"It's a game we should have won” - Takeaways from another disappointing weekend for England
Max Jorgensen clinches victory for Australia against England
©Will Gupwell
A week on from the late drama against New Zealand, England once again fell short at the death as an 83rd-minute try from Australia’s Max Jorgensen clinched a stunning victory for the Wallabies.
A 42-37 defeat leaves Steve Borthwick’s side winless this autumn and with world champions South Africa up next, what did we learn from Saturday's clash?
Another one that got away
England have only won four games in 2024 and on Saturday, they allowed Australia to claim one of their most memorable victories against their old foes.
In the 25th minute, England had a 15-3 lead but managed to let the game slip away from them as the Wallabies turned the tables at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
Steve Borthwick’s side effectively shipped 39 points in the remaining 55 minutes and this was the second-highest amount of points England have ever conceded at home.
So the question remains, why can't England close out a game?
Post-match, Borthwick was understandably despondent: "It's a game we should have won. We were in a position to win multiple times in the game. We put ourselves in a position to go and win and we didn't.
"I think ultimately, when you turn over that much ball and make the game that unstructured against a team with that much pace, you've given them opportunities, and we gave them far too many.
"Clearly, there were some things there that were just too loose so I think when you drift away from the game plan, it generally leads to more errors.”
With South Africa hot off a win against a strong Scottish side, Borthwick will need to ensure his men stick to task this coming Saturday.
Defensive disaster
Thirty-five missed tackles, 85 per cent tackle completion rate, 20 turnovers lost, 411 post-contact metres conceded.
Those are sobering statistics to stare at for a side aiming to be ranked within the top four in the world. With 24 missed tackles last week against the All Blacks, it makes a total of 59 across both games.
The style of defence that England are operating with provides high risk but also high reward. However, conceding eight tries within eight games is not where Borthwick and his side want to be in terms of defensive solidity.
Despite the current state of affairs in that department, there is a belief and buy-in from the players that they can get it right.
"We're very proud of our defence," England captain Jamie George said.
"We massively believe in the system that we have. There's going to be clips that are difficult to watch back because we needed to be more physical and make our tackles more and if we do that, then our defensive system becomes a lot easier."
Superb Suaalii
The prospect of making your first senior rugby union debut at the home of English rugby in front of 82,000 people should seem daunting.
However, 21-year-old Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii managed to turn that situation into a Player of the Match performance as he helped his side to a historic win.
His head coach, Joe Schmidt, was immensely pleased with his performance: "He played for Australian Under-18 school boys so he certainly has a rugby pedigree, albeit having played a few years of professional rugby league, which has made him a really professional young man.
"Twenty-one years old, he is incredibly diligent around his preparation, and that diligence pays off in the way that he performs.
But with that diligent work ethic, the professionalism and that athleticism that he possesses, I feel it was a really confidence-boosting debut.”
And Suaalii seemed coolness personified from the word go.
Aerially, he was superb tapping back multiple restarts as well as showing a calmness in his handling. His offload in the lead-up to Tom Wright’s first-half try was eye-catching and typical of the rugby league style. He fully deserved all the accolades that came his way at full-time.
Yes, it was only his debut, but there is no denying that Suaalii could well be a star of our game for the future and a massively exciting prospect, especially with a Lions tour to Australia on the horizon.
Magic Marcus
Despite a difficult result against the All Blacks last week, if England had won the game, Marcus Smith would have surely been in the conversation for Player of the Match with his kicking and interception keeping his side the game.
Once again, against Australia, Smith was the brightest spark in England's toolbox but once again, he was switched to full-back when George Ford came on with less than 20 minutes to go.
This desire for Borthwick to switch his position may come under more scrutiny because at 10, Smith has been key to everything good England have done this autumn.
Much is discussed about his skillset in the Gallagher Premiership and whether he can replicate it for England, with many saying his style of play isn't suited for the Test arena.
However on Saturday, he showed exactly why he has cemented his place in the starting No.10 shirt and why keeping him there for longer than 60 minutes might be the way to go.
His grubber through for Ollie Lawrence in the fourth minute set up the opening try. It got England on the front-foot and he did something similar in the second half which allowed Ollie Sleightholme to gather and finish.
His constant line breaks - as well as an ability to take the ball to the line - are crucial. Many may highlight his two missed kicks, but they cannot be blamed for this loss.
Post-match, Australia boss Joe Schmidt was full of praise for Smith's performance: "He pulls the strings really well. We were keen to suffocate him today, but he just kept breathing.
"He finds little spaces between you, and he's even confident bringing the ball back, he's not afraid of the physical contact.
"We have a chase line with some big men in the middle of it, and he doesn't mind picking them out and creating a focus point that England can then base their next phase off.”
For two weeks in a row, Borthwick has brought Ford on to see out the game and England have failed to get over the line both times. Against the world champions this coming weekend, the Harlequins talisman more than deserves the opportunity for a full 80 minutes in the playmaking role.
