England Rugby

The 2017 Six Nations tournament will continue in Round 3, as defending champions England put their win streak on the line against Italy, while Ireland host France and Wales visit Scotland.

All eyes will be on Les Bleus and Ireland at the Aviva Stadium―the Irish sit just two points behind England in the standings, and they have to win to keep pace with their rivals.

England are expected to cruise to another victory, while Wales and Scotland should serve up a competitive match. Here's a look at the schedule, complete with TV info and live-stream links:

Date	Time (GMT)	Home	Away	TV Info	Live Stream
Saturday, Feb. 25	2:25 p.m.	Scotland	Wales	BBC, ITV	BBC iPLayer, ITV Hub
Saturday, Feb. 25	4:50 p.m.	Ireland	France	BBC, ITV	BBC iPLayer, ITV Hub
Sunday, Feb. 26	3 p.m.	England	Italy	BBC, ITV	BBC iPLayer, ITV Hub

To access the BBC iPlayer, click here. For the ITV Hub, click here.

Preview

Both Ireland and France got their first wins of the 2017 Six Nations in Round 2, and another solid result is needed in Round 3 to keep pace with England.

The hosts were the favourites to do so this year, but injuries have taken their toll. Star fly-half Johnny Sexton still isn't a certainty to start on Saturday, and in his absence, Ireland have struggled for creativity.

Head coach Joe Schmidt has been impressed with replacement Paddy Jackson, and assistant coach Richie Murphy told reporters his form is the main reason Sexton's status is unclear at this point, per Planet Rugby: “Will he get picked? That is a decision that has to be made."

Murphy added:

I am not trying to create any confusion. All I am saying is that there will be a decision made on the back of how he has performed over the last two days. Paddy Jackson has been brilliant. We have been very lucky that while Johnny has been out Paddy has been stepping in and filling that gap really well, since probably last summer.

France were solid in their win over Scotland, and Les Bleus tend to do lots of damage with the boot―Sexton's experience could prove vital in this match.

Italy once again look like the Six Nations' weakest team after two matchdays, and their visit to Twickenham Stadium is expected to be a one-sided affair. The Azzurri lack the quality to hang with Europe's elite, and England are playing some of the best rugby they've played in years.

The side will be boosted by the return of Mako Vunipola, making an already impressive outfit a little scarier.

Per BBC's Chris Jones, scrum coach Neal Hatley isn't sure he'll start against Italy, given the form his team has shown so far:

https://twitter.com/chjones9/status/834039882641207296

Scotland and Wales both battled hard in Round 2 but fell to France and England, respectively, and the Scots in particular will look to get back on track, with Vern Cotter stepping down as coach after the Six Nations.

They were never expected to win the Six Nations title, but they've been entertaining so far, and that should continue against a talented but inconsistent Welsh side.

England's Elliot Daly scored a dramatic late try to break Welsh hearts at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday, as the visitors notched a thrilling 21-16 win in the Six Nations. 

After a Ben Youngs try put England 8-3 ahead early on, Wales rallied to a 13-8 lead at the break thanks to a penalty from Leigh Halfpenny and a converted try from Liam Williams.

In the second half, Wales continued to turn the screw but couldn’t shake off a defensively diligent England team. Two Owen Farrell penalties either side of one from Halfpenny set up a tense finale, before Daly struck for the visitors with just four minutes remaining.

Earlier in the day, Ireland hammered Italy 63-10 in Rome. On Sunday, Scotland travel to Paris to take on France.

The Principality Stadium was a cauldron of noise as the match got started, and the home fans were even louder after just three minutes, as Halfpenny slotted a simple penalty to give Wales a 3-0 lead.

England didn’t take too long to find their feet, though, and they started to put together some forceful passages of play. One of those culminated in a penalty in the ninth minute, which Farrell put away, and following a period of pressure after 18 minutes, it was the visitors who scored the first try of the game.

Mike Brown came within inches of going over himself before Youngs picked up possession and hopped over the ruck to put England 8-3 up.

Per BBC Sport’s Tom Fordyce, England had built meticulously to fashion the try-scoring position:

England finally hitting the ground running - super try, 26 phases, Youngs burrowing, 3-8

— Tom Fordyce (@tomfordyce) February 11, 2017

Despite falling behind, Wales slowly regrouped and turned down the chance of an easy penalty in search of a try. Although they eventually spurned the opportunity, it was a signal of intent, and from there, they were able to smother England for much of the half.

