New Zealand ended Ireland’s 19-match winning streak at Lansdowne Road, running out deserved 23-13 victors over the world ranked number one side in a scrappy encounter.
Jamie George’s message to England: we need to be brave and take Australia on
- Captain rallies team to ‘go out and play with courage’
- England are odds-on to beat struggling Wallabies
Jamie George has called on his England side to have the bravery to stick to their guns and go for the jugular against Australia rather than go into their shells after making a losing start to their autumn campaign.
England will be seeking an 11th win in 12 matches against Australia, who arrive at Twickenham ranked ninth in the world, but Steve Borthwick’s side have lost four of their past five matches after slipping to a third straight defeat by the All Blacks last weekend.
Continue reading...England don’t need to close tight games out – they should run teams off the pitch | Ugo Monye
Steve Borthwick’s side need to find another gear and a different mindset to end their frustrating run of narrow defeats
All year England have been a team who find themselves in arm wrestles and last weekend was no different. They get themselves into tight matches that are still in the balance in the final few minutes – it has almost become the trademark of this team. They’ve played eight matches against tier-one nations and the aggregate margin has been 27 points. The biggest margin has been against Scotland, when they lost by nine, but the rest have been decided by a score or less.
That tells me that England have adopted a certain mindset this year but, based on the evidence, they are not very good at winning tight matches. The ledger reads won three, lost five so my question is, do England need to find a way to get better at winning tight matches? Or do they find another way to win matches? My opinion is that they should go for the latter.
Continue reading...Jamie George admits Eddie Jones’s style was ‘challenging’ amid its successes
- England mood now ‘much more inclusive’ says captain
- ‘Eddie was someone who never wanted to sit still’
The England captain, Jamie George, has insisted that a toxic environment is not a necessary price to pay for success after admitting Eddie Jones’s regime could be “challenging” and that he understands where Danny Care is coming from after his explosive claims about the Australian’s setup.
George, who was appointed England captain at the start of the year, was a mainstay of Jones’s squad and is adamant that the current set-up is “much more inclusive” but did concede “it hasn’t always been that way” in a nod to Care’s comments in his autobiography that the previous environment was like “a dictatorship”. George did, however, laud Jones’s coaching credentials.
Continue reading...Joseph Sua’ali’i to start for Australia against England on rugby union debut
- Sua’ali’i picked at outside centre after recent code switch
- Joe Schmidt hopes he ‘can hit the ground running’
Joe Schmidt has only made one change to Australia’s starting XV ahead of this weekend’s Test against England, but it’s a big one. Joseph Sua’ali’i, 21 years old and 6ft 5in, has been picked to start his first ever game of professional rugby union. Sua’ali’i hasn’t played the code since he was a schoolkid, but, with only four Tests on this tour left before Australia’s first against the British & Irish Lions next year, Schmidt’s running short of time to find out if Sua’ali’i’s up to international rugby union after his A$5m (£2.54m) switch from rugby league.
Schmidt admits it’s a risk. “Everything is,” he said. “The thing that gives me confidence is how well Joseph prepares himself. He’s a very professional young man. He’s had plenty of experience both playing rugby union, and as a professional in rugby league. So hopefully he can hit the ground running.”
Continue reading...Suaalii in line for shock Wallabies debut under two months after Roosters switch
Former Roosters star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is reportedly set to debut for the Wallabies at centre against England just under two months after switching codes from rugby league.
Robinson backs Sua’ali’i to make union impact for Australia after code switch
- Back in line to feature against England on Saturday
- ‘He’s got a lot of talent and will get the opportunity’
Jason Robinson, the most successful cross-code rugby player of the modern era, is backing Australia’s newest league convert to make an instant impact if he is parachuted into Saturday’s Test against England. Joseph Sua’ali’i is in line to feature in a Wallaby jersey for the first time and could even start despite not having played a single game of professional union.
Australia are desperately hoping the 21-year-old Sua’ali’i will be the catalyst who transforms their recent fortunes, not just in their forthcoming November Tests but in next year’s three-Test series against the British & Irish Lions. If the former Sydney Roosters back does make his debut at Twickenham, Robinson is among those who believe he may surprise a few people.
Continue reading...Geoff Parling: ‘It’s hard at times, but we’ve got some bloody good players’
Former England forward turned Joe Schmidt’s right-hand man is well placed to gauge the challenge facing Australia
Time was, and not so long ago, when Steve Borthwick and Geoff Parling were squaring off against each other at lineouts, Borthwick at Saracens, Parling for Leicester. In the early 2010s the clubs were often drawn together in the playoffs – there were a couple of finals in 2010 and 2011, a semi in 2012. “Humdingers,” Parling says now.
A decade later, they will be at it again at Twickenham on Saturday, as coaches this time. Borthwick, of course, with England, and Parling with Australia, where he works as Joe Schmidt’s right-hand man.
Continue reading...‘Wearable art’ with a QR code: British & Irish Lions hype up 2025 tour jersey
- Four home nations emblems woven into the fabric
- Fixture confusion unresolved over Melbourne dates
Seldom in the history of sports kit has more breathless hype surrounded the launch of a humble rugby jersey. “A masterpiece” and “a wearable piece of art” were among the gushing tributes paid to the shirt the players will wear on next year’s men’s British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, which does admittedly look slightly different to its predecessors.
In a “seamless tapestry” the emblems of all four home nations have been woven into the fabric and there is even a tag on the garment which, if scanned, allows supporters to tap into an app containing extra rugby-related digital content.
Continue reading...‘Will never whimper’: Skelton seeks redemption after ‘disappointing’ World Cup
The Wallabies’ disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign still haunts Will Skelton, with the towering lock having returned to national team duty desperate to make amends on Australia’s Grand Slam tour of the UK and Ireland.
Skelton was captain of Australia’s squad at last year’s World Cup in France but, because of injury, only played one match in the tournament.
Drop-kick heartbreak for England as injury hit All Blacks come from behind to clinch thriller
New Zealand may only have edged out England 24-22 at Twickenham on Saturday but two-try star Mark Tele’a victory in their November international opener was “massive” for the All Blacks.
‘Just fluff’: Wallaby defends ‘insane’ Sua’ali’i UK tour selection despite criticism
Wallabies prop Angus Bell has defended the decision to select league convert Joseph Sua’ali’i for the upcoming tour of England after critics labelled the ex-Roosters inclusion a “disgrace.”
Wallabies name $5m man Suaalii in 34-man squad for Grand Slam tour
Code-hopper Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is being thrust straight into the big-time after being named in the 34-man Wallabies squad for spring tour of the UK fresh out the NRL having not played a game of rugby since he was a schoolboy star.
Rocky Elsom speaks over international arrest warrant, five-year prison sentence
Former Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom has claimed the French court hearing that resulted in his five-year jail sentence was a “clear perversion of justice.”
Rugby convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii wearing sky blue again as he begins career with Waratahs
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s only conversation when he met Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt on the weekend was about family, but the rugby convert has declared he’s “ready” to suit up in a gold jersey as soon as he’s called on.