So … Australia win the first Ashes series since 2003 2-0 with one game still to be played.
Shaun Wane’s England side will be playing for pride only at Leeds’ Headingley Stadium next Saturday, 8 November and is another 2.30pm GMT/1.30am AEDT kick-off.
We’ll leave you with John Davidson’s analysis piece from today’s game. Many thanks for joining us today, particularly to those navigating in from the wee small hours where you are. Have a good rest of weekend!
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England 4-14 Australia: Aaron Bower's second Test report
England produced a much-improved performance in the second Ashes Test but their same failings came back to haunt them as Australia secured the series with a game to spare after a hard-earned victory.
After a dismal showing at Wembley last Saturday England were determined to prove they could match the reigning world champions. For large periods, it looked as though they could pull off an upset, with an improved physical and defensive showing.
But when it mattered most, just like in London, England’s attacking fluency was found badly lacking. They have scored one try in two Tests, which underlines the major problems with this side and it meant the 14 points Australia did score was always going to be more than enough.
It was a wonderful occasion, with Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium proving to be a fantastic theatre for high-level rugby league. You could not fault England’s effort and aggression, but in critical moments George Williams and Harry Smith did not have the answer for the Kangaroos defence.
Read more here …
England captain George Williams speaks!
Nose bloodied from some bruising hits, the Warrington standoff still said his piece …
I don’t think we started the second half well at all – the very same as last week. Australia scored two quick tries and that’s pretty much the game. Then we’re chasing points, we’re very lateral, not very clinical at all.
So, we’re very disappointed – we showed improvements in the first half, but not good enough at this level.
I don’t think our shape was too effective at the end, with tired bodies, we’re just going through the motions. A spirited performance, but not good enough.
So very much a game of two halves. At the break England could perhaps rue a chance or two that went begging to get themselves back into the series. However, whereas they seemingly ambled out for the second half, Australia emerged re-energised, and seemingly every player who had shown jitters and made errors in the first period – Roosters wing Mark Nawaqanitawase in particular – were among those who starred in the second.
Australia captain Harry Grant speaks!
It was a bit fiery earlier, which probably got the best of both teams. It was a scrappy first half but second half we built some of our game – yeah, we come away with it there.
It was electric. Rugby league over here, you see how much it means to people – hopefully we can keep bringing these games all over and give people the opportunity to watch. We’ve got memories for life.
More from Wane:
We have to play really well for 80 minutes – we didn’t do that. We did in patches, but we have to learn to grind it out set-for-set.
After hailing the NRL as “a fantastic competition”, he adds …
We need to improve Super League, find ways to make it better. I’m not thinking about that, I’m thinking about our second half and how we get ready for next week.
The players will be absolutely wounded because they knew that one got away from us.
Asked if he still has the fire for the next Rugby League World Cup, Wane replies:
Yeah, absolutely. No doubt about that.
England head coach Shaun Wane speaks!
We got beat. There was some improvement, but at the end of the day they won the Ashes, we didn’t … it’s really disappointing.
I thought we had a foothold in the game at times but it just weren’t enough against a really good team. We didn’t have that killer instinct at their end but we’ve created a lot.
I thought we did a lot of really good things. We asked a lot of questions – we completed at 90%. But same again, we started the second half really poorly and they punished us. Lesson learned, but it’s a really tough lesson to learn.
That big turnout, by the way – 52,106. More of that kind of thing ta very much.
Australia standoff Cameron Munster speaks!
It’s a big turnout – it’s been a great game. England played their best –we gave it to them on a silver plate first half. Our scramble in that defence was really good tonight, our attacks were a bit scratchy but we’ll work on that next week.
England came out tonight and bashed us – they played tougher and a bit smarter on the ball.
It could have been anything tonight – it was a great team effort. We could have played a lot better and we’ll try again next week.
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Full time! England 4-14 Australia – the Kangaroos win the 2025 Ashes!
It’s all over. An unassailable 2-0 series lead for the visitors.
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79 min: Brimson tries to get something going but we’re deep in consolation territory now. The crowd is whisper-quiet. You can almost hear the buzz of an engraving tool on a trophy.
77 min: Australia seem to have fresher legs everywhere. Walsh, back from the sin-bin, almost finds a way through. England can’t get out.
76 min: Australia on the charge again. No dice, but England are close to their own posts when they get the ball back.
Cameron Munster is named player of the match – second half the stand-off has been an absolute menace.