Eventually, that pressure paid off. Scott Williams ran a superb dummy line off a Welsh scrum, and his namesake capitalised, touching down under the sticks. Halfpenny added the extra points, and the hosts had a 13-8 lead the break.

Double Olympic champion and Team Sky cyclist Geraint Thomas commented on the intensity and tension lacing the clash:

Not sure I can handle another 40mins of that🙈🏉

— Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) February 11, 2017

Wales carried that momentum into the second half and continued to force England back, with Ross Moriarty particularly impressive for the hosts. England were having to dig in to keep the Welsh out, and it was clear just how much of a physical toll it was taking on Eddie Jones’ side.

A cheap penalty conceded by the hosts allowed England to cut the deficit, with Farrell splitting the posts from 40 metres. Yet Wales were back on the front foot immediately, restoring their five-point advantage through a Halfpenny penalty with 20 minutes remaining.

Former England international Will Greenwood praised the fighting spirit from both sets of players as the match came toward the final stages:

Epically good game this... Two groups of players who won't quit... #topmoment @EnglandRugby

— Will Greenwood (@WillGreenwood) February 11, 2017

The away side started to move through the gears late on, and the Cardiff fans grew even more nervy with 10 minutes remaining when a Farrell penalty meant Wales’ lead now stood at 16-14.

England capitalised on those doubts and marched down the field with the clock ticking down. When Wales had a chance to clear their lines, Jonathan Davies failed to find touch, clearing into the hands of George Ford; from there, England moved the ball wide to Daly, who surged into the corner to put England ahead with just four minutes left.

A conversion from Farrell saw England take a 21-16 lead, and Wales didn't have sufficient time to respond, giving the visitors a memorable triumph over their bitter rivals.

The visitors showed incredible determination, physical strength and composure to come away with the victory here. It's a testament to the work done by Jones, who has now won 15 straight matches since taking charge of the team, and his staff.

England have been far from their best in the 2017 Six Nations but have emerged with two wins from arguably their two most difficult matches. Another title and potentially another Grand Slam looks on the cards for this stellar outfit.

Reaction

Jones admitted afterwards that his team can't afford to leave things quite so late in the future. "I think we have used all of our get-out-of-jail cards," he said to BBC Sport. "I never think we are going to lose, but we don't want all our games to be that tight."

Meanwhile, Welsh lock Alun Wyn Jones lamented some late lapses in concentration from the home team. "It was a 75-minute performance from us," he told BBC. "I think that was the difference in the end. Ultimately, we didn't maintain that intensity for the whole of the second half."

England overcame a disappointing performance to defeat France 19-16 at Twickenham as they began the defence of their Six Nations championship on Saturday.

The French dominated for spells as the hosts began slowly, and the scores were level at half-time as Eddie Jones' men laboured.

England stayed in touch through the expert kicking of Owen Farrell, but the holders' strength from the bench paid dividends as Ben Te'o scored the winning try.

Scotland held off a fightback from Ireland at Murrayfield in the day's other match, winning 27-22 in a fierce battle.

The hosts punished Irish errors throughout the encounter, but the visitors fought back from 21-5 down to almost overturn the result.

Here are Saturday's results and standings:

Home	Score	Away
England	19-16	France
Scotland	27-22	Ireland

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Bonus	PTS
1	Scotland	1	1	0	0	27	22	0	4
2	England	1	1	0	0	19	16	0	4
3	France	1	0	0	1	16	19	1	1
4	Ireland	1	0	0	1	22	27	1	1
5	Italy	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Wales	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Saturday Recap

England secured a national record of 15 victories in a row, but they were mightily relived to defeat a valiant France team in London.

The visitors were on top for large parts of the contest, and Jones had to call for reinforcements from the bench as he attempted to win the game.

A fine try from Rabah Slimani gave France the advantage early in the game, and the English struggled to work their way into proceedings in the first half.

Four penalties from the reliable boot of Farrell kept his side's head above water before the hosts turned the screw in the final 15 minutes.

The forwards suddenly found their rhythm as France suffered, and Te'o was the hero after he crossed the try line in the final phases of the drama.

