Wallabies hungry for first Test win against England since 2015
- 1030
It is a fixture with no shortage of rivalry and needle as Australia host England at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
Former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones returns to his homeland at the head of a powerful English outfit who will look to trample Dave Rennie’s charges on their home turf.
The Anglo-Australian rivalry boasts many chapters and is one of the most competitive in the rugby world. Of the 52 Tests to date, 26 have been won by England while the Wallabies have 25 to their name with one draw between the sides.
A fact which is sure to fuel Australian motivation is that the latter have not taken an English scalp since way back in 2015 when the men in gold trounced the old enemy in their World Cup fixture at Twickenham:
Most recently, England dominated at Twickenham during the Autumn Internationals last year:
Eddie Jones has picked a formidable outfit to deploy against his countrymen and, significantly, chose Courtney Lawes instead of Owen Farrell to lead the side.
"We have had very strong preparation for this game. We did some good recovery work in Fremantle and quality training in Perth," Jones said. "The squad has come together well since we met up last week.
"Picking the 23 out of this group of 36 was difficult. We feel we have a well-balanced team which is ready for this improving Australia team. We’ll take it to them from the start."
This from Dave Rennie:
“The whole squad has worked hard over the past fortnight for what's going to be a tough three-Test series against a very good England side.
"Earning their first caps is a proud occasion for David, Cadeyrn and their families, with both men taking a unique journey to realise their dream of wearing the Wallabies jersey.
"The honour of representing our country is a massive motivating factor and we'll be doing everything we can to put in a performance that makes all Australians proud."