Noah Lolesio was a late injury replacement at fly-half but his second-half intervention proved crucial in Perth
Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Imagesourage, character, craziness. Dave Rennie’s Wallabies pulled off one of the great back-to-the-wall victories on Saturday, defeating England with 14 men and snapping Eddie Jones’s eight-game winning streak with a brave barnstorming victory in the first Test of the Ella Mobbs Cup three-match series.
For a time Australia simply held on, leaning into the ropes and taking punches, throwing a few on the rare occasion they got the ball. With so much blood in the water, England’s big men went berserk. Rennie’s men were losing the middle, bending at the edges, giving away more penalties at the maul. For much of the first half nerves and adrenaline got the better of both sides. Lineouts were lost, penalties were given, opportunities were squandered. But for Australia to stagger to half-time level on the scoreboard and with their bench players settled into the first XV was a victory in itself.Photograph: James Worsfold/Getty Images
Still only 22, with just eight caps to his name and the cherubic face of a boy-band smooth crooner, Lolesio was overlooked by Rennie for the magic hands of the maverick Cooper. Now, on the back of a surge, the rookie ran into the teeth of the enemy and squeaked a pass inside. It gave Australia width at last. Kellaway briskly flipped it on and Petaia clambered over three to cross.