Remembrance Day services
The two teams are making their way out onto the Twickenham turf for the pre-match ceremony, which will include a Remembrance Day aspect given the proximity of the match to November 11.
It’s always a solem, formal occasion, starting with the last post.
England wary of Australia’s ‘incredible attacking backline’
Steve Borthwick has been speaking to the UK broadcaster, TNT Sport.
“Australia are developing like we are,” he says.
“They have been together since the Rugby Championship. They have an incredible attacking backline like us.”
He has made a brief mention of the positional switch between Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence, saying the pair are “pretty interchangeable” with their skillsets.
Another issue that has been front and centre for England this week has been the timing of Borthwick’s substitutions, with England fading badly last week against New Zealand amidst accusations of a formulaic approach to substitutions.
“We will adapt like we always do to make the right substitution at the right time,” he says.
How important is this tour?
Given what is coming for the Wallabies, this grand slam tour is extraordinarily important from a sporting perspective.
Given how much stall is being placed on the success of the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour for which this is a staggered dress rehearsal, the importance for the sport as a whole goes up several notches.
Is it too much to say the survival of the sport in Australia is at stake?
Probably. But let’s run with that anyway.
Have a read of all the buildup here.
Pre-match scenes at HQ
Australia XV draws with Bears in Bristol
The Wallabies have had a side in action already on this tour, an Australia XV meeting Premiership side Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate in the West Country.
The spoils were shared 10-10 in the end, but only thanks to a last-minute try from new Reds winger Lachlan Anderson.
Anderson had given the Australia XV the lead early on, before South African utility Benhard Janse van Rensburg scored for the Bears to edge them in front 10-5 approaching full time.
Anderson’s late try gave the Australia XV a chance at winning the game, but the conversion from the sideline sailed wide.
The game was being played on the 115th anniversary of the first touring Australian team to play a combined Bristol and Clifton team in the city.
This is how the Australia XV lined up.
Starting lineup: 15. Andy Muirhead, 14. Lachlan Anderson, 13. Josh Flook (vc), 12. Joey Walton, 11. Corey Toole, 10. Hamish Stewart, 9. Issak Fines-Leleiwasa; 1. Tom Lambert, 2. Lachlan Lonergan, 3. Rhys van Nek, 4. Angus Blyth, 5. Darcy Swain (c), 6. Tom Hooper, 7. Rory Scott, 8. John Bryant
Replacements: 16. Tom Horton, 17. Harry Hoopert, 18. Tiaan Tauakipulu, 19. Ryan Smith, 20. Luke Reimer, 21. Ryan Lonergan, 22. Ollie Sapsford, 23. Jock Campbell
The ‘burning’ memory that drives Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii towards the Wallabies jersey
Stan Sport are just doing a little feature on the man of the moment, the man upon whom so much hope rests.
He says that one of the key drivers for him to become a Wallaby was sparked 12 years or so ago, when a man who he has already been compared to made his own Wallabies debut, having previously been a star in the NRL.
He says that Israel Folau’s Wallabies debut against the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane still burns brightly for him, but mostly for Kurtley Beale’s slip as he attempted to kick the winning penalty.
“I was burning, deep down. Ever since then I wanted to pull on a Wallabies jersey,” Suaalii says.
How England line up
England has made just a single, positional change for this clash from the team that lost to New Zealand last week.
Jamie George is the skipper, but England has, for some reason, named three vice captains too, all forwards, in Ellis Genge, Maro Itoje and Ben Earl.
All eyes will be on that one positional change though, which is in the backline and sees the centres Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence switch to 12 and 13 from 13 and 12 last week.
Bath centre Lawrence told the BBC he was familiar with the man who he will line up against, Joseph Suaalii, from his league performances, describing him as “a great player.”
Both men weigh about 100kg or just under, but Lawrence, at 180cm tall, is dwarfed by the 198cm Suaalii.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s ‘experienced naivety’
Joe Schmidt is speaking to Stan Sport, telling us what to expect from the Wallabies tonight.
“Hopefully you see a bit of adaptation,” he says.
“They’re going to come hard and fast, they don’t give you a lot of breathing space.
“They’re probably going to come at us in the air, so we need to be ready for that.”
Of course, all eyes will be on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, making his debut in the code at outside centre today.
“His instructions are not to different to anyone else,” Schmidt says,
“Joseph is an experienced naivety for us, if that’s not too paradoxical.”
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to make debut
The Wallabies have rolled the dice and selected their shiny new toy at centre.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will line up at number 13, the only change from the Wallabies’ last defeat against New Zealand in Wellington at the end of September.
You can read more, here.
Wallabies spring tour live
Morning folks and welcome to ABC Sport’s live coverage of the Wallabies opening Test of the spring tour against England at Twickenham.
My name is Simon Smale and I have hauled myself out of my bed to bring you all the action as it happens over there in west London, as 82,000 gear up to see the Aussies in action.
Of course, this is a match that is just one of four against the teams from the British Isles, with matches to come against Wales, Scotland and Ireland in the next four weeks.
We’ll be here to bring you all the action from all those matches.
But first up, it’s England, a team Australia has a woeful recent record against, losing 10 of their last 11 games.
A win here will go a long way towards settling some nerves, as well as silencing some critics.