Owen Farrell kicked six penalties and a conversion to assist England degree the three-Test sequence and arrange a winner-takes-all decider in Sydney subsequent Saturday.
Picture: England Rugby’s Henry Arundell. Source: Twitter/@EnglandRugby.
AUSTRALIA – England held off a fast-finishing Australia to win the second Test 25-17 in a pulsating match at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.
Owen Farrell kicked six penalties and a conversion to assist England degree the three-Test sequence and arrange a winner-takes-all decider in Sydney subsequent Saturday. After an abject show in their 30-28 loss in Perth final Saturday, England regrouped and began brilliantly, dominating the Wallabies in each side of the early play.
They led 19-0 after 38 minutes and appeared to be heading for a straightforward win, however a Taniela Tupou attempt moments earlier than half-time gave the Wallabies a sniff and so they hauled themselves again into the match. But England held regular and have been in a position to clinch a much-needed victory, giving beleaguered coach Eddie Jones some respiratory house.
“We played the way we wanted to play, got the rub of the green from the referee and we were able to exert pressure on Australia,” mentioned Jones. “I was more pleased with the last 15 minutes — the way we fought.
“For a younger group that is beneath strain, enjoying at Suncorp in opposition to a group that is comfy at that floor, the referee’s beginning to even the rely up.
“It’s a difficult situation but they stuck together. To play with that level of maturity, that level of toughness is a really good sign for the future.”
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie conceded that his facet, which suffered dangerous accidents to Jordan Petaia, Izaia Perese, Cadeyrn Neville and Scott Sio, had been outplayed.
“We had a few (injuries) but it wasn’t the reason we lost tonight,” he mentioned. “We lost the collisions early and they choked us down our half for 30 minutes and we were behind 19-0.
‘Give them credit’
“We’ve obtained to give them credit score — they put themselves in the appropriate a part of the sphere and kicked six penalties, so we have got to take a look at our self-discipline.”
England began the match brilliantly, their ahead runners creating havoc and making straightforward floor, placing monumental strain on the Wallabies.
Australia, who suffered a string of accidents in the lead-up to the match, was rocked in the fifth minute once they misplaced thrilling fullback Jordan Petaia when he was knocked out making an attempt a sort out. The guests scored quickly after when No.8 Billy Vunipola crashed over from a rolling maul and Farrell transformed from the sideline.
They continued to dominate and have been rewarded with a string of kickable penalties because the Wallabies struggled to keep in contact, Farrell changing 4 in a row to make it 19-0 after 32 minutes.
The Wallabies, who desperately wanted to get on the board earlier than half-time, lastly obtained the ball contained in the English 22 proper earlier than the break and made essentially the most of their probability, large prop Taniela Tupou barging over.
Noah Lolesio transformed to give the house facet some hope as they decreased the deficit to 19-7 on the break.
The Wallabies had a disastrous begin to the second half when Izaia Perese, who got here on as a substitute for Petaia, landed awkwardly and was stretchered off with an injured knee. They then conceded one other penalty on the breakdown off the subsequent play and Farrell stretched the lead out to 22-7.
But the Wallabies struck again when inside centre Samu Kerevi crossed following some sustained strain from the Australia forwards which left the English defence stretched out huge. Lolesio transformed to make it 22-14 10 minutes into the second half.
England misplaced fly-half Marcus Smith to a yellow card for a deliberate knockdown and Lolesio’s subsequent penalty narrowed the hole to 22-17. The Wallabies continued to batter the English line however the guests desperately held on, then went eight factors clear with Farrell’s sixth penalty following a size of the sphere breakout sparked by Smith.
The Wallabies pushed laborious, however England by no means seemed troubled in the closing levels and held on comfortably.