ITV Rugby shared the moment as the sub scored the vital points:

TRY! England get the lead back #ENGvFRA #6Nations https://t.co/T0VznKmtK0

— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2017

Jones admitted his team had been below par and made too many errors against France, but he was delighted how England had grabbed the points as they began the defence of their crown, per ITV Rugby:

Eddie Jones reacts to a tight opening game #ENGvFRA #6Nations https://t.co/28RVQJ8O33

— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2017

Ireland appeared dead and buried against Scotland during an error-prone performance in Edinburgh, but the visitors showed the true depth of their qualities as they almost completed a comeback to win.

Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg crossed the try line twice, despite Ireland's dominance in the scrum. Keith Earls hit back for the visitors, but Alex Dunbar's try gave the Scots a 16-point lead.

Tries from Iain Henderson and Paddy Jackson put Ireland 22-21 ahead before Greig Laidlaw's two late penalties denied Joe Schmidt's men.

Ireland had the majority of the ball throughout the match, but Scotland were ruthless when opportunity presented itself.

England undoubtedly believe they evaded embarrasment against France, and they were second-best in many positions against a rejuvenated opponent.

The champions were off the pace during vital periods of the contest, and the Red Rose could not have complained if they had collapsed to a shock defeat.

England will need to play better than this to retain their crown, and the other top sides in the competition will feel they can hurt the champions in their current form.

England kicked off their 2017 Six Nations championship with a hard-fought 19-16 victory over a spirited France side at Twickenham, where a late Ben Te'o try salvaged four points for the home outfit.

France fly-half Camille Lopez exchanged penalties with England counterpart Owen Farrell before a Rabah Slimani try put France into a second-half lead, but the Red Rose rumbled on to clinch a valuable win.

Gloucester winger Jonny May was shown a yellow card early in the first half after tip tackling France centre Gael Fickou, but despite scoring six points during his absence, Les Bleus failed to make the most of their advantage. 

The victory sealed a record-breaking 15th successive win for England and got their Six Nations title defence off to a winning start, although The Times' Steve James admitted there's still plenty of work to do:

Hell of a win that for England because, essentially, they were rubbish..

— Steve James (@sjamesjourno) February 4, 2017

Despite entering their opening clash as firm favourites for the win, coach Eddie Jones' side started Saturday's duel off in a slump, struggling to come out of the blocks while their opponents had no such concerns.

French fly-half Lopez opened his account with a penalty in the seventh minute before England counterpart Farrell responded to level at 3-3 minutes later, but both teams were struggling to unearth much space in attack.

Scott Spedding dazzled as one of France's most effective running weapons throughout the opening 40 minutes, but it spoke volumes of the tight parameters that his darting run after 10 minutes was one of the highlights:

Les Bleus endeavoured in the ascendancy for long bouts and received an advantage after May was adjudged to have tipped France centre Fickou and was shown a yellow card for his offence.

Some England fans may have called the sin bin call incorrect as RTE Rugby provided an image of the tackle in question, after which May arguably had to be shown a yellow if referee Angus Gardner operated by the rule book: 

Jonny May receives a yellow card and heads to the bin. France kick over through Lopez. 6-3 to France. pic.twitter.com/93Z2BUgR88

— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) February 4, 2017

Lopez slotted another two penalties before May made his return to the field with England trailing 9-6 thanks to Farrell also adding another three points to their tally.

A long-range boot from winger Elliot Daly pulled the hosts level at 9-9 just before the break, and Gracenote Sports statistician Simon Gleave noted there was cause for England to feel upbeat:

5th time since 1987 that France have not been behind at Twickenham at half-time of a #6Nations match. France lost the previous 4 #ENGvFRA

— Simon Gleave (@SimonGleave) February 4, 2017

Farrell was unlucky not to add to his penalty count early after the restart and bounced an effort off the posts, with England attempting to take a lead for the first time in the meeting.

The French pair of Spedding and No. 8 Louis Picamoles continued to maul away at England's defence, but it was England who had the first major scoring opportunity of the second half as Daly saw his near miss ruled out after straying into touch.

