On a dreary day in south-west London, few expected the vibrant splashes of gold and green that would soon adorn a predominantly grey canvas. Australia will always cherish this wildly fluctuating rugby match, ultimately decided by a last-gasp try from the young substitute wing Max Jorgensen, after England believed they had spectacularly overturned a 10-point deficit in the second half. It was a frenetic end to an extraordinary game, seemingly sealed by a 79th-minute converted try by Maro Itoje.
While England also relied on two tries each from Chandler Cunningham-South and Ollie Sleightholme, this marked Australia's first victory on the old turf since the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Based on this performance, next year's British & Irish Lions tour might be more competitive than some anticipate. The new Wallaby recruit from rugby league, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, appears to be a remarkable talent and will only improve with more time to adapt.
Captain Harry Wilson led by energetic example, and fly-half Noah Lolesio was nearly flawless in his kicking. It was a significant triumph for Joe Schmidt, who had strategically loaded his bench and saw his plans bear fruit. This was a stark contrast to the Wallaby collapse under a different high-profile coach at last year's World Cup. Perhaps appointing a shrewd Kiwi coach to revitalize Australia wasn't such a bad move after all.
Steve Borthwick's England, however, now face considerable challenges. The world champions, South Africa, loom large, and the optimism from the summer tour has evaporated. It was a particularly tough outcome for Marcus Smith, who was involved in the first four of England's tries but couldn't prevent his side from suffering a sixth defeat in their last eight games.
This was a remarkable contest. Though Ridley Scott's Gladiator sequel is out this week, nothing quite matches the intense action of an international rugby stadium on a big match day. Hopefully, the Rugby Football Union will show more respect for visiting anthems in the future.
England's initial surge was impressive, with Cunningham-South scoring in the right corner just four minutes in, following Smith's chip kick that disrupted the Wallaby defense. The sense of a challenging afternoon for Australia grew when Cunningham-South scored again within 13 minutes, catalyzed by Smith's penetrating run. A further Smith penalty extended the lead to 15-3 at the end of the first quarter, but the momentum halted when Tom Curry was injured and had to leave the field.
Australia, in contrast, regained energy and quickly retaliated, with Suaalii's flick pass giving Tom Wright ample time and space to score. Lolesio's conversion narrowed the gap to five points. Suaalii's learning curve in union rugby was evident, as an unnecessary error led to a scrum penalty for England, which Smith capitalized on. Australia remained relentless, with Tate McDermott setting up Wilson for a well-executed try.
The crowd fell silent as Australia surged back, forcing an offside penalty that Lolesio converted. With the score 20-18 in Australia's favor, the game took a dramatic turn. Twenty points turned out to be the most the Wallabies had ever scored in a first half against England in London. An acrobatic finish from Jeremy Williams further boosted their morale. Despite trailing by 10 points, Smith, Sleightholme, and Itoje brought England back, only for Jorgensen to seal the victory at the last moment. What a game.
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