England host wounded Wallabies at Twickenham

An unexpected result at Murrayfield last weekend is sure to spur the Wallabies into battle mode as they take the field at Twickenham to face the might of Eddie Jones’ England. 

It was a tough, gritty encounter which ended in the Wallabies demise last weekend. A stand-out performance by flanker Hamish Watson saw him scoop the man-of-the-match award while the boot of Finn Russell also played a significant role.  

England, meanwhile, had an easy time of it against a weak Tongan outfit last weekend, running out 69-3 victors.  

Based on the calibre of opposition in the previous round, it could be argued that the Wallabies will be significantly more battle-hardened going into this fixture, but will that be enough for them to stand a good chance of toppling the English? 

Michael Hooper and co. face a stiff challenge. Eddie Jones named a strong England team which sees captain Owen Farrell return to the side and take his place at inside centre next to the exciting young talent that is Marcus Smith. 

“We know this will be a tough test for us, we’re playing against a team who have been together a while and who have beat the world champions twice.  As an Australian I know how much this game means.  
 
 

“We’ve had a really good week of preparation, we’re looking to improve our performance this week and I think this side is building well.” 

Rennie has made several changes to the side which fell to Scotland last week as the titanic clash with England looms. 

Stalwart Kurtley Beale stars at fullback which sees Andrew Kellaway shift back to wing. Up front,  Allan Alaalatoa and Taniela Tupou have been ruled out due to concussion and, subsequently, have been replaced by James Slipper and Angus Bell respectively. Tom Robertson, Tolu Latu and Ollie Hoskins have also been added to the squad. 

"We've got a couple of tighthead outs so Slips has the most experience so he'll go across," Rennie told the media. "Tom Robertson has some experience in the past but we prefer him as a loosehead so it was needed. 

"With a six day turnaround (Alaalatoa and Tupou) needed to be right by Monday with no symptoms basically. They woke up fine but as the day progressed, once you get a little bit of a headache they were out. 

"We'd planned if we lost one or both, we needed cover so we brought Ollie in. 

“Playing England at a packed Twickenham is one of the toughest assignments in Test Rugby but we're excited by that. 

"While it's disappointing for Taniela and Allan who weren't able to pass their protocols within the six-day turnaround, it's created an opportunity for Ollie to realise a lifelong dream. 

"He's impressed us with his dedication and diligence to get up to speed quickly and we're confident he'll do a good job for us."