ITV Rugby provided footage of the Wasps star's missed score, where a left boot just about scraping the touchline meant he was prevented from handing England the boost they so sorely needed:

NO TRY! Daly touches down in the corner, but the officials deny him #ENGvFRA #6Nations https://t.co/lcaVZ3fwn7

— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2017

France recovered, however, and the game started to open up for both teams as stamina came to play more of a factor in proceedings, with Jones' hosts seemingly coping better with the workload.

A 55th-minute penalty from Farrell succeeded in giving England their first lead of the fixture, but it lasted barely five minutes thanks to a barrelling run through the heart of England's defence.

Kevin Gourdon made the indent before spotting Slimani's run and handing off to the Stade Francais prop for the score, taking France into a 16-12 lead:

TRY! Slimani goes over the line to give France the lead #ENGvFRA #6Nations https://t.co/Q9x0YyGf64

— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2017

Te'o replaced George Ford as Owen Farrell moved back to fly-half, while Ben Youngs came off for Danny Care and James Haskell was on in place of Joe Launchbury, a move that saw Maro Itoje shift from blindside flanker to lock.

And Te'o's impact was almost instant, powering his way past French defenders through brute force for a maiden England try, and Farrell's conversion snatched a 19-16 lead as ESPN Scrum's Tom Hamilton praised the initiative shown:

TRY for England! As impact substitutions go... Ben Te'o has been on the field about 2 minutes and scores..

— Tom Hamilton (@tomhamiltonespn) February 4, 2017

France had just eight minutes to get themselves back in the fixture and trailed by only three points, but England's high press ensured the visiting team could only kick back to the enemy, keeping play in their half.

Both teams appeared far below their best, but Jones will undoubtedly come away the happier of the two coaches as his team displayed the kind of grit upon which championships tend to be built.

The Red Rose have taken some much-needed initiative in dusting off one of the tournament's more prestigious sides in Week 1, but the test of Wales in Week 2 means there's no time for respite.

Meanwhile, Les Bleus will play host to Scotland next Sunday after coach Vern Cotter's men clinched a mighty 27-22 win over Ireland at Murrayfield, leaving the French at risk of suffering successive Six Nations defeats.

Post-Match Reaction

Many coaches might have felt bitter in leaving Twickenham after such a near miss on Saturday, but France boss Guy Noves was anything but in his post-match comments.

Picamoles' man-of-the-match performance combined with Slimani's late try and Lopez's boot put the guests in contention, but Noves ultimately conceded England as deserved winners, per Rugby World:

French coach, Guy Noves: "I think the English deserved the win because they showed character. We had a chance to win but made mistakes."

— Rugby World (@Rugbyworldmag) February 4, 2017

England counterpart Jones was similarly complimentary of his opponent and suggested there's more to come from his side after a fixture that could have gone either way, per the Telegraph's Mick Cleary and James Stafford:

“We can’t get much uglier than that. For some reason we sat back in the first half. I have to look at the preparation I gave the team. But we did enough good things in the second half to win it.”

Jones added his bench were also essential to the win: “They [the bench] were terrific Te’o was dominate in defence and strong in attack. We got really good value from the bench. That’s the great thing for us, we can slot Daly in at 13 and it presents a different picture. It’s still ugly but the result is beautiful.”

The 2017 RBS Six Nations tournament will kick off on Saturday, February 4, as champions England renew their rivalry with France at Twickenham Stadium.

Scotland will take on Ireland, while Italy host Wales in Rome on Sunday. Here's a look at the schedule for Round 1, complete with TV and live-stream info.

Date	Time	Home	Away	TV Info
Saturday, Feb. 4	2:25 p.m. GMT	Scotland	Ireland	BBC
Saturday, Feb. 4	4:50 p.m. GMT	England	France	ITV
Sunday, Feb. 5	4 p.m. GMT	Italy	Wales	ITV

To access the BBC iPlayer, click here. For ITV Live, click here.

Preview

England will attempt to become only the sixth team to defend the Grand Slam, beginning at home against France. Coach Eddie Jones and his troops are favourites for the title, with Ireland expected to be their toughest competition.

As shared by BBC Sport's Tom Fordyce, Jones expects a fierce challenge from Les Bleus in Round 1, though:

Eddie Jones (grinning): "There have been 20 wars between England and France. That's a lot of wars. And there'll be another one on Saturday."

