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Paul Harding
On a Roll

Joseph on the double as England down Australia to complete unbeaten year

Eddie Jones’ side were too strong for the Wallabies at Twickenham.

JONATHAN JOSEPH SCORED two tries as England beat Australia 37-21 at Twickenham on Saturday to complete an unbeaten 2016.

Their fourth victory over the Wallabies this year, following a 3-0 series win in Australia in June, was especially sweet for England coach Eddie Jones.

England’s Australian boss had been depicted as a clown in Saturday’s edition of The Australian newspaper.

But he was the one smiling at the end as England equalled their national record of 14 successive Test wins — a mark set in 2003 when they won the World Cup final against an Australia side coached by Jones.

Saturday’s win was all the more impressive as England were 10-0 down early on against a fired-up Australia side.

Bernard Foley’s penalty was followed by a converted try for wing Sefa Naivalu, one of four changes from the Australia side beaten 27-24 by Ireland last weekend.

England, however, recovered to lead 13-10 after two Owen Farrell penalties and Joseph’s converted breakaway try.

England v Australia - Autumn International - Twickenham Stadium Paul Harding Paul Harding

But two more Foley penalties gave Australia a narrow interval advantage.

Early in the second half, England hit back with a Marland Yarde try before Ben Youngs’s quick-thinking dart saw the scrum-half go over as well.

Inside centre Farrell kicked 15 points as he landed all six of his goal kicks.

Sekope Kepu pulled a try back for Australia with 15 minutes left but Joseph’s intercept score sealed England’s victory.

Australia were on top early on but saw fly-half Foley skew a penalty wide.

It then looked as if Tevita Kuridrani had grabbed a try but it was disallowed by the television match official for a knock-on by David Pocock.

After the knock on, England had a scrum but lost the ball against the head and a floated pass sent in Naivalu for a try.

Foley added the difficult conversion and Australia were 7-0 up.

Australia then twice came close to a try only for referee Jaco Peyper, after consulting the TMO, ruling he could not see the grounding after both prop Kepu and Kuridrani were driven over.

The second near score did lead to a simple penalty in front of the posts, which Foley kicked to make it 10-0.

England eventually got out of their own half to allow Farrell to kick a long-range penalty in the 18th minute.

Britain Rugby England Australia Alastair Grant Alastair Grant

Australia were threatening again when England forced a ruck turnover near their own line.

Fly-half George Ford then stepped clear on a breakaway run and his kick to within metres of the Wallaby line was chased down by Yarde for a five-metre attacking scrum.

Australia infringed but England captain Dylan Hartley opted against kicking a penalty and went for another scrum instead.

Farrell’s grubber kick was too strong for Yarde, recalled after Elliot Daly was suspended following a red card in last week’s 27-14 win over Argentina.

But Peyper brought play back for a penalty in front of Australia’s posts and Farrell cut the Wallabies’ lead to 10-6.

England then took the lead against the run of play when, after Kepu knocked on at a ruck, Farrell hacked the ball downfield and centre Joseph outsprinted the cover for a try under the posts.

Farrell converted and England were 13-10 up in the 27th minute.

But a high tackle by England flanker Tom Wood allowed Foley to kick an equalising penalty and their No 10 then edged the Wallabies in front.

England, however, were ahead just four minutes into the second half.

Following a sustained series of drives, Yarde beat Wallaby fullback Israel Folau in the race to touch down Joseph’s kick

Farrell landed the sideline conversion and England led 20-16.

England’s forwards were getting on top of the Wallaby pack and Youngs caught Australia napping with a quickly-taken tap penalty that saw him dummy opposing scrum-half Nick Phipps for an opportunist try.

Farrell converted and then added a penalty to leave England 30-16 ahead.

Folau’s surging run laid the platform for Kepu’s try but Foley missed the conversion.

Dane Haylett-Petty was yellow-carded for a late tackle and Joseph completed England’s victory when he intercepted a pass from Pocock seven minutes from time.

© – AFP 2016

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