Rugby

Talking points as England take on underdogs Australia

Australia’s visit to Twickenham is must-win territory given that world champions South Africa provide the campaign’s box office fixture a week later.

England are looking to bounce back from their defeat by New Zealand when they face Australia
England are looking to bounce back from their defeat by New Zealand when they face Australia (Gareth Fuller/PA)
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent

England’s Autumn Nations Series continues when they contest the Ella Mobbs Trophy for the first time since 2022 against underdogs Australia at Allianz Stadium.

Here the PA news agency examines five talking points heading into the 56th contest between the rivals.

No margin for error

England head coach Steve Borthwick faces a challenging autumn comprising of fixtures against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan
England head coach Steve Borthwick faces a challenging autumn comprising of fixtures against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan (David Davies/PA)

Following a 24-22 defeat to New Zealand in last Saturday’s opener, England are already on the back foot in their pursuit of an acceptable return from the autumn.

Australia’s visit to Twickenham is must-win territory given that world champions South Africa provide the campaign’s box office fixture a week later.

Three victories in the four Tests – Japan complete the series on November 23 – would be a respectable pass mark, anything less and Steve Borthwick will face urgent questions over the team’s direction of travel.

Midfield reshuffle

Henry Slade (left) and Ollie Lawrence (right) have swapped their positions in midfield
Henry Slade (left) and Ollie Lawrence (right) have swapped their positions in midfield (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Cohesion and clarity” is the principle underpinning Steve Borthwick’s selection policy, resulting in an unchanged side being picked to take on the Wallabies.

The only adjustment is a midfield positional switch that sees Ollie Lawrence move to outside centre, where he is at his most dangerous for Bath, and Henry Slade take the number 12 jersey.

It is a variation designed to bring out the best in Lawrence in attack, both in the volume and impact of his carries.

LCD returns

Luke Cowan-Dickie will make his first Test appearance for two years if he steps off the bench on Saturday, ending a challenging spell for the Lions hooker.

Neck surgery that went wrong caused nerve damage in his arm that took over a year to heal and he also spent time out with atrial fibrillation, a heart condition.

But having made a full recovery and given up gaming – Call of Duty was his poison – as well as alcohol, he is poised to add ballast to England’s scrum at a stage of the game where it was found wanting against New Zealand.

Suaalii takes centre stage

Rugby league star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii makes his union debut against England
Rugby league star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii makes his union debut against England (Tim Goode/PA)

Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Israel Folau are among the big-name rugby league stars who became celebrated Wallabies, but Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is being tipped to outshine them all.

Suaalii makes his first senior appearance in union less than a month after switching from the NRL, where his athleticism, physical prowess and skills marked him out as a special talent from the moment he made his debut as a 17-year-old.

Now 21 and benefiting from a £2.7million contract, cash-strapped Rugby Australia are eager to see if their investment will pay off with the 2025 Lions tour and 2027 home World Cup on the horizon.

Wounded Wallabies

Australia are not the force of old and what was once a fierce rivalry is now anything but with the Wallabies winning just one of their last 11 meetings dating back to 2016.

Only a 30-28 loss in Perth in 2022 interrupts England’s dominance of the fixture and with the tourists finishing bottom of the recent Rugby Championship, there is little evidence that a revival is imminent, even with astute former Ireland boss Joe Schmidt at the helm.