England’s Review of Loss to Australia Reveals Key Issues

England’s review of their narrow loss to Australia was “brutal” but essential according to winger Ollie Sleightholme. Steve Borthwick’s team suffered a 42-36 defeat at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium after replacement winger Max Jorgensen scored for Australia in the fourth minute of injury time, nullifying what had appeared to be a match-winning try by Maro Itoje.

This defeat was England’s second narrow loss in the Autumn Nations Series following a close two-point defeat to New Zealand. It also extended their losing streak to four games. Sleightholme emphasized the importance of a “brutal” review to dissect their performance, acknowledging missed opportunities and defensive lapses. “It was a case of getting it all out there and not shying away,” he explained.

While reflecting on the game was frustrating, Sleightholme believes identifying necessary changes is key to improving. England’s repeated issues with last-minute lapses in their last five games including two close defeats to New Zealand and a narrow 33-31 loss to France in the Six Nations have been a cause for concern. Sleightholme, 24 scored twice as a replacement in the second half, marking his first two international tries.

A successful conversion from Marcus Smith gave England a 30-28 lead going into the final 10 minutes. However, two late tries from Australia saw them snatch victory, marking only their second win over England in 12 encounters. For Sleightholme, the joy of his scoring debut was muted by the team’s loss. “It was nice to score, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win,” he said.

Looking ahead, England will face world champions South Africa on Saturday, who opened their autumn campaign with a win over Scotland. England’s number eight Ben Earl acknowledged the mounting frustration among both players and fans. “It feels like we won the game twice against Australia and then managed to lose it,” he said, describing the situation as “frustrating” and admitting that it left the team with much to consider.