England held on to beat Australia 40-44 and earn a historic three match clean sweep over the Wallabies in the third and final Test in Sydney.
Australia outscored England by five tries to four in the match but Owen Farrell kicked six penalties to Bernard Foley’s two.
Farrell kicked 24 points for England in the match and England’s total is the joint 7th most points conceded by Australia in a test.
England’s 44 points is also the most they have ever scored against Australia in an away match.
Australia’s 40 points is the highest ever number of points scored against England by a losing team and surpasses the 35 points scored by France in the 2015 Six Nations.
It is also the first 3-0 series win by a touring side in Australia since the South African Springboks in 1971.
It was also England’s ninth consecutive win under their former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones and follows earlier wins in Brisbane and Melbourne.
The Australians were more inventive in attack with Matt Toomua and Bernard Foley providing the main spark, but the Six Nations champions were too consistent for the Wallabies.
Jones had urged his players to maintain their intensity despite clinching the series in Melbourne last week in their “once in a lifetime opportunity” to vanquish Australia 3-0.
England began well and had most of the play before prop Mako Vunipola made a bumping run close to the Australian line.
From the next phase Ben Youngs put prop Dan Cole crashing over near the post for Farrell to convert after 11 minutes.
The Wallabies’ response was immediate with Dane Haylett-Petty’s pass knocked down by Maro Itoje and the ball was picked up by Israel Folau who dashed up the left touchline.
Folau drew the last line of defence to send Bernard Foley over under the bar and level the scores with his conversion.
The Wallabies were over again seven minutes later after several phases and quick hands by Foley and Folau sent winger Haylett-Petty sprinting over in the corner for a 12-7 lead.
Farrell kept England in touch with a penalty but centre Jonathan Joseph was penalised for not releasing the ball and Foley regained the five-point advantage.
England scored their second try off a brilliant kick regather by fullback Mike Brown who carried over Tevita Kuridrani’s tackle to score a converted try to lead 17-15.
Coach Jones took off new open-side flanker Teimana Harrison shortly afterwards and brought on Jack Clifford in a tactical switch.
The Wallabies hit the front on half-time through a Foley penalty to end a frenetic opening half.
The Wallabies were guilty of slack marking in a scrum close to their line when powerful No.8 Billy Vunipola picked the ball up at the scrum and powered through winger Haylett-Petty’s tackle to score.
Farrell kicked England further ahead with his second penalty goal.
The Wallabies hit back after great surging run by replacement lock Adam Coleman and Michael Hooper reached out to ground the ball on the try-line for Foley to convert and lock up the game at 25-all.
Farrell again kicked England ahead with his third penalty after 56 minutes.
But Australia scored their fourth try when Matt Toomua broke the line and sent Folau racing away to score. Foley’s conversion put the Wallabies up by four points heading into the final quarter of the Test.
Farrell kicked another penalty before a Nick Phipps error put the Wallabies in trouble in their own quarter and replacement hooker Jamie George scored after the ball came off his shin.
Farrell’s conversion gave England a six-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
The sharpshooter kicked his fifth penalty to give England a nine-point advantage, but Foley kept the Wallabies in it with a 72nd-minute penalty.
But Farrell again kept England in control with his sixth penalty before replacement winger Taqele Naiyaravoro scored a consolation try after the full-time siren.
Final Score Australia 40 (18) England 44 (17)
Scorers
Australia
Tries – B.Foley, D.Haylett-Petty, M.Hooper, I.Folau, T.Naiyaravoro
Pen – B.Foley 2
Con – B.Foley 3
Drop –
Cards –
England
Tries – D.Cole, M.Brown, B.Vunipola, J.George
Pen – O.Farrell 6
Con – O.Farrell 3
Drop –
Cards –
Attendance : 44063
Match Officials
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Ref 1: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant Ref 2:Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
TMO :Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Teams
Australia
1. James Slipper , 2. Stephen Moore (c) , 3. Sekope Kepu , 4. Will Skelton, 5. Rob Simmons, 6. Scott Fardy, 7. Michael Hooper (vc) , 8. Sean McMahon, 9. Nick Phipps , 10. Bernard Foley , 11. Rob Horne (vc), 12. Matt Toomua , 13. Tevita Kuridrani , 14. Dane Haylett-Petty , 15. Israel Folau ,
Replacements : 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau , 17. Scott Sio, 18. Greg Holmes , 19. Adam Coleman , 20. Wycliff Palu , 21. Nick Frisby, 22. Christian Leali’ifano, 23. Taqele Naiyaravoro.
England
15. Mike Brown ,14. Anthony Watson,13. Jonathan Joseph ,12. Owen Farrell ,11. Jack Nowell ,10. George Ford,9. Ben Youngs ,8. Billy Vunipola, 7. Teimana Harrison ,6. Chris Robshaw ,5. George Kruis ,4. Maro Itoje ,3. Dan Cole,2. Dylan Hartley (c) ,1. Mako Vunipola
Replacements : 16. Jamie George,17. Matt Mullan ,18. Paul Hill ,19. Joe Launchbury ,20. Courtney Lawes ,21. Jack Clifford ,22. Danny Care,23. Elliot Daly
