COACHES AT WAR AFTER ENGLAND BEATS AUSTRALIA AT TWICKENHAM

England’s 25–7 win over Australia on Saturday sparked a war of words between the coaches.

Joe Schmidt accused England of indulging in “gamesmanship” after the defeat, claiming his Australia side had produced more than 1,200 attacking rucks across the season without a single yellow card or injury from their clean-outs.

He dismissed pre-match talk from England’s camp about ruck legality as a deliberate distraction and praised the referee for handling the contest fairly.

England coach Steve Borthwick, meanwhile, praised his players’ resilience and calm under pressure as they secured their eighth straight Test victory.

Though he admitted the wet conditions made their attacking game inconsistent, he said the team executed well when it mattered most. England dominated possession and territory but led only 10–7 at half-time before second-half tries from Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell, and Luke Cowan-Dickie sealed the result.

Australia, missing several first-choice players due to club release complications, struggled to build rhythm. Their only try came from a long intercept.

Schmidt insisted the officiating hadn’t been swayed by England’s tactics, but the result left his side frustrated while England celebrated another confident step forward under Borthwick’s leadership.

Image credit: PA Media