Australia edge England in pulsating Test to clinch Ashes

Rugby League Ashes - Match 2 of 3

England (4) 4

Goals: Smith (2)

Australia (4) 14

Tries: Munster, Young Goals: Cleary (3)

The agelong hold continues. Another gallant English failure. Australia's power maintained.

A 14-4 triumph successful Saturday's 2nd Test allowed nan Kangaroos to declare a 14th consecutive bid win, an Ashes tally that began 52 years ago.

It renders adjacent week's sold-out 3rd Test astatine Headingley successful Leeds a dormant rubber, arsenic Australia, for illustration successful 2003, effort to complete a 3-0 bid whitewash.

However, aft being brutally put to nan beard by Kevin Walters' squad astatine Wembley a week ago, this capacity was much befitting of a Shaun Wane side.

The England caput coach had pledged that his squad would connection a amended relationship of themselves aft failing to "show up" for nan first Test, and they did not disappoint.

They enjoyed nan amended of nan first play but their territorial power did not construe crossed connected nan scoreboard, which alternatively displayed 4 points each aft Nathan Cleary and Harry Smith traded penalties.

The problem for England was that was arsenic bully arsenic it sewage arsenic they were incapable to breach a watertight Australian defence.

There were moments of promise, pinch Dom Young a fingernail from scoring successful nan area from a Herbie Farnworth grubber footwear and Morgan Knowles knocking connected earlier grounding nan shot nether nan sticks.

However, successful nan abstraction of 4 second-half minutes nan visitors took nan crippled distant them.

An England correction connected nan near was brutally punished connected nan adjacent Australia group arsenic Cameron Munster twisted distant from a George Williams tackle to score.

And, pinch nan hosts visibly rocking, different correction presented Australia pinch their 2nd effort of nan match.

When Cleary's booming footwear ricocheted retired of nan hands of Tom Johnstone, Canberra Raiders 2nd statement Hudson Young was capable to cod nan loose shot to cross.

A awesome scuffle betwixt respective players lit nan fuse connected a frenetic opening to proceedings, pinch England's Young and Australia's Tino Fa'asuamaleaui sin-binned for their engagement pinch hardly 3 minutes connected nan clock.

And that group nan reside for a much assertive and fierce England showing that was absent astatine Wembley.

Smith's inclusion for his notable crippled guidance qualities tied up immoderate of nan scruffiness successful England's sets and debutant AJ Brimson justified his inclusion astatine full-back.

Yet for each England's bully activity they were incapable to capitalise pinch points from much repetition sets and, moreover erstwhile Australia full-back Reece Walsh was sin-binned successful nan 2nd half, frustratingly for Wane and his unit connected nan sidelines, they were incapable to find their measurement backmost into nan contest.

England: AJ Brimson, Dom Young, Herbie Farnworth, Jake Wardle, Tom Johnstone, George Williams (capt), Harry Smith, Mike McMeeken, Jez Litten, Matty Lees, Kai Pearce-Paul, Kallum Watkins, Morgan Knowles.

Interchanges: Mikey Lewis, Alex Walmsley, Morgan Smithies, Mikolaj Oledzki.

Australia: Walsh, Nawaqanitawase, Staggs, Shibasaki, Addo-Carr, Munster, Cleary, Collins, Grant, Fa'asuamaleaui, Crichton, Young, Carrigan.

Interchanges: Dearden, Smith, Cotter, Koloamatangi.