74 min: Jonathan Davies, on BBC commentary, is audibly disgusted by some of England’s decision-making. Dom Youngs is given no chance from a ball arced out to the right, and is ushered straightforwardly into touch.
Young is left limping from that exchange, and is replaced by Pearce-Paul.
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73 min: Addo-Carr almost in on the left. It’s all Australia … but then a daft penalty conceded after Cleary holds on after the tackle. Much-needed possession for England. Can they do anything with it?
71 min: Into the final 10 minutes. And Australia are almost in. Cameron Munster offloads gorgeously under tackle, Cleary sprints on, Young gets held up, then a clear knock-on in the next play before Munster apologetically walks under the posts to touch down. The video ref gets involved, but nobody in the stadium thought that was going to be given.
69 min: Australia look to pin England back in their own 20. McMeeken makes valuable yards, then Mikey Lewis, fresh off the bench, finds space. But it fizzles out as Wane’s side fail to make their numerical advantage tell.
67 min: England press for the line. It’s great defensive work from Australia though, and the hosts miss a potential overload on the right. Instead they press close to the posts, without success, then go left and Johnstone is bundled into touch. Wane grimaces in the stands. Time’s ebbing away to keep the Ashes in play for another week.
66 min: Reece Walsh is off to the bin for the late hit, which looks harsh given no one knew who who (if anyone) was going to emerge with the ball when their boots left the ground. Penalty to England.
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65 min: Smithies tries to burst through – it looks like a penalty but the tackle count resets instead. In a good attacking spell for England, the ball goes high from Williams into the right corner, with Dom Young haring in – Josh Addo-Carr gets hands to it at the critical moment. The video ref is looking but at first glance it’s superb defensive work from the Australia winger … but there’s a late hit on Young in the air from Reece Walsh after the ball’s gone.
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64 min: More changes. Fa’asuamaleaui on for Kolomatangi; Lees on for Oledzki.
62 min: England try with a high ball of their own, but Walsh takes brilliantly under pressure. Australia race on but then offer a bit of rare solace to the hosts after the ball goes forward with Crichton in the tackle.
60 min: Nawaqanitawase is almost in after another high ball from Cleary. He takes it superbly but on dinking it through it deflects off, among other things, his own face. The Australia winger then takes his frustration out on Mike McKeeken, dragging him into touch. The Sydney Roosters winger’s first-half discomforts in defence suddenly look a world away.
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58 min: Cleary hits Smith hard, as the Australians keep the power and the pressure on. Wane looks equally shellshocked in the stands.
57 min: Cleary tries another 40-20 kick, without success this time. England are suddenly at walking pace getting back in line, while Australia look adrenalised.
55 min: It’s completely hushed the home crowd who sense the series going bye-bye. Australia probe again with a high ball and Brimson is fortunate to emerge with it under pressure. The Kangaroos are bouncing.
Knowles swaps in for McMeekan.
TRY! England 4-14 Australia (Young)
53 min: … and Cleary sends it high towards the right, it bounces off an England hand and runs kindly for Hudson Young to power over despite the attentions of Harry Smith. From nowhere, England are suddenly 10 points behind after Cleary converts handily this time.
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52 min: Australia are in England’s half again. They probe the left …
50 min: Changes. Oledzki comes on for England veteran Walmsley, while for Australia North Queensland standoff Tom Dearden enters the fray for Patrick Carrigan.
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TRY! England 4-8 Australia (Munster)
49 min: It’s a fabulous effort from Melbourne stand-off Cameron Munster, who charges through towards England’s left wing, using the presence of two colleagues outside him to split attention and find a way through. He bounced over under the tackle but no question of multiple movements, as the slippery deck helps send him over the line.
Cleary’s conversion effort just fails, however, bouncing on the crossbar but staying out.
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49 min: Munster might be in after momentum looks like taking him tumbling over the line to ground despite the despairing grasp of Williams. Video ref is scrutinising …
47 min: More slippery ball moments as Johnstone puts the ball in touch. It’s back with Australia …
46 min: Australia tap away at England’s centre. Cotter almost bursts through before Crichton spills under pressure. No real sights of the line yet this half.
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44 min: End to end already. Australia tidy up near their own line, England mop up on their 40, then Munster infuriates Walmsley by swiping the ball from his grasp. Advantage Australia.