— Tom Fordyce (@tomfordyce) February 2, 2017

France held their own against New Zealand and Australia in the autumn Tests but ended up losing both matches by a combined seven points. The team appears in better form than last year but are always a bit of a question mark ahead of the Six Nations, and their under-the-radar status this year might help them.

Pundits and fans are already talking about the Ireland-England clash in Dublin on March 18 as a title-decider, but Les Bleus have been looking forward to Saturday's match more than any―the chance to avenge last year's loss in Paris.

Wesley Fofana won't be active, which is a major blow for France, but England have major absentees of their own. Chris Robshaw won't feature, and Mako and Billy Vunipola have both been sidelined for some time already.

Kicking may prove the key in this one―France always tend to do well from the tee, and Owen Farrell's spotty form could spell trouble.

Ireland flashed their remarkable talent with wins over Australia and New Zealand in November, and after last year's injury-hit campaign, coach Joe Schmidt and his players will be out to reclaim their standing as Europe's top team.

Today FM's Ross Lindsay shared these comments from the coach, who seemed confident in his team's ability to beat Scotland:

Joe Schmidt is quietly confident heading into @IrishRugby @SixNationsRugby opener, but it will be no 'cake walk'. pic.twitter.com/uHqoZLfsTk

— Ross Lindsay (@Ross_A_Lindsay) February 2, 2017

On paper, Scotland are one of the weaker teams in this year's Six Nations, but a trip to Murrayfield is never easy. Johnny Sexton's fitness is an issue, and with Jared Payne sidelined, there are some question marks regarding the depth in the centre of the pitch.

Scotland will say goodbye to coach Vern Cotter after the tournament, so expect the team to battle hard for results as well.

Italy enter the Six Nations with high hopes after their shock win over South Africa in November, and their home match against Wales should be one of their best chances of grabbing a win this year.

A heroic defensive performance from England was the catalyst for a history-making 23-7 win against hosts Australia in Melbourne on Saturday. 

A try from skipper Dylan Hartley and a penalty from Owen Farrell gave England a 10-point advantage, before Stephen Moore reduced the deficit to just three. In the second period, Farrell's penalty put England six points ahead, and while they had to withstand a barrage of Australia attacks, a late try from Farrell made the game safe.

The result gives England an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, and it’s the first time they’ve ever won a series on Australian soil.

With both teams looking extremely pumped up during the national anthems, it was no surprise to see some fiery exchanges early on, with each conceding penalties. That edge, along with the crumbling pitch, made the first 19 minutes a war of attrition.

It was England who found a way through first with a try to fit the conditions. A grinding, rolling maul pushed them to within touching distance of the try line, and Hartley spun away to touch down. Farrell converted, and the visitors were on their way.

The Sunday Express’ Neil Fissler enjoyed the manner in which the score came about:

A driving maul one of the finest sights in rugby. #AUSvENG

— Neil Fissler (@neilfissler) June 18, 2016

I'll add that a driving maul is only second to and scrum being forced backwards for a thing of beauty #AUSvENG

— Neil Fissler (@neilfissler) June 18, 2016

From there, England began to turn the screw on Australia, keeping them pinned in their own half for long spells. In the scrum they were performing well and some attempted wheeling from the hosts yielded a penalty, allowing Farrell to make it 10-0.

After such a focused display, the visitors let their guard down at the restart. Australia jumped on the kick off and forced a lineout via a penalty deep in England territory. They then used the rolling maul to great effect, with Moore eventually getting the ball down.

As the game rumbled on, the pitch was causing some serious issues for the players, with the turf cutting up easily when the sides were scrummaging. As ESPN’s Sam Bruce shared, some drastic action had to be taken to ensure the playing surface wasn’t completely destroyed by the players:

That's the grounds men repairing the turf in back play. Shambolic. #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/Jq0nBmxC2m

— Sam Bruce (@Sambruce86) June 18, 2016

England had to battle hard to make it into half-time in front, as the men in green and gold poured on the pressure. But they got through to the interval with a hard-fought lead intact.

It was a show of defence that would have been a momentum killer for the Aussies, and after the interval England came out looking rejuvenated. Their sharp early play was rewarded after a controversial penalty call against the hosts allowed Farrell to make 13-7 to the visitors.

