England crash to a convincing defeat to Australia at Wembley in Ashes game 1
- Super League Raw
- Oct 26
- 4 min read
The Ashes in rugby league returned to England for the first time in 22 years, and England were under pressure to make a statement at home. A crowd of 60,812 – a UK record for an Ashes rugby league Test – packed into Wembley hoping the hosts might spring a surprise. Australia, however, arrived as the clear favourites, having dominated the Ashes for decades.
First half
The opening exchanges were cautious: England defended resolutely early, while Australia probed for openings. Despite a measured start, Australia took the lead in the 22nd minute when debutant full-back Reece Walsh finished a sweeping move to score the opening try.
England began to generate territory and promising attack — but crucially, they failed to convert. Walsh made two outstanding defensive plays in this period: twice he thwarted England breaks which looked likely tries.
Just before half-time, England’s discipline slipped: a penalty was awarded against them for a hold on Walsh, and conversion specialist Nathan Cleary kicked the penalty to make it 8-0 in favour of Australia at the interval.
Second half
Australia came out of the break sharply, and within minutes they extended their lead. A large break from Walsh put them on the front foot, and shortly after Angus Crichton powered through England’s defence from around 20 metres out to score the first of his two tries.
England looked shaken; their forwards failed to gain consistent go-forward, and their attack lacked cohesion. Australia, by contrast, were efficient. Crichton added his second try around the 65th minute after a quality inside pass from Cameron Munster, and with Cleary converting, Australia moved to 20-0.
Then, with about eight minutes left, Walsh again broke clear, this time finishing off a slick overlap to score his second. Cleary’s conversion made it 26-0.
In the 76th minute, England finally got themselves on the board when Daryl Clark burst over from short range and converted to make it 26-6 — but by then the contest was long decided.
Key moments & controversies
Walsh’s defensive interventions were pivotal: his two try-saves prevented what could have been early England leads. England coach Shaun Wane noted that those moments were turning points.
The penalty against England just before half-time (for holding Walsh) proved costly: had England got to half-time level, momentum might have shifted.
England’s finishing was poor. Several promising raids ended in knock-ons or mis-execution, especially in the first half. As one report noted: “Errors on three near-line occasions cost the England rugby team clear scoring chances.”
On the Australia side, there was concern: captain Isaah Yeo failed a head injury assessment after an early collision and will miss the next Test.
Coaches’ & players’ quotes
Shaun Wane (England coach):
“Poor. I know what they’re capable of and I don’t think we gave ourselves a chance to win. It wasn’t close really, they were the best team — no question about that. It hurts a lot.”
“That is torture for me… The only thing in our mind now is us being the winners at Everton — we have to win.”
Sam Tomkins (England manager):
“We weren’t good enough. We’ve got seven days to dust ourselves down, come up with a game-plan and execute better next week.”
Kevin Walters (Australia coach, on Walsh):
“He is a great asset of ours. It is good seeing him playing in the Australian colours.”
Reece Walsh (man of the match, Australia):
“I’m probably happier with the two tries I stopped [than the two I scored]. I think that goes a long way to getting the result.”
Implications & summary
The final scoreline — England 6, Australia 26 — tells the story: Australia dominated large parts of the game, especially after half-time. England’s forward pack lacked punch, their attack was blunt, and Australia’s class shone through.
For England, the challenge is stark: win the next Test (in Liverpool) to avoid a 2-0 hole in a three-match series. For Australia, the boost is real — the series’ momentum is theirs.
Final thoughts
This was a disappointing day for England: a home Ashes Test with a record crowd, yet they failed to match their rivals in execution or discipline. Many England supporters will expect Shaun Wane to ring in the changes ahead of next week as it is hard to imagine the same 17 could make a 20 point improvement in game 2. Many supporters were critical of the head coaches team selection with Ethan Havard picked out, due to a lack of international experience and club consistency.
Australia, by contrast, looked composed, ruthless and clinically took their chances. The difference was tangible in the big moments — Walsh’s interventions, the broken England defence, and the second-half surge.
Only time will tell if England can respond, or whether Australia will run away with this series.
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