Right, that’s it from me tonight and indeed that’s it for the series. England won’t rest on this, they know that one win does not mean the job’s done by a long shot. They still don’t know their best team, although everyone played well today, bar perhaps Watson, who wasn’t really in the game.

Man-of-the-match for me was George Ford and indeed I’d make him England’s man-of-the-series. There may remain questions over his long-range goal-kicking, but his reading of the game and his intelligent decision-making shone through. Well played him; I suspect that’s given him the number 10 shirt for the Six Nations opener against Wales.

Thanks for reading and for all your contributions over the past month. Bye!

80 min Penalty Australia, but it’s to nothing really. They run it but White’s final pass is into touch. We have time for one more play.

79 min England scrum then and, at 26-17, you’d say this one was in the bag. It’s been an outstanding performance from the pack as a whole. The defence has been brilliant, Barritt making 18 tackles alone.

78 min Folau spins it wide for Ashley-Cooper who... well he does what he’s done all afternoon. It’s recycled and then Barritt suffers a horrible clash of heads with Cooper. Blood comes gushing out from the Saracens centre’s face and surely Twelvetrees will return.

Morgan is named man-of-the-match. I don’t know, he’s played well but had a pretty easy ride at the base of the scrum. Lawes and Attwood have been mighty. Barritt is replaced by Yarde, Kruis by Haskell. Barritt’s face is a right mess.

77 min Over it goes and England’s lead goes up to nine points. Great nerve there from Ford. England 26-17 Australia.

75 min England win the lineout and here comes the maul. It’s a huge one, gaining 15 metres... 20 metres, 25! Now they use it and the ball is swung left for May. Back it goes to Ford, who goes for the long-range drop-goal. It’s a great effort from 40m but just wide. No matter as we go back for a penalty to England, 32m out and about 5m to the left. This will be a huge kick if it goes over.

74 min England scrum and it’s another penalty, 15m from their own line. Meanwhile in Wales, South Africa look to be falling apart a bit. It’s 12-6 to Wales and they have a scrum 5m out. Here, Ford clears to halfway down the right.

73 min So close here. Cooper and Beale combine beautifully, with the latter offloading left to Folau, but the full-back’s final pass is a woeful one, miles in front of Horne and the winger lets it slip out of his hands. Hanson comes on for Fainga.

72 min 6m lineout to Australia as Webber replaces Hartley. Australia win it and White snipes. Now Australia go through the phases, 10m from the line, crashing it up into the defence.

71 min Steady scrum and, whaddya know, Adam Ashley-Cooper slices through, breaking Morgan’s tackle. The centre is cut down by Brown on the 10m line but England stick hands in the ruck and it’s a penalty. Great kick to the corner by Cooper on the left.

70 min Ford sends up another high, angled kick, which Cooper catches just outside his 22 on the right-hand touchline. Farrell is up and tackles him into touch nicely, but then Hartley’s throw isn’t straight. A pig flies overhead.

69 min England win the lineout but are turned over. They get a chance anyway as the ball goes loose off Robinson and Farrell hacks through. Robshaw gives chase but he’s oddly not as quick as the covering Folau.

67 min What a scrum from England. Australia are blown apart again and that’s the penalty. Ford clears to halfway as Barritt returns, Twelvetrees going off.

66 min Australia win the lineout through Hooper, lifted by the giant Skelton who stands a good foot taller than him. Australia pass into midfield but Beale knocks on in contact.

65 min Adam Ashley-Cooper’s lines today have been nothing short of perfect. He slices into England again to gain ground. The ball is recycled right along the line and White steps and grubbers a shallow kick through; Brown fields it, but his clearance doesn’t get out of the 22.

64 min Speight, who has been such a threat to England today, is off. Beale replaces him.

63 min Stuart Barnes spends a good minute talking about what an excellent kicker Ford is from this kind of range. Up he steps and defies the jinx, to make it England 23-17 Australia.

62 min Brookes comes on for Wilson. I assume that that’s a fitness thing as Wilson has been excellent in the scrum today. Barritt to is going off with a lot of blood coming from above his eye, with Farrell entering. Positionally, they’ve gone for a direct swap. England get a lineout on the right, just outside the 22 and Hartley finds Attwood. They get a penalty at the maul, about 25m out just to the right. Ford to continue kicking.

