The first test of the three-game summer series begins this morning among old rivals in Perth. England arrived at Optus Stadium last month after being embarrassed by 14 barbarians, only winning two of the five Six Nations games earlier this year.
Such a dire run puts pressure on Eddie Jones, who will continue to be in charge until the end of next year’s Rugby World Cup in France. Jones boasts a perfect record for his native Australia as England’s head coach. He won eight out of eight, including the famous 2016 series whitewash and the 2019 World Cup quarterfinal victory in Japan.
Despite Owen Farrell’s return, Courtney Lawes is today’s captain of England, and Danny Care and Billy Vunipola are back. The Australian hand will make a pack debut at Cadeyrn Neville and Dave Poleki. Quade Cooper tries to stop a familiar enemy before the series moves to Brisbane and then to Sydney, when the improved wallaby, defeated in Twickenham in November. Follow Australia vs England live below!
Live update
Final preparation at Optus Stadium. Kick-off is now within 15 minutes.
It reminds me of how England is lined up in Perth today …
An early victory for England’s skipper Courtney Lawes, who won a toss against Australian counterpart Michael Hooper in the tunnel.
England kicks off this morning and Australia chooses to play from right to left in the first half.
Direct record of Australia vs England
The overall match between these two old rivals is actually very close, England has won 26 games against 25 Australian games … in one draw.
However, England dominated the match under Jones, achieving eight consecutive victories, including the stucco of the famous 2016 series, four fall victories and a win in the 2019 World Cup quarterfinals in Oita. did.
The team last met in Twickenham last November. The host has run out of 32 to 15 winners in a terrible incident.
Australia has defeated England since the stunning 33-13 victory in the stunning Twickenham in October 2015 sealed the host’s disastrous early exit from the World Cup pool stage under Stuart Lancaster. not.
However, it’s worth noting that wallabies tend to play well in the region, as they have lost only one of the last eight games in Western Australia.
Key Battle-Breakdown
All attention is paid to Billy Vunipola’s return to the back row, but for England to be successful against Australia, Michael Hooper needs to be kept quiet.
The Wallabies captain is a master of breakdown, and his wealth of experience makes him a formidable opponent. Jones chooses to play Courtney Lawes in Flanker, and he may regret not choosing a more mobile person like Jack Willis or Sam Underhill.
Key Battle-Scrum
When it comes to scrum time, England has historically had an advantage over Australia. Wallabies in particular do not have Taniela Tupou due to a calf injury, so they hope it will continue today.
Allan Alaalatoa will start on his behalf, firing Leicester Tigers for the Premiership title and then playing against the now energetic Ellis Genge. The only blow in Britain is the appearance of Kyle Sinckler.
A sneak peak in the English dressing room in Perth.
Just over an hour to kick off in the first test this morning!
Main Battle-Cooper vs Smith
You’ll have a harder time finding two exciting fly halves in World Rugby than Marcus Smith or Quade Cooper. Both love running rugby on their front legs and can lead to fireworks.
The pair has a good relationship through their mutual friend Ben Tapuai, who was playing at Harlequins, and Cooper revealed earlier this week that he was sharing play tips via an Instagram message. did.
Jones needs an explosive start after a terrible England run
Eddie Jones declares that after stepping into Perth’s Bowls Club on the banks of the Swan River and dropping a bomb, preparations for the first test against Australia are too quiet to suit his tastes. Did. I’m writing Adam Hasaway in Perth.
He complained about the lack of a verbal joust with the opposite number, Dave Lenny, after Jones exploded an explosion that Owen Farrell wouldn’t return as captain of the tour opener.
The England head coach didn’t even throw a grenade in the direction of the wallaby this week.
He lobbyed oral missiles if nothing came back, such as when Michael Cheika was the Australian boss in 2016 and exchanged with Warren Gatland before England collided with Wales in the past. He said it wasn’t fun to do.
“In 2016, there was a chaika here and there was a little bit of something,” Jones said. “Good. Good Australian sport. I like it that way, but you can’t sparr on anything. I like a little fun. Sparring alone in the corners It’s not that much fun when you’re doing it. “
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Dallagio’s Column: Vunipora is back with great success
The England team Eddie Jones chose to play against Australia has points to prove both individually and collectively. Lawrence Dalario writes.
To be honest, over the last 12 months, the results have been inadequate and performance has been volatile. England had a record of losing at Six Nations, and it’s better not to be told much about last week’s barbarian game.
However, this is a good test series and gives this team the opportunity to place markers. Ireland and France have improved significantly since the last World Cup, and England hasn’t, so it’s time to announce their arrival with a victory in the Declaration.
Eddie’s choice often bothers you, but on this occasion he probably chose the team that most rugby-loving masses would have. He is experienced, but he also has a form player.
That is certainly the case with Billy Vunipola. Billy Vunipola seems to be a player with points to look back and prove his best. Billy wears his heart on his sleeve, which would have hurt him outside the painting.
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