Australia v England predictions and rugby union tips: Don't discount tourists

Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Australia v England in the second Test on Saturday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Action, 10.55am Saturday

Best bet

England
1pt 7-5 Betfair, BoyleSports

Match preview

All the numbers in last week's first Test in Perth should have added up to a win for England but in the end it took two tries in the final minute to make the scoreline even close.

With half an hour gone England were dominating the physical battle and Australia were a man down, then early in the second half England made a breakthrough with the first try of the game.

To go from there to being 30-14 down with a minute left on the clock was extraordinary and would surely be put down as a one-off if it hadn't raised long-standing concerns about England's attack.

England coach Eddie Jones was put under pressure to look again at his axis of Marcus Smith and Owen Farrell at ten and 12, but has chosen instead to drop Joe Marchant and Joe Cokanasiga outside them and bring in new caps Guy Porter and Tommy Freeman.

Both are exciting players but unproven on the Test stage, while the decision to also start rookie scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet in place of Danny Care, Smith's half-back partner at Harlequins, has also raised eyebrows.

Jones's selection policy has been branded muddled and England's chances have largely been written off as a result, but that judgement looks hasty.

England should still have the set-piece foundations even though Australia are strengthened by the return of prop Taniela Tupou, and with more focus following that defeat they should have the strength to avoid the kind of poor spell which saw the match turn around in the final quarter.

Australia had an equally bad opening 50 minutes, and while they will equally be forewarned about ill discipline having suffered a red card in Perth, it's wrong to assume that because of the result there are nothing but positives to come out from Australia's performance.

Noah Lolesio looked shaky at fly-half having been called up from the bench in the warm-up and his kicking game can be tested, and even England's unconvincing attack last week outscored the Wallabies on metres made, clean breaks and defenders beaten.

Care and last week's tryscoring debutant Henry Arundell give England some attacking x-factor from the bench, and although there's a world of pressure on Jones and England right now, they look the value pick at odds-against.

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