59 min Australia come back then, looking to make an immediate riposte. Skelton is on for them. It’s advantage Australia as they enter the 22, but they might not need it...

58 min Morgan’s try is converted from the touchline by Ford to make it England 20-10 Australia.

Jean de Villiers has finally been moved from the pitch and appears to be on oxygen. Wishing him all the best.

56 min Take a bow, Mike Brown. From a lineout on the 10m line, England swing it left to the full-back, who stabs a low kick through from 40m. Cooper goes back to get it but is forced back over his own line and tackled into touch.

54 min Through the hands it goes and Australia have it on the 22 on the left, but concede a penalty on the floor. The pass from Cooper that put Ashley-Cooper away there was a mile forward. That really should have been spotted. England are making a change, with Mullan replacing Marler. In fact it’s two changes as the battered Lawes, who has been brilliant today making 12 tackles, is replaced by Kruis.

Wales lead South Africa 12-6, but Jean de Villiers is down with a very nasty looking injury.

53 min A fourth change by Australia already, as Ben Alexander replaces Kepu. A good first scrum and Ashley-Cooper is put through by the inside pass yet again, searing up into England territory. Once again England scramble well though and hold the move up, but they’re now midway between the 10m line and their own 22.

52 min Barritt looks to take it up on the crash ball but knocks on and Australia now have the scrum, just outside their own 22. Excellent tackle that, by Matt Toomua, on Barritt.

50 min Change for Australia, Nic White for Phipps. Wales now lead South Africa 9-6.

49 min England have a lineout on halfway after Speight was dragged into touch by May. Ford sends it high but Ashley-Cooper claims it brilliantly. An exchange of kicks and then May does very well to tap back Ford’s high one. England go wide on the right but the ball goes to ground as Horne goes close to an interception on his own 22. Ford’s kicking from hand today has been exceptional.

48 min Ford fields a deflected kick and sends a wonderful pass across to Watson in midfield. He jinks past a couple of tackles but is stopped around halfway and Twelvetrees kicks it away.

Wales 6-6 South Africa.

47 min Slipper, the man who dropped the ball in the first place, as received treatment but is OK. My apologies, it was an England knock-on after forcing the turnover, so Australia have the scrum. It’s good enough and they clear.

46 min Seven excellent points contributed by Foley there, who is immediately hooked for Cooper. Australia knock-on in their own 22 and England get a scrum. It’s also worth noting that in the build up to that try Lawes made a brilliant tackle to stop Folay when the full-back broke the line.

Wales lead South Africa 6-3 now, another Halfpenny penalty.

43 min It’s a difficult kick for Ford but nonetheless, this isn’t a great effort at all, sliced to the right. Ford’s place kicking is one of the two big concerns I have about him.

42 min England get a lineout after Toomua clears upfield and Hartley finds his man on the 10m line. England maul it and one of the Australians comes it on the wrong side. Ford to kick for goal from 37m, wide on the left.

Look I know I got the score wrong after the try. Refresh the page and it looks like I know what I’m doing, OK?

41 min Here we go again, then. Ford kicks off. That first half was probably England’s best of the series; excellent in defence and good with the boot. Luke Jones is on for Simmons for Australia.

On the BBC they’re showing a tribute to the great Irish fly-half Jack Kyle, who passed away on Friday. It’s been a sad week.

39 min Australia make life much more difficult for England at this one, the ball taking an age to come back on the England side. It’s given to Brown, who boots it downfield rather aimlessly. Australia run it back but go off their feet at a ruck and so Ford will get one last shot at goal for the half, from about 49m and just off to the left.

37 min Ford gets wrapped up after he’s forced to sweep up when Twelvetrees is smashed by Toomua. England recover though and get a scrum about 12 or 13 metres inside their own half.

36 min Solid scrum, Toomua with the clearance upfield. Incidentally if you’d rather read about football, you’re weird. But anyway, Niall McVeigh has today’s clockwatch.

35 min Foley loses the ball in contact with Robshaw and Youngs chips straight over the top into space. The chase is on as the ball reaches the 22 and Watson is the man to get their first, but he knocks it on. Bah!

