Eddie Jones’ new-look England held firm amid a nail-biting finish under the lights at the Sydney Cricket Ground to clinch a 2-1 series victory over the Wallabies.
It was two tries a piece in a fluctuating contest, with full-back Freddie Steward and fly-half Marcus Smith crossing for the visitors, while winger Tom Wright and hooker Folau Fainga’a were the Aussies to touch down. But ultimately it was the boot of 11-point centre Owen Farrell that made the difference in this decider, with Jones’ team keeping their nerve to see the game out.
It’s a timely boost for England’s Aussie coach, on the back of successive Six Nations campaigns which brought just two wins. He had lost key forwards Maro Itoje, Tom Curry and Sam Underhill to injury during the series, while the likes of George Ford, Manu Tuilagi, Anthony Watson, Alex Dombrandt, Kyle Sinckler, Ben Youngs, Joe Marler, Henry Slade and Joe Launchbury were all absent from the tour.