The response was positive from Australia. Again they went hard after the England set piece, carving out some scoring chances. However, the assembled mass of white was holding firm, as the match moved into its final quarter. Former England international Matt Dawson was impressed with his country's defence:

What a test match!!! Stick in there @EnglandRugby the cavalry will surely be on soon. #comeonEJ #AUSvENG

— Matt Dawson (@matt9dawson) June 18, 2016

A score for Australia was beginning to look inevitable, as they consistently moved to within touching distance of the try line. But unforced errors or brilliant last-ditch interventions from England somehow kept the hosts at bay.

Gradually, the tourists started to get a foothold in the match again, with some clever scrummaging and great tactical kicking allowing them to gain territory. It was a foundation from which they eventually grabbed the victory.

Jamie George executed a brilliant grubber kick in behind the Australia defence, and the tireless Farrell steamed through to get on the end of it. The fly-half then added the conversion, before a stunning late scrum from England allowed him the chance to kick a penalty, adding a bit of gloss to the scoreline and sparking wild celebrations.

Sports journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor had high praise for the team's performance:

Some of these English performances are worthy of that '03 team: Haskell, Itoje, Robshaw, Cole, Kruis.

— Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) June 18, 2016

This is a display that will be recounted for many years by those tied to the England rugby team. They rode their luck at times, but in the main they stayed composed under pressure, cohesive up against some incredible attacking play and when their chances presented themselves, they snatched them.

Head coach Eddie Jones deserves an immense amount of credit for the way in which he’s turned this team around. England were on their knees after elimination from the World Cup last year; under his guidance, they have grown into one of best teams on the planet.

Post-Match Reaction

Afterwards Jones' thoughts had already turned to a possible whitewash.

"The players are already talking about (the whitewash)," he told Sky Sports (h/t Tom Dutton of the London Evening Standard). "This win is for the supporters, the people at the RFU and the people in the amateur game. They'll all be getting delight out of this game and we're so proud to represent them."

Australia boss Mike Cheika offered no excuses for the performance turned in.

"Obviously, we're very disappointed and we apologise to our fans," he said, per AAP (h/t SBS). "Honestly, we've had such great support and it's very disappointing to me—too many errors; too many dropped balls at key moments."

England chalked up a sensational 39-28 victory over Australia at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in the Test series.

Eddie Jones’ side didn’t have the best of the action with the ball, but resolute defending and clinical attacking was enough to see them cross the line.

Both sets of players came roaring out of the blocks in the first half, with Australia looking dangerous on the break and stretching the England rear guard.

Several plays came to nothing, but the Aussie pressure eventually told after 10 minutes.

Good work from Israel Folau got Australia five yards from the English try line, and when the play was recycled, Michael Hooper was on hand to touch down.

Folau himself then got the hosts’ second try of the day courtesy of a stunning run from deep, with England caught cold.

The Australian full-back burst through a pack of players before crossing the line and making it 10-0, yet journalist Alex Shaw believed England contributed to their own downfall:

This is all too easy for Israel Folau. He's coming from deep and finding holes in an England defence committing itself very early.

— Alex Shaw (@alexshawsport) June 11, 2016

Two penalties from English fly-half Owen Farrell reduced arrears to 10-6, as England started to get a firm grip of the game. 

A third penalty brought Jones’ men within a point of their hosts, and just moments later, it got even better for England.

Folau’s pass to Bernard Foley was clumsily dropped, Samu Kerevi couldn’t recover the ball, which gave Jonathan Joseph the chance to burst through and cross the line.

Joseph read the chance superbly and showed incredible pace to put five points on the board. Former England star Jason Robinson was one of many celebrating the crucial try:

Get in there!!!! Just what we needed from @Jonathanjoseph0 #trytime

— Jason Robinson (@Jason15Robinson) June 11, 2016

Foley and Farrell added penalties to make the score 19-13 to England at half-time, and they were good value for their lead.

After the break, the visitors picked up where they left off, and it wasn’t long before they extended their advantage.

An excellent, 20-yard pass from substitute George Ford found Marland Yarde in acres of space on the right flank, and he was left with the simple task of dotting down.

Two further penalties from Farrell put England into a dominant position at 32-18, yet Australia aren’t the type of side to go down without a fight, even though they were temporarily down to 14 men after the sin-binning of Scott Sio for repeated infractions at the scrum.

