England v Australia tips: Hosts to test a leaky defence
England are our selection after Australia conceded 93 points in the two Bledisloe Cup Tests. The Wallabies' September win over the Boks shows their attacking threat, but their latest defensive results are much harder to ignore. England have a fresh complication of their own: Alex Mitchell is out of the squad with a hamstring injury.
England v Australia. Sunday, 08 November 2026, 17:10 SAST. Nations Championship. Allianz Stadium Twickenham, London.
Match comparison
| Focus | Recent performance | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| England in July | Beat Fiji 73-8 and Argentina 31-24 | Lost 45-21 to South Africa |
| Australia | Lost 50-19 and 43-21 to New Zealand | Previously beat South Africa 42-38 |
| Half-backs | England: Van Poortvliet and Fin Smith | Australia: Lonergan and Meredith |
Australia's Bledisloe defence is the concern
New Zealand scored 50 in Auckland and 43 in Sydney during October. Australia managed 19 and 21, making both matches clear defeats rather than late collapses from winning positions.
Those scores followed a 42-38 victory over South Africa in Perth. The Wallabies have therefore demonstrated that they can beat a leading side, but their last three Tests also brought 131 points conceded.
England's July wins offer two different tests of that defence. They overwhelmed Fiji 73-8 and beat Argentina 31-24 in a closer contest after starting with a 45-21 defeat against the Boks.
Van Poortvliet and Fin Smith start at half-back
Mitchell left Northampton's win over Gloucester after 21 minutes with a hamstring injury, so Jack van Poortvliet starts at nine with Ben Spencer on the bench. Fin Smith passed a late fitness test on his calf and starts at ten.
George Ford misses the matchday 23, with Marcus Smith the replacement back for the fly-half role. Maro Itoje returns as captain, while Ben Curry starts at openside in place of his injured twin Tom.
George Furbank, Fin Baxter and Ben Curry all return to the starting XV after injury absences. Against an Australian defence conceding so freely, the priority is to keep the attacking output seen against Argentina and Fiji with a new half-back pairing.
The wider programme is in our rugby tips. Our guide to South African betting sites compares account terms and payment options.
The Nations Championship guide follows the Springboks through November. It includes their schedule and the route to the final weekend.
Kiss reshapes the Wallabies
Les Kiss has made changes after the Bledisloe defeats. Ryan Lonergan and Declan Meredith form the half-back pairing, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii moves to the wing and Fraser McReight wins his 50th cap.
Jeremy Williams shifts from lock to blindside so Josh Canham can return in the second row. Rob Valetini drops to the bench alongside Tate McDermott, while Kurtley Beale is not in the matchday 23.
England have the stronger recent comparison
Australia lost 33-31 to Ireland and 42-26 to France in July before beating Italy 57-10. Their large win came against the side that finished the opening phase without a victory, while the closer matches exposed the defensive issues again.
England's seven-point win in Argentina carries more weight for this assignment than the size of the Fiji victory alone. We expect the hosts to win, with Australia's capacity to score keeping the contest alive but their repeated concessions leaving too much to repair.