ENGLAND created history by securing their first ever series win in Australia with a 23-7 victory over the Wallabies in Melbourne on Saturday night.

As if inflicting defeat wasn’t enough, England’s win — following on from their 39-28 win in Brisbane last weekend — saw them leapfrog the Aussies in the world rankings. After a disastrous 2015 World Cup saw them start the year ranked eighth, a successful Six Nations campaign and two wins from two against the Wallabies have seen them springboard up to second, behind the All Blacks.

Based on the numbers, the English shouldn’t have won — but they did. Australia had 70 per cent of the possession and the visitors spent much of the time camped inside their own 22. But remarkably, their defence held firm as they made 215 tackles, keeping Australia scoreless in the second half.

They weathered more than 20 phases on their own line at the end of the first half, and they were forced to do similar things in the second, repeatedly rebuffing the hosts’ advances.

Handling errors cruelled the Wallabies’ chances. They had 15 handling errors against England’s two, so while Eddie Jones’ side’s defence was a major factor in their win, the Aussies will look back on themselves as their own worst enemy.

Owen Farrell was a standout.Source:Getty Images

Each team scored a try from a rolling maul in the first half as England headed into the sheds with a slender 10-7 advantage. Both teams were fired up early and a wild all-in brawl broke out in the 12th minute.

Owen Farrell extended England’s lead with a penalty goal 10 minutes into the second term, but few believed he should have had that chance.

The Poms put up a bomb that was taken safely at the back by Israel Folau, but a touch judge intervened and suggested referee Craig Joubert look upstairs for potential interference. The TMO then ruled Bernard Foley had shepherded an English chaser by altering his running line.

The call was ridiculed on social media and in commentary. Former Wallabies fullback and now Channel 10 caller Matt Burke said the decision was “the worst call I’ve seen in Test rugby”, while Tim Horan labelled it “shocking”.

Scott Fardy went close to crossing out wide midway through the half, but again it was England’s defence to the rescue.

Owen Farrell crossed with five minutes remaining after a cheeky grubber from substitute hooker Jamie George to seal the result, then added another penalty for good measure just before full-time. He finished with a personal haul of 18 points.

SECOND HALF

England made history.Source:News Corp Australia

80th min — PENALTY GOAL: Owen Farrell put the icing on the cake, adding three points for England just before full-time to finish with 18 points himself. AUS 7 ENG 23

75th min — TRY: England pounced on yet another Wallabies mistake to score their second try of the night and seemingly put the game beyond doubt. Courtney Lawes dummied and sliced through the line before being tackled, then reserve hooker Jamie George put a cheeky grubber through from just outside the 22. Owen Farrell chased and won the race to the ball, scoring a five-pointer. AUS 7 ENG 20

70th min — The Wallabies’ poor execution let them down again when front rower Greg Holmes knocked on for their 13th handling error of the night. While England’s resolute defence has kept the Aussies at bay, the home side can also point to their continued fumbling as to why they’ve failed to add more points in the night so far.

62nd min — The Wallabies went agonisingly close to scoring when Scott Fardy got the ball on the wing just a few metres out, but some desperate defence kept him out. From the resulting phase the England defenders were at it again, holding Australia up in the in-goal and the hosts were awarded a 5m scrum. They couldn’t take advantage though, knocking on shortly after.

50th min — “WORST CALL I’VE SEEN IN TEST RUGBY”: Bernard Foley was penalised after England put up a bomb, the TMO ruling he had changed his running line to interfere with an England chaser. The visitors slotted the resulting shot at goal. The call was ridiculed from all corners, and Stephen Moore was left even angrier when referee Craig Joubert refused to tell him what player had been penalised. Ex-Wallabies Matt Burke, Greg Martin and Tim Horan led the chorus of those criticising the inexplicable ruling. AUS 7 ENG 13

“That’s the worst call I’ve seen in Test rugby,” Burke said.

“That’s astounding,” said Martin.

47th min — Michael Cheika rang some early changes in the front row. Starting props James Slipper and Sekope Kepu made way for Toby Smith and Greg Holmes.

