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England vs Australia: Five memorable Test matches at Twickenham

England rugby

England complete their Quilter Internationals with a game against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Action & Main Event.

Eddie Jones' squad have picked up two victories to date this November - against South Africa and Japan - while they lost narrowly to New Zealand two weeks ago.

Over the years, there have been some classic meetings between the Wallabies and England in south-west London. Here we look back at five standout memories…

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2000: England 22-19 Australia

Clive Woodward's England welcomed the reigning world champions Australia, from the 1999 World Cup, to Twickenham in 2000, with the Wallabies having already claimed eye-catching victories in Paris and Edinburgh that November.

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England and Australia played out a fabulous Test at Twickenham in 2000

The game proved to be a kicking duel between Jonny Wilkinson and Matt Burke for the most part, until Burke's try off a scintillating Joe Roff break and offload early in the second half seemed to tilt the game in Australia's direction.

Indeed the visitors hit a 19-12 lead before Wilkinson cut the gap to 19-15, but Australia were in possession of the ball in their own 22 inside the final minute of the Test.

Roff then skewed his clearance kick into the middle of the pitch in a major error, handing England one last chance.

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Replacement Matt Cockbain was then sin-binned for going off feet at the ruck - Australia's third yellow card of the game, and second in the closing stages - reducing them to 13 men.

England attacked until eight minutes past the 80 mark, when a risky Iain Balshaw chip ahead was grounded by the chasing Dan Luger to send the 75,000-strong crowd at Twickenham ballistic.

luger
Image: Dan Luger's dramatic late try in 2000 saw England beat the reigning world champions

The moment also involved a bit of history as video technology was used at Twickenham for the first time in checking Luger's try.

2002: England 32-31 Australia

Two years after that dramatic 2000 Test, the Wallabies were back at Twickenham in the lead-up to their home 2003 Rugby World Cup.

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England captain Martin Johnson consistently asked Jonny Wilkinson to kick penalties despite a hefty deficit in 2002

Two tries from Elton Flatley, a Wendell Sailor score and the boot of Matt Burke saw the Wallabies race into a 31-19 lead with 55 minutes played.

The challenge appeared too steep for England to come back from, but skipper Martin Johnson remained calm. Kickable penalties were awarded to the hosts in the 59th and 66th minutes, but despite the 12-point deficit, Johnson remained defiant in pointing to the sticks as the metronomic Wilkinson delivered each time.

With 10 minutes left, England struck for a crucial try through Ben Cohen, as the wing seared over off a James Simpson-Daniel short ball.

When Wilkinson converted, the lead was a single point as England had completed a quite extraordinary comeback.

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Image: When Ben Cohen went over for a try late on, England had a one point lead

Indeed, it is the biggest deficit an England side has ever come back from to win in Test history.

2004: England 19-21 Australia

In Australia's first visit to Twickenham since England experienced World Cup glory against the Wallabies on Aussie soil in the autumn of 2003, the visitors clinched a thrilling victory.

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The sides met at Twickenham in 2004 a year after England had won the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia

Tries from Jeremy Paul and Chris Latham, plus a Matt Giteau penalty saw the Wallabies surge into a 15-0 lead, but England fought back in the second half as tries from Lewis Moody, Josh Lewsey and Mark Cueto handed them a 19-15 advantage inside the final 10 minutes.

TWICKENHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 27:  Chris Latham of Australia scores a try during the Investec Challenge match between England and Australia at Twickenham on November 27, 2004 in Twickenham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Latham
Image: Chris Latham was among the try scorers in a noteworthy Wallabies success

But with the likes of Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Jonny Wilkinson out of the side, England failed to close out the game as two late Giteau penalties handed the Wallabies a dramatic success.

TWICKENHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 27:  Australian players celebrate winning the the Investec Challenge match between England and Australia at Twickenham on November 27, 2004 in Twickenham, London.  (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)

2015: England 13-33 Australia

One of the most painful England defeats in recent memory, the Wallabies arrived at Twickenham during the 2015 World Cup and dumped the hosts out of their own tournament at the pool stage - the first such occurrence in history.

England's full-back Mike Brown lines up with teammates prior to a Pool A match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup between England and Australia at Twickenham stad

Having already lost at home to Wales the previous week, Stuart Lancaster's charges knew defeat would end their World Cup, but they could not live with Michael Cheika's side.

Bernard Foley put in perhaps the greatest display of his Test career, as the playmaker sliced through for two sensational first-half tries, and was 100 per cent with the boot - adding 18 extra points with four penalties and three conversions.

during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool A match between England and Australia at Twickenham Stadium on October 3, 2015 in London, United Kingdom.
Image: Bernard Foley was outstanding as the sides met at Twickenham during the 2015 World Cup

An Anthony Watson try on 55 minutes cut the gap to 10 points, but Australia regained control thereafter with Matt Giteau's 80th-minute dive into the corner the gloss on a mightily impressive team display.

2017: England 30-6 Australia

The most recent clash between the pair came this time last year, and though the final score had an emphatic read to it, the game was anything but a comfortable victory for England.

The score read 13-6 to the home side with just eight minutes left, while the Wallabies had two potential tries ruled out from Michael Hooper and Marika Koroibete by referee Ben O'Keeffe in controversial fashion.

LONDON - NOV 18 2017:  Michael Hooper of Australia speaks to the referee after a TMO decision during the game against England
Image: The big decisions went against Australia the last time they visited Twickenham in 2017

Australia also had two men sent to the sin-bin in the first half - Hooper for offside and Kurtley Beale for a deliberate knock-on - but saw out the period conceding just three points.

After 27 minutes, the Wallabies thought they had the lead as captain Hooper slid over for a try, but after consultation with his TMO, referee O'Keeffe contentiously ruled it out for offside.

England then notched the game's opening try 14 minutes into the second half through Elliot Daly in thoroughly confusing fashion. With Australia on the attack five metres out, England somehow turned the ball over on the ground and cleared, before Samu Kerevi counter-attacked in rip-roaring fashion.

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Autumn Internationals

See England finish their campaign against Australia on Sky Sports Action

His offload was knocked on by Tevita Kuridrani, however, and from there Ben Youngs hacked clear before Daly set off in chase, and with Beale nonchalantly expecting the ball to drift out, Daly kicked ahead and scored.

After an extensive review with the TMO it was decided the ball had just avoided the touchline when bouncing - a suspect decision for sure - and the try stood.

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Highlights of England's 2017 Autumn International clash with Australia from Twickenham

With 10 minutes left came the biggest moment though. Australia thought they were over for an equalising score through Koroibete but the try was ruled out by O'Keeffe, again in consultation with his TMO, as replacement hooker Stephen Moore was penalised for obstruction - a call which, again, appeared exceedingly harsh.

Three minutes later, England sealed the match through Jonathan Joseph, and added further gloss to the scoreline with late scores by Jonny May (79) and Danny Care (80), giving the game an unfairly dominant reflection.

Get Sky Sports Action to see England take on Australia, while England Women take on Ireland straight afterwards. Find out more.

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