Australia Readies for England Test at Twickenham
Australia prepares to face England on Sunday after two Bledisloe Cup losses to New Zealand.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Australia and New Zealand
Australia begins preparations for its Sunday match against England at Twickenham following defeats to New Zealand, 50-19 in Auckland and 43-21 in Sydney. The Wallabies are working on the pace of play that New Zealand used to put them under pressure.
Why it matters
Australia's coach Les Kiss had led an unbeaten run of six matches before the New Zealand losses, and the defeats exposed weaknesses in tempo that the team must address. The England fixture is part of a busy November schedule that includes Scotland, Wales and the Nations Championship finals weekend at Twickenham.
Australia lost 50-19 in Auckland and 43-21 in Sydney to New Zealand, ending a six-match unbeaten run under coach Les Kiss. The pace-related weaknesses identified in those defeats have since been the focus of training ahead of the England match.
The players
Les Kiss
Les Kiss is the coach of the Australian rugby union team, who led the side through an unbeaten run of six matches before the New Zealand defeats.
Angus Bell
Angus Bell is a 26-year-old loosehead prop for the Australian national rugby union team.
The details
Australia reviewed the New Zealand defeats and worked on the pace of its game in training during the week before traveling to Britain. The Wallabies face England at Twickenham on Sunday, with matches against Scotland and Wales also on the schedule before the Nations Championship finals weekend.
Timeline
October 2026: Australia loses Bledisloe Cup tests to New Zealand in Auckland and Sydney.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Australia begins preparations for the England match.
Sunday, November 8, 2026: Australia plays England at Twickenham.
November 27-29, 2026: Nations Championship finals weekend at Twickenham.
Season Trajectory
The Bledisloe Cup defeats to New Zealand leave Australia with a difficult stretch of Nations Championship fixtures against England, Scotland and Wales. How the team responds to the pace problem will shape its standing in the November tests.
Fans planning to attend the Nations Championship finals weekend at Twickenham on November 27-29 should note that Australia's schedule runs through several matches in the lead-up. Fantasy and betting readers can track how the team's tempo changes across its November fixtures.
The takeaway
Teams that lose on pace often need to rebuild their tempo in training before the next test, and Australia's November results will show whether that work has taken hold. Readers following the rivalry can use the schedule to judge progress across the Nations Championship.
What happens next
Australia plays England at Twickenham on Sunday, November 8, 2026, followed by matches against Scotland and Wales before the Nations Championship finals weekend on November 27-29, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more on Australia and New Zealand for context on the region's sporting and travel scene.
