For Steve Borthwick’s men, this is a must-win match after a crushing loss to New Zealand where everything seemed to point towards another famous win in London.
Previous encounters
The last meeting between these teams was in Australia during a three-Test series in 2022. England, then under the guidance of former Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones, won the series 2-1, bouncing back from a 30-28 loss in Perth to secure 25-17 and 21-17 victories in Brisbane and Sydney respectively. England have won 10 out of their last 11 men’s Test matches against Australia, with their solitary defeat coming during that 2022 tour.
This weekend will be the first encounter between the two teams on English soil since 2021, when England ran out 32-15 winners.
What’s up for grabs?
The Ella-Mobbs Trophy will be on the line this weekend. A win or draw will see England retain the trophy for the 15th time. The trophy, formerly known as the Cook Cup (1997-2021) is named after Indigenous 25-cap Wallabies great Mark Ella and English war hero Edgar Mobbs, who played nine Tests for England before being killed in battle on the Western Front in 1917.
Potential banana skin for England?
After a promising start against New Zealand, where England led until the final 10 minutes, England will aim to deliver a more complete performance this weekend.
Ben Youngs, England’s most-capped player, spoke on his podcast ‘For The Love Of Rugby’ about his confidence that England could secure a comfortable victory.
However, he also acknowledged the "banana skin" potential of this game, as Australia will likely see England as a prime target to make a statement under the direction of new head coach Joe Schmidt.
Schmidt took over the Wallabies in January of 2024 – after a successful period with his native New Zealand, and with Ireland before that - and has had a challenging run start to his career with Australia, winning just four out of nine matches. The signs of a Wallabies revival are there with close results against New Zealand during the Rugby Championship.
However, this is approaching the longest losing run Schmidt has experienced as head coach of a Test nation. Only once has he endured a longer run without a win – a four-game spell with Ireland between 2015-2016, which included a defeat to England at the Allianz Stadium.
Team news
Following his retirement from international rugby after the New Zealand game, Joe Marler has been replaced in the squad by Asher Opoku-Fordjour, an uncapped prop and rising star from the Sale Sharks. Opoku-Fordjour, known for his contributions to England’s Under-20s World Championship-winning team, will likely support Ellis Genge and Fin Baxter at loosehead. Bath lock Charlie Ewels has also been added to the squad, taking the place of Ted Hill.
Australia’s squad for the series includes rugby league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and former Leicester wing Harry Potter. The squad also features uncapped Tane Edmed, a 21-year-old New South Wales Waratahs fly-half. Will Skelton, who previously captained the side, returns from injury, alongside Samu Kerevi, who is back from his stint in Japan.
Suaalii, known for his powerful playing style, is making his rugby union debut following his transfer from the Sydney Roosters to the Waratahs, while Potter is back in England after a successful stint with Leicester in the Premiership.
