Rugby Tests: Australia snap eight-match losing streak to tame England
All Blacks weather early storm against Ireland to start new season on winning note
Perth: Australia snapped an eight-match losing streak against England with a 30-28 victory at Perth Stadium on Saturday despite the loss of lock Darcy Swain to a red card before halftime.
Jordan Petaia, Folau Fainga'a and Pete Samu scored tries in the last quarter as Australia recorded their first win over England since knocking the co-hosts out of the 2015 World Cup.
Samu's try took Australia to a 30-14 lead but England debutants Henry Arundell and Jack van Poortvliet scored tries in the dying minutes to make the scoreline more respectable.
It was quite a turnaround for the Wallabies, who must have thought they were cursed after the first 34 minutes of the match.
They lost flyhalf Quade Cooper to a calf injury in the warm- up, fullback Tom Banks with a broken forearm after a nasty fall 21 minutes in, and Swain to a red card for a headbutt just after the half hour mark.
Swain was dismissed for retaliating to a hair pull from England second row Jonny Hill, who was shown a yellow card for his part in the melee.
That incident aside, the first half was notable only for Maro Itoje's attempts to distract Australia at the lineout with a loud yell, a tactic the referee quickly cautioned him against repeating.
The teams turned around level at 6-6 after two penalties apiece from England kicker Owen Farrell and his Australian counterpart Noah Lolesio.
The Wallabies edged ahead from Lolesio's third penalty four minutes after the break but England prop Ellis Genge rolled over the line on the back of a maul five minutes later to inch England back in front at 11-9.
Australia hit back after 64 minutes, putting together their first sustained attack of the match then spreading the ball wide for winger Petaia, on for Banks, to finish well in the corner.
Early storm
The All Blacks weathered Irish storms at the start of each half but responded with six tries to open their 2022 season with a hardfought 42-19 victory in Auckland on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Ardie Savea scored either side of halftime - his first in a blitz of three tries in eight minutes - as New Zealand avenged a 29-20 loss in Dublin last November and extended their unbeaten run at Eden Park to 47 tests over 28 years.
Ireland will take confidence for the Dunedin and Wellington tests from dominating for extended periods and breaching the New Zealand line for tries by winger Keith Earls, centre Garry Ringrose and Auckland-born midfield replacement Bundee Aki.