Hooper gave England something to think about with his second try of the game, before an explosive burst from Tevita Kuridrani made the game very interesting, at 32-25.

England’s defence had been exceptional throughout the game, but they were truly tested in the final 10 minutes.

With two minutes to go, Australia were awarded a scrum penalty, which Foley decided to kick and set up a chance to go for the win.

He successfully converted to make it 32-28, but it was England who crossed the line to secure a famous victory.

More brilliance from Ford played in Jack Nowell, who made no mistake in the left corner to give the English the perfect series start.

The match was a lesson in how to deal with Australia. The likes of James Haskell and Mike Brown were simply unbreakable, and if they keep up such brilliance for the rest of the series, history could well be made.

The second Test takes centre stage in Melbourne on Saturday June 18.

Reaction

Following the match, fly-half Owen Farrell told England Rugby's official Twitter account that his side executed their game plan perfectly at the Suncorp Stadium:

REACTION from Owen Farrell after England's historic win against Australia in Brisbane 🌹#AUSvENG#carrythemhomehttps://t.co/VEHzz9DDJC

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) June 11, 2016

Scrum-half is one of Eddie Jones’ main selection dilemmas ahead of England’s Test series with Australia in June and beyond.

In Leicester Tigers' Ben Youngs and Danny Care of Harlequins, the England head coach has two No. 9s of similar profile and experience (they have 57 and 58 England caps, respectively). But Youngs should start for the national team, with Care coming off the bench

Danny Care ended the 2016 RBS Six Nations as the starting scrum-half, justifying his selection with an opportunist try against a badly aligned French pack (see video below). That is the 29-year-old's strength—instinctively spotting and exploiting space in opposition defences.

However, Australia will not be as laboured at the breakdown as Les Bleus, and not so lethargic at the fringes of rucks. If anything, given the potential inclusion of their own sniper from the base, Nic Stirzaker, the Wallabies will be more alert to Care’s threat.

But Care’s approach seems to embody what Jones wants his England team to be like: free-thinking.

Per the Guardian, Worcester director of rugby Dean Ryan noted after the France match: “Care’s try was an example of a team much more capable of playing what is in front of it rather than sticking to preordained sequences and one that is well prepared by astute analysis of the opposition.”

But it is worth remembering that Youngs can provide this, too. On that same night in Paris, his break was the catalyst for Anthony Watson’s score (see video below).

Care can be a very good player, but as his erratic selection for England over the past few years demonstrates, he has not had the consistency to demand inclusion.

Youngs is probably a better all-round scrum-half than Care, and when the Leicester man is providing tempo, he is just as good as Care as a running No. 9.

They run differently, though. Care is through a gap in an instant, his diminutive frame making him difficult for tight-five forwards to bring him down. On the other hand, Youngs carries the ball further in his hands before releasing a pass.

Critics will say this merely slows down possession, but at his best Youngs sucks in defends by picking the ball up from the base, creating more space out wide.

And when defences are stretched and guard the fringes of the ruck, Youngs’ arching runs past the guards and his good use of the dummy make him a potent attacker (see video below).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6S4OeXQNvw

Youngs, as I mentioned above, is the more complete scrum-half. In particular, his box-kicking game is superior to Care’s, and with Watson—and to a lesser extent Jack Nowell—excelling in the air from the wings, we should expect England to try and gain field position by kicking to compete. Youngs can provide the ammunition.

Youngs’ case for starting would be even stronger were it not for the spectacular demise of George Ford.

Last year, the Bath Rugby man was superb in the thrilling victory over France. It is no coincidence that the man of the match that day was Youngs.

The two played together at Leicester and understand each other’s game’s well. As Owen Farrell is likely to be Jones’ fly-half, with the returning Manu Tuilagi at inside centre, Youngs’ case has been hindered slightly.

But Youngs’ all-round skills mean he is more likely than Care to control matters for England. To complement that, Care’s great strength—spotting gaps—is more useful in the final 20 minutes of a game, when defences tire or replacements are not yet up to speed with the flow of the match.

Youngs started three 2016 Six Nations games, and Care began two. There is no immediate imperative for Jones to find a pecking order, but for the Australia tour at least, he should start with Youngs and bring Care on for a high-impact final 20 minutes.