34 min Fainga throws inside the 22 but Lawes steals the lineout for England. Youngs clears but straight to Speight, who is chased down well by Wood.

33 min Brown takes a miskick from Folau and runs it back rather than pass. He’s caught and loses possession, then as Australia recycle Hartley comes up too quickly and is penalised for offside on halfway.

31 min An exchange of kicks now, but then Watson chases his own kick and is sucked out of position with Australia in possession. Nowt comes of it.

30 min Ford converts from just to the left of the sticks. England 13-3 Australia. That’s a really good try and it all came from an excellent kick to space by Ford. England’s half-backs have both kicked well today. Youngs has clearly been working on his game.

27 min Mistake by Folau as he fumbles Ford’s diagonal kick to space on the England right. Scrum England, 15m out out and 5m in from the right.

25 min Foley steps outside Barritt and nearly goes through but he can’t get the offload away as England scramble desperately. Australia recycle it, but there’s great work on the floor by Robshaw, Australia hold on and England get out of jail with a penalty.

24 min Another penalty as the maul collapses. Foley kicks across for Horne, who knocks on, so we go back for the penalty. Into the corner again they go as Jerome Garces gives England a final warning.

23 min Australia’s scrum is solid again and, from 60m Phipps sprints around the blindside, gives it wide to Speight on the right and he hares into the England 22. Suddenly Australia are 8m out, England go off their feet and Foley sticks the penalty in the corner.

22 min The ball goes loose and Ford hacks ahead. He gives chase but fumbles it forwards as Ashley-Cooper gets back well.

21 min An exchange of kicks after Australia win the lineout and the men in gold take it up to halfway. After some slow midfield stuff it’s flung left along the line, then Horne makes great ground as he runs a good supporting line and gathers Toomua’s inside ball. Lawes again with a great covering tackle.

20 min Training ground wraparound move off the back of the scrum from England, but Brown tries to fling a one-handed pass out to May on the short side and it’s far too hard, the ball bouncing off the Gloucester winger and into touch.

19 min Great work from Ford here as he chases his own up-and-under and tackles the catcher Speight, inducing the knock-on. Another scrum to England just outside the 22.

17 min That’s better as Morgan takes the throw and Youngs boots it up high. Australia gather it though and Hooper makes a break at pace on the halfway line, only to slip over. Australia look to drive on but Phipps knocks on at the back of the ruck.

16 min That’s an excellent scrum from England, walking the Australian pack backwards and winning a penalty. Ford clears out the 22.

15 min A chance for Australia now as Adam Ashley-Cooper is put away by Hooper on the left and then sells Barritt with a great dummy. He looks certain to score until Lawes comes across to make a brilliant try-saving tackle and force the knock-on!

14 min Poor control at the base of the ruck on their own 22 from England and Youngs has to clear up. Eventually Ford clears but Folau makes good ground running it back from halfway. It goes right and Speight burns of May all too easily, but England cover it.

13 min A good kick from Ford, makes it England 6-3 Australia.

11 min Pat Lambie has kicked a penalty for South Africa to make that match 3-3. A good, steady scrum from Australia and then Brown misjudges Toomua’s kick. He eventually gathers it and is then taken out off the ball by McCalman. That’s a poor penalty to concede as Brown was never chasing his own kick. England get the penalty just inside the 10m line, out to the left as that’s where the ball landed.

10 min That’s not a good lineout though. It’s a long throw but too high for Wood and it slips off the Northampton flanker’s fingertips and we’ll have the first scrum of the match as soon as Rob Simmons has had a bit of treatment.

9 min McMahon spins out of a tackle just inside the England half, but he’s called back for crossing. Ford doesn’t hang around and boots a good penalty to touch, 20m out on the right.

8 min Good carry from Morgan up to the 22 then Youngs box-kicks clear. Folau takes it and Australia run it back now.

7 min Easy enough for Ford and that’s England 3-3 Australia.

6 min The defence is solid until May finds a little room to have an amble down the left. A miss-pass from Twelvetrees finds Barritt in space and he carries it up towards the 22 before passing out to Watson, who drops the pass badly. Still, England have a penalty advantage and we go back to just outside the 22, a couple of metres to the left.

Wales lead South Africa 3-0 thanks to a Halfpenny penalty.

