England continued their revival under Eddie Jones with a deserved 39-28 victory over an ill-disciplined Australia side to claim their first ever win in Brisbane and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series yesterday.
Recovering from an early 10-0 deficit, the Six Nations champions scored tries through centre Jonathan Joseph, winger Marland Yarde and replacement Jack Nowell with flyhalf Owen Farrell contributing 24 points with his boot.
Wallabies flanker Michael Hooper scored two tries with fullback Israel Folau and Tevita Kuridrani also crossing but Bernard Foley, the hero of the 33-13 victory over England at last year’s World Cup, landed only three of his six kicks.
The tourists have never scored more points against the Wallabies and will take huge confidence into the final two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney after making it seven wins out of seven under Jones.
“We’re happy with the result but we didn’t play well today,” the England coach told reporters. “All we’ve done tonight is to give ourselves another game in the series. We’ve made history today but it’s not enough for us.”
England flanker James Haskell typified his team’s effort, ferocious in defence and at the breakdown as the tourists produced a fine display of disciplined aggression.
Australia coach Michael Cheika was left ruing the regularity with which his team were penalised by referee Romain Poite, describing some of the Frenchman’s decisions as “odd”.
“We didn’t play the way we started for long enough,” he said. “It makes it hard to get the speed of the game going when you get that many penalties.”
It had looked like being a good evening for Australia when debutant Samu Kerevi put Hooper over in the corner after a period of sustained pressure in the ninth minute. The Wallabies doubled their lead seven minutes later when Foley delayed his pass to send Folau crashing through Farrell’s tackle to touch down.
Two penalties from Farrell cut the deficit, however, and a third after Foley had seen a fine individual try called back for obstruction made it a one point game after half an hour.
Calamity struck for the home side in the 32nd minute when Foley failed to get hold of a Folau pass and Kerevi also fumbled the loose ball, allowing Joseph to hack through for a converted try.
Foley landed his first spot-kick three minutes before halftime but Farrell’s fourth from the ninth penalty awarded against Australia gave England a 19-13 lead at the break. Six minutes into the second half, a burst up the middle from Haskell and a lofted pass from George Ford gave winger Yarde a free run to the line and, when Farrell converted England went 26-13 ahead.
Wallabies loosehead prop Scott Sio was sin-binned in the 54th minute as England reasserted their traditional dominance at the scrum and another penalty at the set piece allowed Farrell to put England 29-13 ahead.
Hooper popped up on the wing again to score his second try after a sweeping move, Kuridrani ploughed over in the 71st minute and a late Foley penalty got Australia within a try of victory. Kerevi lost the ball as the hosts went through the phases looking for the win, however, and Nowell sealed a famous victory from the ensuing possession.
All Blacks too good for Wales
In Auckland, Waisake Naholo’s second try of the match with about 20 minutes remaining helped the All Blacks overhaul a combative Wales side to record a 39-21 victory at Eden Park.
Julian Savea, new captain Kieran Read and replacement hooker Nathan Harris also scored tries for the All Blacks with flyhalf Aaron Cruden slotting four conversions and two penalties.
Number eight Toby Faletau and scrumhalf Rhys Webb claimed tries for Wales with Dan Biggar adding three penalties and a conversion as the visitors had looked like they could end a 63-year losing streak against the All Blacks.
The New Zealand bench and final quarter, however, proved to be the difference again, just as they were two years ago in Cardiff when Wales led 16-15 with 10 minutes remaining before the visitors scored three unanswered tries.
“It was brilliant for 60 minutes,” Wales coach Warren Gatland told reporters. “We were blowing a bit. They keep coming at you. They can keep putting you under pressure for longer periods. (But) we would have learned a heck of a lot from that.”
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen had spoken of starting a new era after the international retirement of six stalwarts following the World Cup, but the rustiness that has blighted the first match of previous seasons returned.
At times they were brilliant, only for a comedy of errors to occur in the same movement as they made numerous handling errors that undid all the pressure they had built. It was not until the introduction of the replacements, especially the dynamic Patrick Tuipulotu and Ardie Savea, that the All Blacks managed to overpower the Welsh.
“You don’t win Test matches without quality performances, while this one was a little rusty, all our first Test matches of the year we’re rusty,” Hansen said. “It was a matter of staying clam and working through the things we weren’t doing that well and being more accurate,” he added. “It was about not getting rattled, listening to the leaders and tidying up the things that were not great.”
Wales scored both tries from long range, the first to Faletau following superbly controlled phase play after fullback Ben Smith had dropped a high kick inside his own half.
Wales fullback Liam Williams produced his second burst from deep which ended in scrumhalf Webb’s try.
Biggar’s conversion gave the Welsh an 18-15 lead at the break. Biggar and Cruden traded penalties in the second half before Naholo and Read struck in quick succession and Harris crossed the line after the hooter to complete the scoring.