42 min: Australia kick long on the fifth tackle … and England defenders completely misread it. Tom Johnstone tidies up superbly, then makes valuable ground to defuse the danger as onrushing Kangaroos smell blood.
42 min: England probe the right this time. On the last tackle, a high kick from Williams tests Walsh, who catches superbly under pressure but lands awkwardly on his back. He’s attempting to run the blow off.
Second half starts
41 min: We’re off.
Australia emerged first post-break in Liverpool. England are a bit less rushed, but KO is imminent.
There’s also our 3pm GMT (2am AEDT) football clockwatch. And plenty of goals across Premier League, Football League … and the FA Cup first round.
Elsewhere on this here site … England v Australia!
In other rugby, Steve Borthwick’s side are midway through the first half against the Wallabies at Twickenham. Sarah Rendell is at the tiller for that one …
You are currently existing in a strange, unprecedented spell – before approx 24 mins ago, England and Australia had never faced one another in two different codes of rugby at the same time.
Much, much better from England. Honours are even, with Wane’s side having taken the lion’s share (55%) of first-half possession.
It’s not been vintage Australia so far, reflected by nine errors to the home side’s three, but England are currently making the pre-match odds, heavily weighted in favour of victory for Kevin Walters’s team, look extremely harsh. But there remains danger all over the pitch.
Impossible to call this so far, but England look particularly interested in probing the left wing, after several jittery moments from Mark Nawaqanitawase in particular.
Half-time: England 4-4 Australia
40 min: Walmsley runs clear of the home line from the kick-off to ensure no late disappointment for England fans before the hooter.
Speaking of hooters, Koloamatangi takes a whack on his in the last collision prior to the break. Thankfully he checks for blood and looks OK.
A great half of rugby league.
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England 4-4 Australia (Smith pen)
39 min: Easily put away by the Wigan man. We’re level again.
38 min: Bit naughty from Walsh, changing direction off the ball as Brimson chased a high ball, checking his run and sending the England full-back flying. It gifts Smith a very kickable penalty chance.
35 min: A fast-paced half approaches the break with some good defence from both sides. As Australia conclude a set, Brimson is second to a high kick as Walsh flies from another postcode to attempt a superb tap-back … he’s extremely unfortunate to see it ruled as a knock-on.
32 min: Koloamatangi is on for Fa’asuamaleuai, with both sides now having freshened up their forwards.
It’s an extremely even game so far, but this is roughly the time that Australia really started to motor away last week.
And sure enough, from absolutely nowhere, Cleary pulls off a 40-20 kick to give Australia possession deep in the home half. Can they make it pay?
Not this time. A forward pass from Grant Cotter takes the wind out of their sails.
30 min: Walmsley is on, replacing his Saints teammate Lees. And the veteran prop gets an early charge at the Kangaroos defence, which gets the ground buzzing. Now England probe the right wing with a high kick – no dice this time.
27 min: A particularly strange one as an extremely harsh knock-on is called when Dom Young tries to hold off five Australia players, changing hands with the ball under huge pressure. England fail with a captain’s challenge, but it’s riled them up in a good way and they go in hard on Fa’asuamaleaui, who spills it, gifting possession back. That doesn’t happen often to the Gold Coast Titans prop.
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England 2-4 Australia (Cleary pen)
25 min: Cleary makes it two from two.
23 min: Some welcome possession for Australia, and Smithies – on from the bench – takes Munster’s legs away from him on England’s 20 to offer the visitors a regulation penalty chance.
Meanwhile for Australia, Cotter has come on for Collins.
22 min: England are getting a lot of ball to their captain, and Williams is causing mayhem in the Australia defence with it. But it’s Farnworth this time dinking the ball through on the right wing for Young to chase, up against Walsh. It’s very close to a try but the replay clearly shows the ball just eludes the England man.
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21 min: No try on-field, confirmed by video ref. But England have the ball on the Australia 20.
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21 min: This is great. Suddenly England are at the other end, Williams dinks a bobbling ball through under the sticks, Walsh fails to get hold of it … and Knowles pounces and touches it down. But it looks like at least one knock-on in there …
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18 min: England appear to be targeting Mark Nawaqanitawase. He looks rattled on the right wing … but suddenly Josh Addo-Carr has the ball on the left hurtling towards the home 20-metre line.
And then the damp Merseyside air makes its first telling contribution, as the winger is unlucky to lose his footing, sliding into touch himself with little encouragement from England’s defence.
