England Vs. Australia will begin again on Sunday, 8 November, which will shape the closing stages of rugby union’s new Nations Championship. The show will begin at 3:10 PM at Twickenham in the following weekends.
England will enter on 3 November in the Northern Hemisphere after winning two of their three July matches. Now again you’ll see them with the opposite teams in November.
The build-up will fill the usual Sunday afternoon mix of team news, supporter debate and online roulette UK browsing. Results will decide England’s position for the Nations Championship in November.
The Nations Championship involves 12 countries including England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, who constitute the northern hemisphere group. They face Argentina, Australia, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa, who constitute the southern hemisphere group.
Each country plays three matches in July and three in November. The final tables will be decided by six ranking games at Allianz Stadium between 27 and 29 November. The top spot team in each group meets in the headline final, second plays second and the same system applies all the way down the standings.
That arrangement makes the November fixtures more considerable than the old autumn programme. A good win can improve a team’s position and create a more appealing finals match. A poor result can revise the route entirely.
England are on 10 points after their July tour, behind Scotland on 11, whereas France lead the northern group after three wins. The point difference is fairly small for the order to change quickly, especially as England still have New Zealand to play on 21 November.
Australia appear with their own reason to start well as they have beaten Italy and Japan in the competition, but their July loss to Ireland showed how difficult the northern group can be away from home. A win at Twickenham would put them in a stronger position before the final two pool rounds.
Steve Borthwick’s side suffered a difficult opening in South Africa while England were beaten 45-21 at Ellis Park, where the Springboks used their physical strength and planned pressure to take control.
The response was determined. England scored 11 tries in the 73-8 victory over Fiji, then travelled to Argentina and won regardless being reduced to 13 men late in the match. That final result gave the squad a useful boost after a demanding tour across three continents.
England’s points difference of plus 48 is also helpful. It may be valuable if teams finish level on competition points, although the top priority is collecting wins at home.
Australia present a different challenge to Fiji and Argentina. The Wallabies have built a dangerous attacking side, with the ability to move the ball quickly and create space around the edge of a defence. England’s back-row and midfield defence will need to make accurate first approaches, as missed attacks can allow Australia to turn one break into a continuous attack.
Backdrops will be another major area. England have the forwards to put pressure on Australia at times, but supremacy only matters if the team turns it into points. The July match in Argentina showed England can remain calm under pressure. The Australia fixture offers a chance to apply that hardiness in front of a home crowd.
Borthwick has a deep group of players competing for places. The squad includes established names such as Maro Itoje, Ellis Genge, Ben Earl, Tom Curry, George Ford, Marcus Smith and Freddie Steward, beside subordinate options including Henry Pollock, Fin Smith, Noah Caluori and Asher Opoku-Fordjour.
The debate at fly-half is likely to draw attention again. Ford brings experience and control, while Marcus Smith offers a more reasoning attacking threat. Fin Smith’s development gives England another option, particularly if Borthwick wants a different balance later in the match.
The back three could also look different across the three fixtures. England need enough atmospheric security against Australia and New Zealand, but they also need finishing speed. Tommy Freeman, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Roebuck all offer different qualities, while Steward remains one of the strongest defensive full-backs in the international game.
There is no need to settle every position for the full autumn in the Australia match. Japan’s visit on 14 November should demand a different approach, while New Zealand will bring a greater level of pressure a week later. Still, England cannot treat the Wallabies fixture as a warm-up. The table gives every result weight.
Japan arrive at Allianz Stadium on Saturday 14 November for a 4.40 pm kick-off. England will expect to control much of that match, but Japan’s speed and ability to move the ball can punish poor discipline or loose kicking.
New Zealand then visit on 21 November. Tickets for that game have already sold out, which indicates the attraction of an England and All Blacks meeting at Twickenham. It is also likely to be the fixture that has the biggest influence on England’s final group position.
A side that wins all three November games would put itself in dispute to top the northern table. England’s July defeat to South Africa means they cannot afford to rely on other results. They need to create their own run of form.
Australia are the first obstacle. England have three and a half weeks to prepare for the opening home match, but once the programme begins, there will be less time to make major adjustments. The performance against the Wallabies will set the tone for a new kind of autumn initiative.
Ans: The Nation Championship will start on Sunday, 8 November.
Ans: The Nation Championship includes England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales, and they will face Argentina, Australia, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa.
