England 37 Australia 18: Red Rose sign off in style to cap impressive autumn series with four-try win

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Will Macpherson24 November 2018

England completed a record sixth successive victory over Australia and with it ended a tough year with an encouraging November campaign that brought three wins and a one-point defeat from four matches.

It was not always as comfortable as 37-18 might suggest and, by going off the boil after 20 minutes, Eddie Jones has still not seen the 80-minute performance he craves. But he will not mind – they scored four terrific tries, dominated an often spiteful forward battle and even got Manu Tuilagi on the field for a 12-minute cameo.

England, just like against New Zealand a fortnight ago, started sensationally and were rewarded with a second-minute try, with Ben Youngs at the heart of all their good work. The scrum-half charged down Dane Haylett-Petty’s clearance, which led to an English five-metre scrum. Australia were shifted backwards, Mark Wilson picked up at the base, and fed Youngs, who put Jonny May in in the right corner. A finish as clinical as Owen Farrell’s conversion gave England a seven-point lead.

Matt Toomua and Farrell traded penalties (Farrell hit the post with another) to keep that the margin in a first quarter dominated by England and studded with big carries from Joe Cokanasiga and Kyle Sinkler as well as Aussie errors. England dominated the breakdown, with Brad Shields as forceful a presence as he has been in a white shirt. Only some decent tactical and defensive kicking from Toomua prevented Australia falling further behind.

Fast start: Jonny May touches down inside two minutes
PA

Australia’s backs grew into the game, though, and by half-time had scored one try, had another disallowed and the scoreboard was level.

After Farrell extended England’s lead to 10 points, Dane Haylett-Petty’s was the try chalked off in the right hand corner, for a blatant but initially ignored forward pass to Samu Kerevi in the build-up. Jaco Peyper gave the try, and so long did it take for the officials to spot an offence the whole of Twickenham seemed to see that Matt Toomua had the ball on the tee. Finally, the TMO stepped in and the try was disallowed.

There was no disallowing Israel Folau’s try eight minutes later. After a superb carry from Izack Rodda, prop Sekope Kepu – of all people – threw a glorious pass which Folau latched onto at pace and the perfect angle, slipping between Farrell and Maro Itoje to sprint 30 metres and score under the posts. The margin was back to three points.

They could have scored again, on the stroke of half-time, but were made to settle for a ledger-levelling three-pointer when Farrell was penalised for a no arms on Adam Coleman on the line that could easily have been a penalty try, yellow card or both. With the Australians protesting, Peyper said he felt that Coleman had dipped too, and Farrell returned for the second half. For the second time this month, he had got lucky following such a tackle.

And it was his delightful feint and half-break that gave England an early second half score. He sucked in two tacklers, creating space for Elliot Daly to dash through at pace, then wound his way to the tryline. England’s full-back had scored a try every bit as good as Australia’s. Daly again had trouble under the high ball, but this was a perfect example of why Eddie Jones wants him in the 15 jersey.

Mazy run: Daly scored the first try of a dominant second-half for England
PA

Joe Cokanasiga was the last of England’s back three to score, but what a score it was and, when one came, another so nearly followed. After a huge carry from Wilson off the base of the scrum, England played a slick, swift passing game with Kyle Sinckler and Jamie George – both of them superb all afternoon, with the former man of the match – to the fore. The ball shifted left through Itoje, who fed Cokanasiga out wide. He bounced off Haylett-Petty’s tame tackle then bounded in to score from 20 metres.

Minutes later, Cokanasiga was fielding a high ball on halfway then bouncing off tackles, only to be prevented by a last ditch save effort from Hooper. Every time he got the ball, the Twickenham crowded roared in expectation. Anyway, at the resultant scrum, Scott Sio was pinged and Farrell put England 17 points in front with 17 minutes remaining.

England thought they had scored another sensational try through May, who had gathered Henry Slade’s superb clearing kick after Elliot Daly’s last ditch tackle on Sefu Naivalu. May’s pair of hacks saw him cross, but the kick had just bounced in touch. Never mind, England responded by bringing on Manu Tuilagi for his first appearance since March 2016. The reception for his arrival matched anything heard all day – and that was before some typically forceful carrying. Manu is back.

Consolation: Folau gathered Foley's grubber to reduce the deficit at the death
Action Images via Reuters

There was still time for one last try apiece in a breathless final few minutes. Farrell looped round George Ford to cross then, with the final play of the game, Folau collected Bernard Foley’s grubber to score. That was not enough to dampen English spirits at the end of a half in which they have showed exactly how they want to play in 2019.

Only once before have England beaten Australia by a bigger margin.

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