England face Australia at Twickenham this afternoon as the 2026 Nations Championship resumes. Steve Borthwick's side open the autumn portion of rugby union's inaugural international competition against their old rivals, ahead of a series of play-off finals on home soil later in November.
England began the Nations Championship poorly in July, losing 45-21 to reigning back-to-back world champions South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The defeat followed their worst-ever Six Nations campaign and was marked by continued discipline problems.
They recovered with 11 tries in a 73-8 win over a 14-man Fiji side on Merseyside, before holding on to beat Argentina 31-24 in a feisty encounter featuring late drama, days after the football World Cup semi-final between the two countries.
Pressure on Borthwick
Despite those victories, which lifted England to third in the Northern Hemisphere table, Borthwick remains under significant pressure less than a year out from the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Reports this week detailed unrest in the camp over the summer, said to have come to a head before the match in Argentina.
The RFU extended Borthwick's contract through the 2028 Six Nations in September, and chief executive Bill Sweeney has given fresh backing this week regardless of results in the weeks ahead.
Australia sit third in the Southern Hemisphere table after beating Italy 57-10 at home in the summer, ending a run of six successive defeats under Joe Schmidt. Schmidt's team then lost 42-26 to France after a second-half comeback, following a 33-31 defeat to Ireland when Ben Donaldson missed a last-gasp penalty.
Team news and lineups
England are led by regular skipper Maro Itoje, who was rested over the summer but returns to take back the captaincy from Jamie George, lining up alongside Alex Coles at lock. Fin Smith has been cleared to start at fly-half following a calf injury, while George Furbank is at full-back after his summer campaign was wrecked by appendicitis.
Furbank replacing Marcus Smith is one of four changes Borthwick made to the XV that started against Argentina. Fin Baxter is preferred to Ellis Genge at loosehead prop, Itoje replaces George Martin, and Ben Curry lines up at openside flanker instead of Guy Pepper.
Baxter is joined in the front row by George and Joe Heyes, with the back row completed by Ollie Chessum and Ben Earl. Fin Smith is partnered at half-back by Jack van Poortvliet, with Alex Mitchell missing the entire autumn with another hamstring injury. Henry Slade and Seb Atkinson continue their centre partnership, with Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the wings.
Henry Pollock is on a 6-2 bench along with Marcus Smith, where Genge and the fit-again Will Stuart bolster prop depth. Ben Spencer is scrum-half cover after being called up this week with Harry Randall, while Luke Cowan-Dickie, Martin and Exeter back row Greg Fisilau are also in reserve, with Fisilau in line to earn his first cap. Tom Curry and Archie McParland miss out through injury.
For Australia, Len Ikitau returns in midfield alongside Isaac Henry following concussion, with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii pushed out to the right wing in place of Harry Potter. Declan Meredith continues at fly-half ahead of Donaldson, with Carter Gordon omitted completely, and Ryan Lonergan at scrum-half. Tom Wright is at full-back, with Max Jorgensen on the left wing.
Angus Bell and Billy Pollard replace Aidan Ross and Josh Nasser in the front row, with Allan Alaalatoa at tighthead. Josh Canham comes into the second row to partner Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, with Jeremy Williams moving to the blindside, Fraser McReight at openside for his 50th cap, and Harry Wilson captaining the team from number eight. Rob Valetini drops to the bench, joining Taniela Tupou, Carlo Tizzano, Nasser and Isaac Kailea in a 5-3 split, with Donaldson, Tate McDermott and Filipo Daugunu covering the backs. Kurtley Beale, a shock selection for the autumn, does not make the matchday squad.
Head-to-head record and prediction
England last met Australia in a scrappy affair at Twickenham last autumn, winning 25-7 to avenge a 42-37 loss from 12 months earlier, when Jorgensen scored a last-gasp try and Suaalii made his union debut. England have won three of their last five matches against Australia, who pushed the British and Irish Lions hard in a 2-1 Test series defeat last summer. Between 2016 and 2021, England won eight in a row against the Wallabies under Eddie Jones. Overall, England have 29 wins, Australia 27, with one draw.
Despite the contract extension and renewed RFU backing, this has the feel of a must-win game for Borthwick to calm scrutiny on his position. England bounced back from their abysmal Six Nations and the thrashing in South Africa with back-to-back wins, but Fiji were poor and played much of the game down a man, while only a controversial last-gasp TMO intervention saved them in a chaotic clash with Argentina.
Australia have made an inconsistent start under Les Kiss, upsetting a second-string South Africa side and winning series against Japan and Argentina, but coming unstuck against the All Blacks once more. There have been signs of progress, and they will view this autumn campaign as a yardstick ahead of the World Cup on home soil next year.
England are predicted to win by 10 points, with odds of 4/11 for an England win, 12/5 for Australia, and 22/1 for a draw.