5 min Australia in a little trouble here as they look to run it out of their 22 and Foley is caught by Lawes metres from his own line. Eventually Toomua clears but doesn’t find touch. England go through the phases, testing the Aussie defence around the away sides’s 10m line.

4 min 18m or so out, right in front of the posts and Foley knocks it over. England 0-3 Australia and giving away two penalties so quickly isn’t a smart start from England.

2 min Australia get quick ball off the top and Horne charges into the 22. They go right to Speight, but the ball goes loose. We’ll go back though for hands in the ruck from Morgan and this should be an easy three points.

1 min Wood takes it on the 22 and England make their way up to halfway in good time. There’s some nice offloading but then Attwood holds on on the halfway line and it’s a penalty to Australia. Foley kicks down the left to the 22.

Peep! Bernard Foley gets us going.

Anthems watch: The whole of Twickenham is out of sync with the opera singer on God Save The Queen.

Here we go. The players are coming out for the anthems and suchlike. Chris Robshaw has said that a defeat would make this a “poor campaign”. I’d say it’s been poor anyway.

In Cardiff and in London there has been a minute’s applause, with bats out on the pitch, for Phillip Hughes. It’s very moving.

I reckon that IF England kick well, then they’ve got a really good chance today. They’ve won 48 out of 50 lineouts on their own throw this month and Dylan Hartley has a 100% record. As John McEnerney said earlier, England need to be smart here. I think Wigglesworth is the best box kicker in England and should be starting, but Ford is a much more intelligent fly-half than Farrell.

Weather watch: it is glorious here in King’s Cross and not dissimilar at Twickenham.

“You might be worried about the upcoming match,” writes Gavin Coles, “but at least you can watch it. Here in HK the ‘Rugby’ channel Setanta has dropped showing it entirely according to their listings, for some unknown reason. Fans going mental as a result. We’ll only know at 2230 if we get to see it...”

You’ll just have to point everyone in the direction of the MBM. Meanwhile, here’s John McEnerney.

Good to see the world of sport coming together like this. I just wish it could have happened in any other way.

“Back line worries me,” says Ed Willmott. “Out of position, out of form, out of touch.” That’s a nice, pithy way of putting it, even if it does channel Ed Sheeran’s ‘Lego House’ (thanks to James Dart for naming the song from my singing there).

“Cricketing flavour to the match in the pub today,” writes Robin Hazelhurst, “as the Finland Wanderers CC (who played the Guardian readers OBOccasionals this summer) join us Estonia Old Barbarians (who played the OBOccasionals last summer) to watch this. Not sure the landlord will let us bring our bats but we’ll send our thoughts to Phil Hughes anyway.

“About the match. England have a stronger pack but Australia have fearsome backs. Which is better, a safe and unadventurous England win through the forwards or lots of flair and imagination but losing the game? You can’t have both. And would you answer the same in a World Cup? How you answer may in any case reflect where you used to play (said as retired hooker).”

I’d say that with the pressure currently on England, and with that set to increase when they finish second/third in the Six Nations, a win is a must here. As a former full-back, I’d love to let the backs loose but that won’t beat Australia. The problem England have is that this back line is a mish-mash of styles and feels too indecisive to make them look like a threat to the likes of New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland.

It’s hardly been all roses for Australia either of late. They may have beaten Wales, but defeats to France and Ireland will have disappointed them. As with England, this match will be an important signifier as to how far they have to progress before the World Cup if they want to make an impact. Today they’re missing two key players in Tevita Kuridrani and Scott Fardy, but have plenty of other dangerous players. Even outside the backs, Michael Hooper and Ben McCallman have impressed so far and should prove a real handful for England’s back row. Hooper especially will present a new challenge, as he’s a traditional number seven; something that’s become deeply unfashionable these days.

This is a nice touch

Martin Pengelly over in our New York office sends over the first prediction of the day, because I asked him to.

I can actually see England winning this. Their forwards have done alright, but little better, in this series and I imagine they’ll do a good job of slowing Australia down; Chris Robshaw has his weaknesses but he’s excellent at that. One thing about this England side is that their opponents are rarely able to excel against them. The likes of Wales’ win in Cardiff and the All Blacks’ first half in Hamilton were exceptions rather than typical England defeats.

Dan will be here shortly.