Retired England great Ben Youngs’ sledge of the Wallabies in the lead-up to Australia’s drought-breaking 42-37 win against England at Twickenham backfired spectacularly.
Do England’s repeated failures mean Steve Borthwick’s system is flawed? | Robert Kitson
Head coach’s gameplan exploded in his face again against Australia. South Africa are next … do the players trust it?
One of the all-time great Wallaby Test victories has left England up a gum tree of their own making. Clearly Australia deserve huge praise for Saturday’s spectacular ram raid, topped off by a record for points scored in this fixture at Twickenham. For the home side, however, a recurring failure to close out big games is now the subject of mounting scrutiny.
Scoring five tries and 37 points, for instance, should be enough to win any Test match. But only last March England scored 31 points in Lyon and still lost to France. Yet another disturbing pattern is emerging, this time around their defensive solidity. It makes for cracking entertainment for neutrals, less so for those England fans who still have any hair left to pull out.
Continue reading...Steve Borthwick retains full support of RFU despite England’s losing streak
- England have won just four of 10 Tests in 2024
- Under-pressure coach has “100%” backing from RFU
The England head coach, Steve Borthwick, retains the unequivocal support of the Rugby Football Union despite four consecutive defeats, the Guardian understands.
England have won just four of their 10 Test matches in 2024 and have lost six of their last seven matches against tier one opposition. On Saturday they conceded a record number of points against Australia at Twickenham, again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in losing 42-37. Since Borthwick took charge in December 2022, they have a 50% winning record.
Continue reading...Today’s teams – Wales v Fiji
Live match updates will appear just prior to kick-off…… –
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Wallabies coach hails ‘freak’ Suaalii after epic debut as huge selection call vindicated
Australia coach Joe Schmidt hailed Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii as an “aerial freak” after the cross-code capture marked his first senior game of rugby union by starring in the Wallabies’ thrilling 42-37 win over England at Twickenham on Saturday.
Why ‘ominous’ $5m cross code Wallabies debut has England and Lions worried
A code-hopping 21-year-old has announced himself as Australian Rugby’s newest star.
84th-minute mayhem! Wallabies stun England at Twickenham as Joseph Suaalii sends $5m statement
Max Jorgensen’s try in added-on time saw Australia to a stunning 42-37 win over England at Twickenham on Saturday as the Wallabies launched their tour of Britain with a desperately-needed victory.
‘Oh. My. Goodness!’: Australia in delirium as rugby world reacts to ‘one of greatest’ Wallabies wins
What did we just witness? Australian rugby fans — the ones who did not set the alarm for the 2am for kick off — have woken to a stunning win over England at Twickenham on Sunday morning.
England 37-42 Australia: Autumn Nations Series rugby union – as it happened
Max Jorgenson dived over to steal victory for the Wallabies in a classic at Twickenham
Marcus Smith send the ball skywards and deep, the Wallabies deal with it sensibly.
Meanwhile, at the SponsorNameDome Twickenham, the anthems are completed and we’re about to quite literally kick off.
Continue reading...Anscombe ready to steer Wales once again
Gareth Anscombe believes the new look Welsh team can build the momentum required to break the chain of recent results. The 33-year-old outside half will make his first appearance for Wales since Rugby World Cup 2023 when he starts on Sunday at Principality Stadium, in tandem with his Gloucester half-back partner Tomos Williams, and is […]
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Nayacalevu back to fire the Flying Fijians
Fiji coach Mick Byrne has told his players he doesn’t want a repeat of the nightmarish start his side experienced against Scotland when they face Wales at the Principality Stadium in round two of the Autumn Nations Series. Up against it from the start with none of their overseas stars playing in France and England […]
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Springboks fail to win hearts with brutal brand of rugby facing Scotland
There will be no love lost between rivals in reruns of World Cup pool matches also including Wales against Fiji
A 50-point frolic against the Fiji second team this will not be. Scotland welcome the Springboks, champions of the southern hemisphere, champions of the world, champions of the sort of rugby to make grown men cower, to Edinburgh on Sunday – and they know this is when it gets horribly serious.
It has been faintly amusing, faintly absurd, to watch South Africa’s head coach, Rassie Erasmus, try to mount a charm offensive during the week, all touchy-feely, we-want-to-be-loved one minute, all seven-one-split-on-the-bench, hear-our-roar the next. The Springboks know how to win rugby matches; it seems winning hearts is their next directive.
Continue reading...England must turn potential into points in pivotal clash with Australia | Robert Kitson
With hosts stung by agonising losses and Wallabies eager to impress before Lions tour, much is at stake for both sides
Some games shape entire seasons and, for both England and Australia, another one is looming. Nail the Wallabies convincingly and the home side will believe their fortunes are finally reviving. Permit the visitors a morale enhancing first win in south-west London since the 2015 Rugby World Cup, on the other hand, and the horizon will darken swiftly.
England have already lost five of their past seven internationals dating back to Murrayfield in February. Next week the current world champions are due at Twickenham and, after a brief subsequent reunion with Eddie Jones’s Japan, the first two rounds of next year’s Six Nations championship pit Steve Borthwick’s team against, respectively, Ireland and France.
Continue reading...Lake wants ‘clinical and controlled’ Wales to get back to winning ways
Dewi Lake can’t wait to captain Wales for the first time on home soil – and wants his side to be clinical and stay in control against Fiji in the opening game of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series. The Ospreys hooker will lead his country for the seventh time in his career on Sunday 10 […]
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All Blacks in with a shot at five-year first after snapping World No. 1 Ireland’s 19-game win streak
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.