Ben Morgan scored two tries as England beat Australia 26-17 at Twickenham on Saturday less than a year out from the teams’ World Cup pool clash at the London ground.
England’s scrum dominance — exemplified by No 8 Morgan’s two tries — and fine work at the breakdown led by home skipper Chris Robshaw, were the cornerstones of this success.
Victory was just England’s third win in 14 Tests against the southern hemisphere big three of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia under coach Stuart Lancaster.
It also meant they ended the November programme with a 50 percent success rate after defeats by both world champions New Zealand (24-21) and South Africa (31-28) were followed by last week’s 28-9 win over Samoa.
But for Australia, adjusting to life under new coach Michael Cheika following the shock resignation of Ewen McKenzie in the fall-out from the Kurtley Beale text pic scandal, the result meant they had endured their worst European tour since 2005 when they also lost three out of four Tests.
This trip saw the Wallabies beat Wales but Saturday saw them lose for the third successive time after narrow defeats by both France (29-26) and Ireland (26-23).
The particular concern for Australia from this match was that they had yet again been dominated by England at the scrum.
– Key factor –
“Across the board we knew it was going to be a battle,” Morgan told Sky Sports.
“We said all week we had to stick to our game-plan,” the Gloucester back-row added.
“We had to trust it, and we knew we’d come good in the end.”
In addition to Morgan’s scores, the rest of England’s points came from the boot of fly-half George Ford, given another chance to impress after starring against Samoa.
“We’re not just a set-piece side, because we’re bound to run up against scrums that’ll match us,” said coach Stuart Lancaster.
“But against New Zealand and South Africa, our game management let us down. Overall, today our game management was much better.”
Australia captain Michael Hooper admitted England’s scrum had been a key factor.
“Their scrum was really good tonight — we couldn’t get any ascendancy there. It’s a shame we couldn’t finish a few tries.
“I think we were actually really close — it was just finishing those passes,” the flanker added.
After an early exchange of penalties between Australia fly-half Bernard Foley and Ford, it was Ford who kicked England into a 6-3 lead after full-back Mike Brown was tackled late by Wallaby No 8 Ben McCalman.
Australia’s impressive backs almost found a way through and it needed a good tackle on centre Adam Ashley-Cooper by England lock Courtney Lawes to snuff out a try.
Hooper twice refused to go for the posts with penalties, opting for close-range line-outs instead.
But excellent ruck defence, led by Hooper’s rival openside flanker Robshaw, kept Australia at bay.
And it was England who scored the only try of the first half when superb play by Ford, who gathered a stray pass and then got away a low kick which led to a knock-on by Australia full-back Israel Folau, set up a scrum near the Wallaby line.
England drove hard at the set piece before the ball came out to Brad Barritt. Scrum-half Ben Youngs and flanker Tom Wood then combined to send Morgan in from 10 metres.
Ford converted and England were 13-3 ahead.
Either side of half-time, the fly-half missed long-range penalties.
Australia, who might have had a mountain to climb, hit back with a try.
Foley fed Rob Horne and then took a return inside pass for a 45th-minute try under the posts which he converted.
But, curiously, Foley was then immediately replaced by Quade Cooper.
England, though, responded in the 57th-minute through Morgan’s second try.
Brown’s clever grubber-kick led to Cooper being tackled into touch behind his own line.
From the resulting five-metre scrum, England drove Australia backwards and Morgan went over for a converted try to make it 20-10.
But Australia narrowed the gap on the hour when replacement forward Will Skelton, who had only been on the field two minutes, powered his way over for a try after good work by the impressive Ashley-Cooper.
Quade Cooper converted and England’s lead had been cut to 20-17.
However, Ford’s 64th-minute penalty edged England into a 23-17 lead.
Australia kept pressing but saw a potential try go begging with Folau’s poor pass to Horne.
Ford’s 77th-minute penalty put England two scores in front and sealed victory.