FIRST HALF

The biff was on.Source:News Corp Australia

40th min — The Wallabies hammered England’s line after the siren went to signal the end of the first half, racking up more than 20 phases, but the visitors’ defence — somehow — held firm.

35th min — TRY: Another try from a rolling maul as Stephen Moore crossed the stripe. AUS 7 ENG 10

30th min — PENALTY GOAL: England kicked a penalty goal. AUS 0 ENG 10

27th min — Referee Craig Joubert spoke to both captains warning them to keep their players under control after some more push and shove. Just beforehand, Joubert told Stephen Moore he didn’t want Wallabies players telling him how to officiate, saying there was only “one referee”.

19th min — TRY: Dylan Hartley scored for England following a rolling maul after a lineout close to the line. AUS 0 ENG 7

12th min — ALL IN BRAWL: Players rushed in from everywhere following as tempers flared. An England player left his feet at the ruck and flanker Chris Robshaw was deemed to have made unnecessary contact with Nick Phipps’ neck — called “dangerous” by the Fox Sports commentators. However, it was England that got the penalty after referee Craig Joubert said Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore inflamed the situation by charging into the contest with his shoulder.

7th min — The AAMI Park surface has come under criticism for how it holds up under scrums, and it failed its first test of the night when the opening scrum had to be moved after being reset because it had already churned up the sandy turf so badly on its first go.

4th min — England miss an attempted penalty goal.

1st min — “UNBELIEVABLE COACH KILLER”: After receiving an early penalty just over halfway, Bernard Foley absolutely shanked his kick and it went nowhere near crossing the sideline, instead going straight down the middle and giving England possession. “Unbelievable,” said commentator Greg Clark. “That’s a coach killer.”

Jones’ selection surprise

Jones is always full of tricks.Source:Getty Images

Michael Cheika kept his backline unchanged from the first Test in Brisbane, meaning the midfield centre pairing of Tevita Kuridrani and Samu Kerevi remained in place. Both men are human wrecking balls, weighing more than 100kg each.

That’s why former Wallaby Phil Waugh was surprised Eddie Jones named some small men to line up at five-eight and inside centre. Owen Farrell wears the 12 and George Ford will start at flyhalf, both giving away a massive height and weight advantage to Kuridrani and Kerevi.

“There’s a massive size difference there, so if we can get enough quality ball and get those guys running at those smaller backs that England have I think we’ll get a roll on,” Waugh said.

“It’s a really surprising selection from Eddie Jones.”

Wallabies gatecrash England meeting

Michael Cheika doesn’t miss much.Source:AFP

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and England boss Eddie Jones met referee Craig Joubert on the eve of Saturday’s second Test at AAMI Park.

The meeting was initiated by the English side, with Cheika invoking new World Rugby regulations that allow coaches to be present in a meeting with officials if their opposition requests a sit-down with the man in charge, according to the UK’s The Telegraph.

Speaking before the meeting, English assistant Stuart Borthwick said it was unusual to have representatives from both camps together in the same room as the referee.

“If that’s what the regulations say, then it’s no problem. In my experience, it hasn’t happened before,” Borthwick said.

“It’s a question for them, though. If they want to come along, then that’s fine.

“Meeting the ref is standard practice before the game each week.

“Craig Joubert is one of the world’s best refs and we have every confidence he will ref the game and scrum well.”

Cheika on Wednesday said he rarely sought out referees before games, and that he had no plans himself on setting up a meeting with Joubert.

Regulation 15.4.2 in the World Rugby handbook states that while coaches are permitted to meet referees before international fixtures, it is only allowed if there are representatives from both teams present — that is, unless one side declines the opportunity. However, this is the equivalent of the rule book’s fine print, and is a clause rarely activated in the rugby world.

It comes after the Wallabies were on the wrong end of a 15-8 penalty count in the opening Test, which gave the tourists the platform to win the match and take a 1-0 lead in the series. Frenchman Romain Poite refereed the Brisbane Test and it’s understood Jones with him before the match.

“We didn’t know last week, so we will (attend the meeting) this week,” Cheika said earlier on Friday.

“You want to be in a situation to not even give penalties away, and not even leave those things to interpretation.

“Once we do that, it won’t be an issue for us.”

— AAP