BBC Rugby Union: England Poised to Extend Dominance over Australia at Twickenham
As England prepares to host Australia at Twickenham on Saturday, the home side will be aiming to extend their remarkable run of success over the Wallabies under former coach Eddie Jones.
During Jones’ seven-year tenure, England secured 10 victories in 11 meetings with their southern hemisphere rivals, a dominating record that has set a high bar for the current England setup led by Steve Borthwick.
The Dominating Run
“The statistics speak for themselves – England have won four consecutive home games against Australia by convincing margins, including a 37-21 triumph, a 30-6 rout, and a 37-18 victory. The Wallabies’ last win at Twickenham came in 2015, a result that sparked the end of Stuart Lancaster’s reign as England head coach and the arrival of Jones.”
Now, with the Wallabies squad having experienced nothing but pain and failure on English soil, the pressure is on Borthwick’s side to maintain this proud record and halt their own recent run of disappointing results.
Challenges Ahead
- Four of England’s past five Tests have ended in single-digit defeats.
- They will be determined to break the cycle against an Australian team that finished bottom of the Rugby Championship with five losses from six games.
While England’s “brave new era” under Borthwick has shown promise, especially in their tactical revolution during the Six Nations, results remain the priority. This year, they have won four and lost five of their nine matches, a record that will concern the RFU hierarchy, particularly with the mighty Springboks waiting in the wings next week.
Intriguing Matchups
The inclusion of cross-code recruit Joseph Sua’ali’i in the Wallabies’ midfield will add intrigue, as the youngster makes his first senior appearance in rugby union. Conversely, England will hope to see a more influential performance from the dynamic Ollie Lawrence, who was unusually quiet against the All Blacks last week.
With the creative talents of Marcus Smith, England’s ability to control the final quarter of the game will be crucial. The home side must maintain discipline and composure to capitalize on their superiority and deliver a ruthless display against the struggling Wallabies. Anything less than victory will only heighten the pressure on both the team and head coach Borthwick.
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