith-Owen Farrell axis that looks set to determine England’s short-term future. Farrell of course is no longer captain, more on that to come.
A reminder of how we line-up today 🌹@O2 | #WearTheRose pic.twitter.com/aeHSNyvoIn
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 2, 2022
Australia XV
Described by Angus Fontaine as, “a tough, fast, freewheeling outfit designed to run England ragged,” Australia’s line-up is a mixture of the old and the new, and in one case both. Michael Hooper continues to lead from the back of the scrum, and Quade Cooper remains trusted with playmaking duties. But it’s an unfamiliar pack featuring two debutants, including 33-year-old lock Cadeyrn Neville. In the backs, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete offer a formidable presence that is sure to be used to punch holes in England’s defence.
Plenty of familiar names are missing. Kurtley Beale is out injured, Reece Hodge and Matt To’omua were not selected in the 35-man squad, and James O’Connor didn’t make the 22. Taniela Tupou failed to recover in time from a calf injury but may feature later in the series.
🦘 Your 23 to line up against @EnglandRugby tonight.
— Wallabies (@wallabies) July 2, 2022
🗓 TODAY, 5:55pm AWST
🏟 Optus Stadium, Perth
🎟 https://t.co/OPI1rxZYCH
📺 @StanSportAU & @Channel9 #AUSvENG #Wallabies @eToroAU pic.twitter.com/GVA7Ns0Wcd
The Australian perspective is provided by Angus Fontaine. There is optimism, but for a country so used to winning, at everything, the Wallabies have done so little celebrating recently they risk falling off the map.
Australian rugby is hurting. Nineteen seasons without winning the Bledisloe Cup, 22 years without raising the Webb Ellis World Cup trophy and six years and eight games without a win over England. For a proud sporting nation, it’s not good enough. Many rugby fans have stopped wearing the gold jersey, and many sponsors have stopped believing in it. There may well be a golden decade coming for the code’s administrators with home soil World Cups, Lions tours and Commonwealth and Olympic Games, but none of it matters if the Wallabies aren’t winning.
Rob Kitson has furnished us with not one, but two scene-setters. In this piece the focus is on England’s energy and intent.
Everyone knows Jones is trying stuff – and doubtless keeping other stuff back – with a view to next year’s World Cup but that priority appears to be blurring the focus on the here and now. What English rugby could do with, to borrow a more contemporary cricketing analogy, is a go-get-em blast of unaffected Brendon McCullum-style fresh air and less fear of failure. If England lose this forthcoming series so be it. More important is that they give it a real rip.
While this column reflects on how poor England performed recently against the Ba-Bas and how much Jones and co still have to get right.
The reality is that Jones is still searching for a physically dominant Test-quality centre not named Manu and still seems uncertain about his best options at scrum-half and in the front five. There would also be fewer post-Barbarians alarm bells ringing had England finished the Six Nations with a flourish. Or if Australia were not showing some signs of a revival.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of the first Test of England’s tour of Australia, or as Nadine Dorries might call it, the Challenge Cup final. Kick-off at Perth’s Optus Stadium is 5.55pm local time, which is 7.55pm AEST / 10.55am BST.
This is a wide open series overflowing with context, sharpened by the proximity of the World Cup. For England it features a coach under pressure and the coronation of a new captain, with little time to alter course before France 2023. While for the Wallabies, Dave Rennie was appointed over two years ago but there remains a feeling his side is still in transition.
It is England’s first southern hemisphere tour since the 2018 trip to South Africa, and there will be much to learn. As Rob Kitson writes: “Not since their World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand in 2019 have they registered a real statement win away from Twickenham.”
For the hosts it’s a shot at redemption after suffering a 3-0 whitewash the last time these sides met on Australian soil back in 2016. In all, the Wallabies are on an eight-match losing streak to England, with that record extending to 12 defeats in 14 matches stretching back to 2010. However, victory in Perth would see the Wallabies leapfrog England on the world rankings.
Along with bragging rights and World Cup momentum, the two nations will compete for the newly christened Ella-Mobbs Cup. After previously battling for the Cook Cup, the prize has been renamed after Indigenous Australian and Wallabies great Mark Ella and the former England winger Edgar Mobbs, who died while serving his country in the first world war.
Stick around because we have plenty to get through before kick-off. Correspondents Rob Kitson, Gerard Meagher, and Angus Fontaine have been very busy.
If you want to join in the conversations they have begun, or you have any other thoughts about tonight’s match, the series, or anything rugby league (thanks for the reminder Secretary of State) union, drop me an email or send a tweet to @JPHowcroft.
🏆 The Story of the Ella-Mobbs Cup.
— Wallabies (@wallabies) July 1, 2022
A trophy etched with the stories of two extraordinary rugby players. #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/4OjNThur3W