16 min: “Have that,” says Jonathan Davies on commentary as Matty Lees absolutely flattens Crichton with a heavy hit just inside the Australia half.
It’s a couple of messy exchanges but England have the Kangaroos pinned in their own half. It’s much, much better from Wane’s side so far.
15 min: More good possession threatening the left flank, but Morgan Knowles spills the ball when under little pressure (he says, eating biscuits at a keyboard while these fellas have massively built rivals in their peripheral vision).
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14 min: In the blink of an eye, Dom Young is sent towards the opposite corner. Walsh and Shibasaki bundle him into touch just the wrong side of the flag, but video ref adjudicates that they hit him high and suddenly England have another penalty. This time they’re tapping rather than kicking.
12 min: Williams sends a high ball to the left corner – Nawaqanitawase gets there first to halt Johnstone’s charge. But England are enjoying a good spell here …
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11 min: Walsh thinks he’s sent Shibasaki through into space but his ball to Australia’s left wing is clearly forward. That gifts possession to England in the visiting half. Watkins is licking his lips for another go at pressing the initiative.
9 min: Lees takes the high ball from Australia’s kick-off. Farnworth makes valuable yards, and Smith sends up a tester deep into Australia’s half. Well taken by Nawaqanitawase, so now the Kangaroos get another set.
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England 2-2 Australia (Smith pen)
8 min: Smith pops it over. Honours even again.
6 min: Ensuing England penalty sends them up the pitch for a first meaningful set of six. Watkins gets a first go at the Australian defence, but no way through.
But then a chance on the left! Johnstone sees a glimpse of the line, but gets hauled in. However, a jittery visiting defence gift them more possession, and suddenly it’s a penalty in front of the sticks. Harry Smith sizes it up …
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4 min: Better defence from England, as the Kangaroos fail to make ground with their next set. Brimson gets the crowd roaring as he tries to burst through on picking up the long kick … and suddenly it’s kicked off again. Oof. Collins on Farnworth this time.
England 0-2 Australia (Cleary pen)
3 min: Straight down the middle from Cleary.
2 min: Young and Fa’asuamaleaui have been popped off to the bin, although to be fair it could have been any two players. Already it’s a 12 v 12 game, but Cleary has what should be a regulation penalty to pop over.
2 min: Early chance! Crichton almost bursts through, a pass goes awry … and suddenly all hell breaks loose on England’s 20-metre line after Grant and Litten have a bit of handbags. Everyone’s found someone to tangle with. Might be some cards coming here …
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1 min: First set of six for Australia, made more comfortable by an early penalty as England get messy trying to pin Lindsay Collins.
First half starts
PEEP! England to kick off …
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That’s the pre-match pageantry done … which included some impressively impassioned anthem renditions from both sides. Now: the action.
First up, a moment of “non-silence” in aid of Movember. Primal Scream’s Come Together soundtracks a period of applause and footstamping.
Next up it’s anthems time.
The teams are coming out at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Five mins to KO …
Wane has also been talking to the BBC.
“We’ve trained really well,” he said. “Australia are a champion team, we need to be a lot better.”
Of AJ Brimson, he says he’s “really quick, organises well … it was a tough decision [to leave Welsby out] but I’ve been so impressed by AJ.”
On scrum-half Harry Smith: “He’s a natural organiser, kicks well … gives us a real steadiness that we didn’t have this week.
“The fans will be behind us and we’ll get what we deserve by the end.”
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Shaun Wane acknowledges that it’s “make or break” for England today. The England head coach has handled the combination of kind-hearted diplomacy and ruthless reshuffling well after his side’s Wembley horrorshow.
“It didn’t look like a Test match to me,” he said. “It wasn’t physical – they were better in many areas, so this week has to look like a real Test match and we need to give a better account of ourselves.”
Australia head coach Kevin Walters has backed Grant to shine in the captain’s role today.
“Harry and all of the senior players for that matter stepped up after Isaah’s unfortunate injury last week,” Walters said. “While we’d love to have Isaah out there, he’ll still be contributing in many other ways around the group this week. He’s a natural leader, and so too is Harry so we’re in great hands this week.”
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All change. In truth, something had to give following the nature of England’s performance at Wembley last weekend but as Shaun Wane’s side look to send the Ashes to a deciding Test in Leeds next Saturday, there are wholesale changes that the hosts hope will provoke a reaction both on and off the field.
