Australia v England LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as England win deciding Test
Follow live updates as England beat Australia in a huge series decider at the Sydney Cricket Ground
England outwitted and outfought an error-prone Australia 21-17 to win their July series 2-, a second success for northern hemisphere rugby after Ireland’s earlier triumph over the All Blacks.
Young guns Freddie Steward and Marcus Smith scored the tries and England’s streetwise pack bossed the breakdown as coach Eddie Jones masterminded a second series victory over his own country after their 3-0 sweep in 2016.
Australia scored tries through Tom Wright and Folau Fainga’a in front of a sellout crowd of 43,274 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but the home side’s accuracy deserted them too frequently at crucial moments.
Australia won the opening test 30-28 in Perth but England struck back with a 25-17 victory in Brisbane to take the series to Saturday’s decider.
Follow live reaction from the Australia vs England series decider below:
PENALTY! SOUTH AFRICA 3-0 Wales (Handre Pollard penalty, 5 minutes)
Over it goes. South Africa denied five, but get three.
NO TRY! South Africa 0-0 Wales, 4 minutes
Foot in touch! It was a lovely diagonal poke from Am which looked to have been weighted perfectly, but the last hop is aggressive and drags Mapimpi into touch as he gathers.
Back for the penalty, which was for failing to roll away and is right in front of the posts.
Try? Is Makazole Mapimpi over, or has his boot brushed the touchline?
A clever kick from Lukhanyo Am and he might just have set up his wing...
South Africa 0-0 Wales, 3 minutes
First attacking ball for either side. Bongi Mbonambi hits Lood de Jager at the tail, and then steps into the chariot as his fellow burly-men look to maul. Wales stall it.
De Jager’s next involvement is a hard charge up the centre, and Wales fail to roll away from the next ruck with pressure building...
South Africa 0-0 Wales, 2 minutes
Handre Pollard produces his first up-and-under, which Liam Williams makes a hash of claiming. Lukhanyo Am collects, and Williams is off his feet as he snatches at the centre’s legs.
South Africa kick down towards the Welsh 22.
South Africa 0-0 Wales, 1 minute
An immediate first touch for Josh Navidi, who tracks the flight of the kick-off and sets off for the first meaningful charge.
Wales then win back ball in the air. Kieran Hardy goes longer with his second box kick.
Match Officials
Kent’s Matthew Carley is our referee this evening, with Brett Cronan of Australia the TMO. South Africa will kick things off as the smoke clears.
South African National Anthem
In a truly lovely touch, the South African national anthem is sung by Eben Etzebeth’s bride-to-be, the rather talented Anlia Van Rensburg.
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Cape Town Stadium really does look glorious in the warm evening light. Unsurprisingly, a good number of Welsh fans have taken the chance to get down to one of the world’s loveliest cities, and lend their vocal chords to a rendition of “Land of My Fathers”.
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