Autumn internationals 2024: England vs Australia recap and head-to-head battles

Sports News Blitz’s rugby writer Katie Ransome takes a look at game four of the Autumn internationals 2024 series - a battle of the gods as England take on Australia.

A rivalry dating back to 1909, with little chance to consistently compete against each other until 2022, any match between England and Australia promises to be one to remember.

England currently lead the victory tally by the skin of their teeth at 28 wins to the Wallabies’ 26 - so we expect nothing but fireworks come match night in Twickenham.

Gunning for the coveted Ella-Mobs Trophy, named after Australian great Mark Ella and first try scorer for England Edgar Mobbs, it's clear more than just silverware is on the line.

Looking at the two heavyweights' history, there's no denying home turf does in fact equal an advantage, the Roses known beyond that for physicality and field presence; the Wallabies for their formidable dominance and adaptability.

READ NEXT: Autumn internationals 2024 (Nov 2-30): Fixtures, venues and kick-off times

England vs Australia: Last five games recap

The most recent of battles between the two polar hemisphere teams took place back on July 16 2022, where England scraped a 21-17 victory over Australia for only the second time on away soil.

England slow on the uptake, the first half whistle came and went with the promise of it being anyone's game. A match of squirmish kick sequences and missed opportunities for both, the margin could very well have been bigger.

With England saved by the scrum, Australia's last-minute efforts to scrape together something from the game were heroic, ableight unsuccessful.

Meeting a week beforehand for Test match two of three, England would once again come out on top, although slightly more convincing this time with 25 points to Australia's 17.

Fuelled by the fire of Owen Farrell, who scored a staggering 80% of the team's afternoon haul, Australia walked away a deflated and injury-ridden side.

Imprisoned within their own half, down on executional tallies and with a few too many desperate moves from Australia, England had and took the chance to shine, reminding the home crowd what a great rugby fight looks like.

First in a consecutive run of three, the sides met once more in 2022 on July 2, where Australia would shatter England's hopes of redemption, riding a turbulent campaign wave.

Down to 14 men before the second half even began, the Wallabies had a monster fight on their hands - England smelling and hungry for blood.

Despite constant pressure both offensively and defensively across the field, the Roses just couldn't find enough momentum to fully challenge the 30-28 loss.

An entire global pandemic and almost four years earlier brings us to England and Australia's fourth most recent battle on October 19, 2019.

Securing their first Rugby World Cup semi-final place for 12 years in style, England gave a clinical and wily performance, ringing out the game with 40-16 point celebration.

Despite their own fair share of plays and a flying defensive start clocking 30 tackles in the first three minutes alone, Englad’s pressure inevitably led to crumble.

Another short year back to the past produces our final recap match, roars from Twickenham Stadium echoing as we remember November 24, 2018 and the home team’s 37-18 win.

Stealing the limelight with 77 minutes out in front, despite a smokescreen of controversy, saw England take their sixth consecutive victory over the Wallabies side.

Fighting back until there was virtually nothing left to give, Australia certainly didn't back down easily, with stand-out performances across the board proving once more that they are not a side to be underestimated or slink away quietly.

READ MORE: Autumn internationals 2024: Ireland v New Zealand recap and head-to-head battles

Coaches: Steve Borthwick vs Joe Schmidt

Having stepped up from assistant coach to head of the helm in 2022, Steve Borthwick will be looking to re-invigorate his England side come November.

Synonymous for leading by example with an overwhelming excitement and pride for the game, it will be fascinating to see how he shapes team rosters, blending the team’s youth and experience.

A frequent face in the critics limelight since his promotion, Borthwick alongside his star-studded support crew will be looking to extend their current two-win streak, as well as retain their hard earned Ella-Mobs silverware, shutting media doubters down in the process.

The second New-Zealand born coach to lead the Australian side in three years, Joe Schmidt has his work cut out for him as he hopes to take the side from zero to hero during his two-year stint.

Working under a newly-structured high-performance directory board, his philosophy for advancing tactical skills, high expectations and attention to detail certainly support his personal trophy cabinet of achievements.

Saddled with learning the ways of yet another new culture, his first few appearances, as well as squad decisions, will be closely watched by the media, competitors and fans alike.

Having faced each other on plenty of occasions before under different aliases, it will be interesting to see how these two measure up during this year's series with arguably more pressure than ever to come out on top.

As the famous saying goes, you're only as good as your last performance.

Players:

Fly-halves: Noah Lolesio vs Marcus Smith

Trusted to set the standard across playmaking, kicking and defence, fly-halves always appear miles ahead of the action - no matter the on-field situation.

A product of the Australian Rugby pathway system, Noah Lolesio has lived and breathed rugby his entire life.

Despite still being a young developing talent, he is hailed as one of his generation's next special talents with a current 84% goal-kicking success rate and top-three spot for try assists across the Super Rugby League.

Often an afterthought for the Wallabies in recent seasons, Lolesio will have certainly been working on his game explosivity and muscle mass physicality for this year’s Autumn series - searching for that full-time number 10 jersey to compliment his new end of 2025 contract.