Wembley was underwhelming last weekend on multiple fronts. England limped to a fairly miserable 26-6 defeat, in which they showed little of what had been promised in the build-up to a first Ashes series in 22 years. But the atmosphere felt flat, in part due to what Wane’s men delivered, but also due to the fact the stadium wasn’t full.
That changes on Saturday, with Hill Dickinson Stadium sold out months in advance and likely to provide a more boisterous atmosphere, the kind of which should instil some fire into England. Wane admitting this week that returning north represented the chance to play in front of “real rugby league fans” was a Freudian slip, but you sense all involved are relishing the opportunity.
The England coach has also rung the changes on the pitch as big-time rugby league returns to Liverpool. Chief among them? The irony of Wane calling on an Australian-born player to salvage the series against the Kangaroos, with AJ Brimson set to be thrown into the heat of battle at full-back for his Test debut on Saturday.
Brimson’s inclusion for England adds spice and doubtless a ton of on-pitch needle. The Gold Coast Titans full-back was born in Brisbane, represented Australia in 2019’s World Cup 9s … and only switched allegiance to England in the summer. His mother, Vanessa, is from south London.
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Great to see Mikolaj Oledzki on England’s bench today. Gavin Willacy caught up with him before the series, and the 26-year-old’s journey from Poland, not having a clue what rugby league was, to an Ashes squad is a gorgeous sporting tale.
With KO in 30 mins, this is well worth your time …
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Australia have a new captain for the day. An early blow to Isaah Yeo’s head after a collision with Dom Young at Wembley forced him off, and concussion protocols rule him out completely. As a result, Harry Grant will skipper the side for the first time from hooker.
Sydney’s Lindsay Collins comes in at prop, with Patrick Carrigan moving to Yeo’s spot at loose forward.
Penrith prop Lindsay Smith takes the spot Collins vacated on the bench.
Predictably, changes for England as they chase the series. Gold Coast Titans full-back AJ Brimson makes his debut at full-back, coming in for Jack Welsby who had a particularly tough time at Wembley last week. Wane stood up for the St Helens man in the aftermath of the first Test, but he has dropped him completely.
Wigan’s Harry Smith takes Mikey Lewis’s starting place at scrum-half, though the Hull KR man is a versatile bench option.
At hooker, Jez Litten replaces Daryl Clark, while at second row, Kallum Watkins comes in for John Bateman, with Kai Pearce-Paul sliding over from No 12 to No 11.
There’s no place on the bench for either Bateman or Clark this week, with those spots taken by Lewis, St Helens prop Alex Walmsley, who keeps his spot as an interchange option, Canberra second row Morgan Smithies and Leeds prop Mikolaj Oledzki.
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Second Test teams
England Brimson; Young, Farnworth, Wardle, Johnstone; Williams, Smith; McMeeken, Litten, Lees, Pearce-Paul, Watkins, Knowles. Interchange Lewis, Walmsley, Smithies, Oledzki.
Australia Walsh; Nawaqanitawase, Staggs, Shibasaki, Addo-Carr; Munster, Cleary; Collins, Grant, Fa’asuamaleaui, Crichton, Young, Carrigan. Interchange Dearden, Smith, Cotter, Koloamatangi.
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Preamble
Good afternoon … and good v, v early morning to some distant viewers!
It’s second Test time, and according to the bookmakers – as well as anyone with eyes who watched last week’s opener at Wembley last Saturday – chances are the series could be decided today.
The feeling pre-match last week was that Shaun Wane’s hosts would have to get out of the traps well, get their noses in front, and then dog it out until the final hooter. England managed the first element of that, were game in the opening half-hour, but sagged alarmingly thereafter, with the Kangaroos drawing first blood and just taking the game further and further away. Indeed Wane’s side didn’t get on the scoresheet until they were 26-0 down.
Newsflash to those who were unaware: Australia are a hell of a side. Reece Walsh and Angus Crichton helped themselves to two tries apiece, but the speed and cohesion the whole team showed across the field was, frankly, frightening.
So what hopes today for a series going the distance? Well Wane’s rung the changes, of which more imminently.
The venue is an unknown quantity for anything other than football, and all eyes should be on the first high ball – the wind has a tendency to shimmy without warning by the Mersey, showers are predicted, and all it can take is one spilled ball within your own 20-metre line for momentum to shift …
KO at Hill Dickinson Stadium is 2.30pm GMT, 1.30am AEDT
