Australia clinch Ashes series win against much-improved England in second Test
Australia secured an Ashes series victory ahead of the third and final Test next week thanks to a 14-4 win over England in the second Test at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With the Kangaroos having triumphed 26-6 at Wembley in the first Test last week, and now their second win in Liverpool, it means they have wrapped up the series ahead of the third and final Test at AMT Headingley next Saturday, with only pride left for Shaun Wane’s men to play for as they seek to avoid a series whitewash.
The score was level at 4-4 at half-time following two penalty goals each from Australia’s Nathan Cleary and England’s Harry Smith.
Australia posted two unanswered tries in the second half through Cameron Munster and Hudson Young to clinch a 14-4 win in front of a 52,000-strong crowd at the home of Everton Football Club, and ultimately, an Ashes series victory.
England coach Shaun Wane made five changes to his side that lost at Wembley last time out, with AJ Brimson, Smith, Kallum Watkins, Morgan Smithies and Mikolaj Oledzki coming into the side. Meanwhile, Jack Welsby, Ethan Havard, John Bateman, Owen Trout and Daryl Clark were left out.
Meanwhile, Australia boss Kevin Walters made just one change to his side following the Ashes opener, with Lindsay Smith coming in for captain Isaah Yeo, who was ruled out through head injury protocols.
It was a fiery start to the game, with Australia prop Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and England winger Dom Young sent to the sin-bin inside two minutes following a melee. Australia were awarded the penalty, with Cleary slotting the penalty goal to put the visitors 2-0 in front.
England drew the game level five minutes later as Smith, who started in the halves on his return to Wane’s side, added the penalty goal.
England forward Morgan Knowles thought he had scored midway through the first half as he pounced on a loose ball after Reece Walsh failed to deal with a George Williams grubber, but it was ruled a no try due to a knock-on from Knowles when collecting the ball.
A second penalty goal from Cleary edged the Kangaroos into a 4-2 lead in the 25th minute after Smithies was penalised for a dangerous tackle.
But Smith sent the score into the half-time interval tied at 4-4 with a second penalty goal of his own following a hard-fought first half between both sides, with plenty of needle and big hits in between.
England were slow out of the blocks in the second half, which saw Australia score the first try of the game in the 48th minute as Cameron Munster glided over in the corner. Cleary’s conversion attempt hit the post and crossbar before bouncing out, but the Kangaroos were 8-4 to the good.
Young extended Australia’s lead just five minutes later as the forward pounced on the ball after England winger Tom Johnstone failed to deal with a high kick, with Cleary’s conversion taking the score to 14-4 in favour of the visitors.
The Kangaroos went down to 12 men for a 10-minute spell just after the hour mark as Walsh was sin-binned following a high shot on England winger Young when the pair were going up for the high ball.
Munster went over again nine minutes from time, but it was chalked off by the video referee for a knock-on by Fa’asuamaleaui in the build-up. But it didn’t matter in the end as the Kangaroos held on for a 14-4 victory, which wrapped up a Rugby League Ashes series win ahead of next week’s finale at AMT Headingley.
England: AJ Brimson; Dom Young, Herbie Farnworth, Jake Wardle, Tom Johnstone; George Williams, Harry Smith; Mike McMeeken, Jez Litten, Matty Lees, Kai Pearce-Paul, Kallum Watkins, Morgan Knowles. Subs: Mikey Lewis, Alex Walmsley, Morgan Smithies, Mikolaj Oledzki. 18th man: Owen Trout.
Tries: Goals: Smtih 2/2
Australia: Reece Walsh; Mark Nawaqanitawase, Kotoni Staggs, Gehamat Shibasaki, Josh Addo-Carr; Cameron Munster, Nathan Cleary; Lindsay Collins, Harry Grant, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Angus Crichton, Hudson Young, Patrick Carrigan. Subs: Tom Dearden, Lindsay Smith, Reuben Cotter, Keaon Koloamatangi. 18th man: Bradman Best.
Tries: Munster, Young Goals: Cleary 3/4
Referee: Grant Atkins
Attendance: 52,106