Sydney: Owen Farrell kicked England to a pulsating 44-40 win over Australia to sweep their rugby union series 3-0 in Sydney on Saturday. In Dunedin, All Blacks also completed a series sweep with a 46-6 third Test victory over Wales.
England were outscored five tries to four by the Wallabies, but got home on the boot of inside-centre Farrell, who kicked six penalty goals and three conversions from 10 attempts in a man-of-the-match performance.
It was the first 3-0 series win by a touring side in Australia since the South African Springboks in 1971.
It was also England’s ninth consecutive win under their former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones and follows earlier wins in Brisbane and Melbourne.
The Australians were more inventive in their attack, with Matt Toomua and Bernard Foley providing the main spark, but the Six Nations champions were too consistent for the Wallabies.
Jones had urged his players to maintain their intensity despite clinching the series in Melbourne last week in their “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to vanquish Australia 3-0.
England began well and had most of the play before prop Mako Vunipola made a bumping run close to the Australian line.
From the next phase, Ben Youngs put prop Dan Cole crashing over near the post for Farrell to convert after 11 minutes.
The Wallabies’ response was immediate; Dane Haylett-Petty’s pass was knocked down by Maro Itoje and the ball was picked up by Israel Folau who dashed up the left touchline.
Folau drew the last line of defence to send Bernard Foley over under the bar and level the scores with his conversion.
The Wallabies were over again seven minutes later after several phases and quick hands by Foley and Folau sent winger Haylett-Petty sprinting over in the corner for a 12-7 lead.
Farrell kept England in touch with a penalty but centre Jonathan Joseph was penalised for not releasing the ball, and Foley regained the five-point advantage.
England scored their second try off a brilliant kick regather by full back Mike Brown who carried over Tevita Kuridrani’s tackle to score a converted try to lead 17-15.
Coach Jones took off new open-side flanker Teimana Harrison shortly afterwards and brought on Jack Clifford in a tactical switch.
The Wallabies hit the front on half-time through a Foley penalty to end a frenetic opening half.
The Wallabies were guilty of slack marking in a scrum close to their line when powerful No. 8 Billy Vunipola picked the ball up at the scrum and powered through winger Haylett-Petty’s tackle to score.
Farrell kicked England further ahead with his second penalty goal.
The Wallabies hit back after great surging run by replacement lock Adam Coleman and Michael Hooper reached out to ground the ball on the try-line for Foley to convert and lock up the game at 25-all.
The gamble made by All Blacks coach Steve Hansen paid handsome dividends on Saturday as his side completed a series sweep with a 46-6 third Test victory over Wales in Dunedin.
The All Blacks had lost six stalwarts, including all-time greats Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, following the World Cup, and Hansen was under pressure to see if his side could maintain the levels they had set in the previous four years.
He introduced six uncapped players, giving five a debut in the series, and used the match in Dunedin to give some of his more inexperienced squad members an opportunity to prove themselves ahead of the Rugby Championship.
The side did exactly what he wanted, albeit against a Wales team who looked like they were ready to head home after half-time following 54 weeks of constant rugby.
“If anyone had said you are going to lose 818 caps and do what we have done over the last three weeks, you’d be happy” Hansen told reporters.
“Not many teams would carry on as if that hadn’t happened. Particularly with the quality of the people that we lost.
“We have got better with each game, we have blooded a lot of new people, we have a new leadership group and a new skipper — all of whom have done really well.