Well on his way to being a household name in rugby despite his young age, Marcus Smith is already creating headlines with a 95% pass success rate and 85% penalty conversion rate.

Scoring well and doing that consistently means his proneness to injury and arguable lack of experience against alternate names to the position take a backseat.

Second nature instincts for play and an ability to exploit the maximum from a minimum will hopefully cement his position in Red and White for many years to come.

In preparation for what promises to be a thrilling month of fixtures, Smith recently admitted he's been looking to NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson for advice on the tricks of the trade.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Autumn Internationals 2024: England vs New Zealand recap & head-to-head battles

Wingers: Ollie Sleightholme vs Dylan Pietsch

Embedded amongst the back-line players, wingers tend to be some of the fastest and strongest players, focused on finishing moves and scoring those all-important tries.

Remembered for scoring a mere 15 seconds into his Premiership Rugby debut, Ollie Sleightholme comes with the reputation of lightning fast feet and unmatchable ball chemistry.

Familiar with the reality that everything is temporary, his determination and mental strength, coming back time after time from what could have been career-ending injuries, only makes him want his role within the England squad more.

Willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, Sleighthome’s influence on the game will be a must watch during November as he sets his sights on a first cap for England.

A survivor of his own mind and hopeful mentor to the future of Indigenous Wallaby players, Dylan Pietsh is so much more than just a rugby player.

First playing for his nation during the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Pietsch has been impressive ever since, and was rewarded earlier this year with his Australian Rugby debut against Wales in July and a multi-year contract package.

Already familiar with a number of guys on the team, personally driven and bringing some much sought after pace and power to the Australian squad, his presence within upcoming campaigns could be exactly what the team need to get back to winning ways.

Full-backs: George Furbank vs Harry Wilson

Hugely versatile players, full-backs are a combination of solid defence and flair attack with a keen eye for weaponising tactics.

Just 11 games into his career with the England national side and already having a hefty 413 carrying metres, George Furbank definitely has a long and plentiful career ahead.

Playing first for the squad during the 2020 Guinness Six Nations after only appearing in the National and Premiership leagues beforehand, Furbank has by no means had a conventional early ride.

Impressing upon debut despite mountains of pressure, he revealed the later official full-time call-up came in the form of a Whatsapp notification.

With that in mind, we'll be sure to keep an eye on ours for what headlines he and the team may bring.

Much like his team-mate Noah, Harrison (Harry) Wilson has been through ups and downs with the Australian side.

Described to be tireless, high energy and like a bull in a china shop on the field, he certainly didn't let his stability woes get him down, only using it as motivation to push limits further and come back stronger.

But with new management comes new opportunity, and seemingly a favourite candidate of new coach Joe Schmidt, having been named captain for the team's outing against Argentina earlier this year, surely it's only up from here.

Scrum-halves: Jake Gordon vs Jack van Poortvliet

Links in the chain between forward and back positions, scrum-halves are loud, proud and lead the charge, forming a vital part of any team's strategy.

Jack van Poortvliet has made his way up through the ranks, yet still remains an elusive character within the media.

Documented rather extensively however, was his debut and season-ending ankle injury in 2023, 31 minutes into his first red and white stint.

Ruled out once again during the summer tours and determined now more than ever to come back with a bang, could this Autumn mark his redemption day?

We and many others certainly think so…

Holding a rather unique title within the Wallaby camp for tallest of all-time, Jake Gordon has the boundless talent, grit and strength to match his mighty stature.

Opportune chance after opportune chance falling at his feet through injury, Gordan made it his mission to shine, giving 110% to the Australian side with every new game, personal mind games arguably contributing to that.

In the mix with a number of his team-mates for the permanent number nine jersey, even Gordon himself admits there is unfinished business heading into the November series.

Loose-head props: Joe Marler vs James Slipper

Balance players for the rugby seesaw, loose-head props like Joe Marler and James Slipper must have both the strength of an ox and the agility of a cheetah.

Labelled Mr Reliable, Marler is a familiar face to many across the world of rugby with a contagious personality and shattering tackle counts.

Wearing his senior player badge with pride and beginning to breach the world of mentoring, Marler was present in New Zealand even after his ankle injury in July, cheering on his England side.

In a race against time to make fitness and be ready for the Roses squad this Autumn, his presence may just be vital for the team who are looking to continue their way up the ranks to stand amongst the greats once again.

Also a familiar face and wise gentle giant, James Slipper has been part of the furniture in Australia for coming up on 14 years.

Etched into the history books as the most-capped Wallaby player in Test rugby, Slipper is labelled one of Schmidts hardest workers.

With utter and absolute commitment to the jersey all a part of his journey, he's done nothing short of scale mountains and swim the seas to stand where he does today.

Seeing the team as an extension of not only his family, but his own being and with his contract clock ticking, only time will tell how much more he's willing to sacrifice.

READ MORE: England analysis and opinion: Thomas Tuchel appointment divides Three Lions fans