Australia beaten 45-22 by England at Twickenham as Les Kiss still seeks No 10 solution

Australia were beaten 45-22 by England at Twickenham on Sunday during their European tour, a result that has left coach Les Kiss continuing to search for an answer at fly-half. The defeat exposed weaknesses around the No 10 position and prompted immediate selection questions.

Since the 2023 World Cup there have been seven different players to start for Australia at No 10, and Noah Lolesio has 12 Test starts in that period — more than double any other contender. Lolesio, who was stretchered off against Fiji in the run up to last year’s British & Irish Lions series, is fit again, is 26, and is currently representing Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles Aichi in Japan. An internal selection policy that favours domestically-based players has left Lolesio on the margins of selection, and Kurtley Beale, who turns 38 in January, was recalled from outside the Test fold for this European tour.

Declan Meredith, making only his sixth Test, saw his standing diminish after Sunday’s 45-22 loss. Australia’s breakdown was described in the report as a mess, their set piece as a shambles, and the team failed to generate consistent go-forward in contact — factors that hindered Meredith’s outlet role. Ben Donaldson was introduced before the hour mark and, according to the account, provided glimpses of control with ball in hand. Kiss described the fly-half dilemma as an “ongoing conversation”; he did not sugarcoat Meredith’s performance and said that there would be lessons to be learned.

Kiss also referred to Carter Gordon’s ongoing fitness issues, noting Gordon has not fully recovered from a fractured fibula sustained in the 28-28 draw against Argentina in Mendoza in September. Gordon and Donaldson had shared No 10 duties in 2023, and Kiss intimated that Gordon might play a part against Scotland next week. That availability uncertainty leaves the coaching staff with multiple options to consider for upcoming selections.

On the specifics of the match, Australia benefited from a disallowed Immanuel Feyi-Waboso try in the second minute and scored two tries described in the report as fortuitous: an intercept by Max Jorgensen shortly before half-time and a late finish by Filipo Daugunu once the contest was effectively decided. The narrative of the second Wallaby try detailed chaotic build-up play in which Australian runners collided, passes went astray, England briefly stole possession and then lost it, and tackles were missed.

The piece referenced past Australian fly-halves — Stephen Larkham, Michael Lynagh, Mark Ella and Quade Cooper — in assessing the current search for a player capable of organising play and managing tempo. It also singled out individual performers elsewhere in the squad, noting that Jorgensen "can turn a contest with a wiggle of his hips" and that Fraser McReight is "the best fetcher in the world."

Kiss faces selection decisions ahead of the Scotland match next week as Australia attempt to address the fly-half problem exposed at Twickenham; the coach has signposted Gordon as a potential contributor for that fixture. The outcome of those choices will determine how the Wallabies proceed through the remainder of their European tour.