England will be looking to bounce back from defeat to the Barbarians when their star players return to take on southern hemisphere giants Australia on Saturday.
Powerhouse Billy Vunipola and the evergreen Danny Care return to the England starting line-up, as Owen Farrell gets used to life without the captaincy. British and Irish Lions star Courtney Lawes assumes control of Eddie Jones' side on the field for the first Test down under.
It will be the first time the two teams have met in the international arena since England's resounding victory in the autumn internationals, when Jones' side turned them over 32-15. However, the Australians were not at full strength, so it will be interesting to see how they perform with their stars back on duty.
There had been much excitement about Aussie veteran Quade Cooper returning to the fly-half jersey after missing the autumn internationals but he has been withdrawn just six minutes before kick-off due to a calf injury sustained in the warm-up. Noah Lolesio was promoted to the starting line-up as his replacement, with James O'Connor drafted onto the bench.
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Here's everything you need to know about the match:
What time is England v Australia kick off?
England v Australia kicks off at 10.55am UK time in Perth on Saturday, July 2.
What TV channel is England v Australia on? What about live streaming?
England v Australia will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Action, with coverage beginning at 10.15am. Non-Sky Sports customers can live stream the game with a NOW TV subscription, which starts at £11.99 a month, or you can pay for a day pass.
What's the England v Australia team news?
Many were keenly anticipating the big contest between Quade Cooper and Marcus Smith at No. 10, with Cooper even revealing he has chatted with Smith, offering him tips, and says he will continue to do so for the greater good of the game. But Cooper was ruled out of the match at the 11th hour after a warm-up injury, meaning Noah Lolesio starts and James O’Connor comes onto the bench.
Dave Rennie has named a relatively inexperienced pack, with captain Michael Hooper occupying the bulk of the caps. There is a debut for lock Cadeyrn Neville as he lines up alongside Darcy Swain of the Brumbies. Neville is the oldest Australian debutant this century, aged 33. The back line is glistening with Test match stars including Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete, while Andrew Kellaway looks to continue his scintillating form in Wallaby gold.
Nic White starts at scrum-half for the Wallabies opposite Danny Care, who partners Smith for England. This will be the first time Care has featured in an England Test jersey since 2018. Owen Farrell and Joe Marchant feature in a formidable midfield, with Freddie Steward, Jack Nowell and Joe Cokanasiga completing the back three.
England : 15. Freddie Steward, 14. Jack Nowell, 13. Joe Marchant, 12. Owen Farrell, 11. Joe Cokanasiga, 10. Marcus Smith, 9. Danny Care; 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Jamie George, 3. Will Stuart, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Courtney Lawes (capt), 7. Tom Curry, 8. Billy Vunipola.
Replacements : 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17. Mako Vunipola, 18. Joe Heyes, 19. Ollie Chessum, 20. Lewis Ludlam, 21. Jack van Poortlviet, 22. Guy Porter, 23. Henry Arundell.
Australia : 15. Tom Banks, 14. Andrew Kellaway, 13. Len Ikitau, 12. Samu Kerevi, 11. Marika Koroibete, 10. Noah Lolesio, 9. Nic White, 1. Angus Bell, 2. David Porecki, 3. Allan Alaalatoa, 4. Darcy Swain, 5. Cadeyrn Neville, 6. Rob Leota, 7. Michael Hooper (capt), 8. Rob Valetini.
Replacements : 16. Folau Fainga’a, 17. Scott Sio, 18. James Slipper, 19. Matt Philip, 20. Pete Samu, 21. Jake Gordon, 22. James O’Connor, 23. Jordan Petaia.
Who is the England v Australia referee?
Referee: Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (IRFU), Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
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