ELLIOT DALY SCORED the decisive try of the match as England beat Australia 30-6 at Twickenham on Saturday.
The hosts ran in four tries to none from Australia, who had two potential scores disallowed on replay.
Victory gave England a fifth straight win over the Wallabies under Australian coach Eddie Jones.
But they were only 6-3 ahead when left wing Daly broke the game open in the 54th minute.
Australia were on the attack through Samu Kerevi’s burst only for fellow centre Tevita Kuridrani to drop his pass at a rainswept Twickenham.
England scrum-half Ben Youngs fly-hacked the ball down field and Daly, with the ball bouncing infield, won the sprint.
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Referee Ben O’Keeffe made lengthy checks to see if Youngs’s kick had gone into touch but, with replays inconclusive, he awarded a try that Owen Farrell converted to put England 13-3 ahead.
Bernard Foley reduced the deficit with a 64th-minute penalty and, with 10 minutes left, Australia thought they had a try when wing Marika Koroibete made a surging break.
He passed to Foley, who was tackled close to the line and the ball was recycled to Koroibete, who appeared to be held up over the line by England flanker Chris Robshaw.
But O’Keeffe eventually disallowed the try for an illegal block by Australia replacement hooker Stephen Moore.
- Flattering scoreline -
England then put the result beyond doubt eight minutes from time when centre Jonathan Joseph slid over for a try following a well-judged kick by substitute scrum-half Danny Care.
They gave the scoreline a flattering look when, with Australia chasing the game, both wing Jonny May and Care crossed late on.
Farrell returned after being rested from England’s 21-8 win over Argentina in their November international opener last weekend.
Meanwhile Joe Launchbury replaced George Kruis at lock in a bid to give England extra power up front in a bid to help deny Australia the quality possession their talented backs thrive on.
Australia came into this match as the form team in world rugby courtesy of a seven-match unbeaten streak that included a win over world champions New Zealand and last week’s 29-21 defeat of Wales in Cardiff.
England took an early 3-0 lead after Farrell kicked a 41-metre penalty following strong drives by flanker Chris Robshaw and Launchbury.
Anthony Watson, moved to fullback after Mike Brown was ruled out with a concussion suffered in England’s 21-8 win over Argentina last week, was repeatedly tested under the high ball but made several safe catches.
The Wallabies should have been level in the 22nd minute but, from a central position 40 metres out, Foley pulled a penalty chance well wide of the left post.
The wet weather led to handling errors by both sides but Australia nearly scored the game’s first try in the 27th minute.
Kuridrani’s grubber kick caused chaose in the England defence but Korobiete missed with a fly-hack just metres from the line.
Australia captain Michael Hooper, however, slid over with the loose ball only to have his try disallowed on video review by referee Ben O’Keeffe for being offside in front of the kicker.
Hooper’s half then got worse when he was sent to the sin-bin for persistent infringing.
It was the second week in a row he had been temporarily ordered off the field after seeing yellow against Wales.
England tried to capitalise on their man advantage by kicking a penalty for an attacking line-out close to Australia’s line.
British and Irish Lions star Maro Itoje, on as a head injury replacement for Sam Underhill, helped gather the ball and England drove to within a metre of the posts. Australia held out but at the cost of an easy penalty which Farrell kicked to make it 6-0.
And on the stroke of half-time, the Wallabies were reduced to 13 men when fullback Kurtley Beale was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.
England’s lead was reduced to three points when Reece Hodge landed a 48-metre penalty early in the second half but that was as close as the Wallabies got, with Launchbury leading a brilliant effort by the home pack.
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