England vs Barbarians LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as brilliant Baa Baas thump dismal England
Eddie Jones’ men lose 52-21 to the Baa Baas ahead of July’s tour to Australia
England fell to a third successive defeat as the Barbarians overcame a first-half red card shown to Will Skelton to win 52-21 at Twickenham, their biggest victory in the fixture.
Skelton became the first player sent off in Barbarians history when his shoulder to the head of Patrick Schickerling ended the Exeter prop’s afternoon because of a failed head injury assessment.
Forced to play 43 minutes with only 14 men, Fabien Galthie’s men showed their class by continuing to run in tries with Damian Penaud crossing twice and Baptiste Couilloud, Louis Carbonel, Max Spring and Antoine Hastoy also on the scoresheet. Even the arrival of Danny Care early in the third quarter for his first international appearance in nearly four years failed to inspire disjointed England, who fired only in sporadic bursts.
Eddie Jones had picked the usual mix of youth and experience for the annual uncapped international, but even allowing for the experimental line-up it was a disappointing outing ahead of next month’s three-Test series against Australia. To rub salt into England’s wounds, their former lock George Kruis kicked three conversions including an outrageous backheel to head into retirement with a smile on his face.
Relive all the action from Twickenham below
England 3-7 Barbarians - 20 min
Marcus Smith launches an up-and-under that is caught by Spring but Cokanasiga nails him as he lands. Ah, but the ref then determines Cokanasiga is a shade early, so a penalty to the Baa Baas for hitting him in the air.
Lineout Barbarians just outside the 22 now and Botia drops the ball with contact approaching. Not the score we perhaps expected after 20 minutes but the Baa Baas have defended well, perhaps unsurprising with Shaun Edwards as their defence coach.
PENALTY TRY! England 3-7 Barbarians - 17 min
Right, a lot to sort out here but it ends with a penalty try for the Baa Baas and England down to 14.
Barbarians with ball in hand in opposition territory. Spring tries an offload out of the back of the hand in the 22 but it hits the deck.
Reset and Hastoy with a great cross-field kick to Niniashvili on the left flank, who offloads from the floor to Vakatawa. The French centre tries to power over in the corner but Smith and Cokanasiga force him into touch as he tries to ground the ball.
We go to the TMO and Vakatawa is determined to have knocked on when collecting the Niniashvili pass. But now it’s back to the Spring offload, where Jonny May went to intercept and knocked on. It’s deemed deliberate and stopping Penaud scoring a try, so ten minutes in the bin for May and a penalty try for the Baa Baas!
PENALTY! England 3-0 Barbarians - 16 min
Perhaps England should have scored from that break, which came from Marchant’s pass to free Cokanasiga but it’s well defended.
A penalty won instead, Marcus Smith points to the posts and slots the penalty for a 3-0 lead.
England 0-0 Barbarians - 14 min
Concerningly, England are being dominated at the scrum. Bevan Rodd again pinged as Beka Gigashvili out-scrummages him.
The subsequent lineout is errant from the Baa Baas though and Joe Cokanasiga has space to maraud down the right wing. The crowd getting hyped as he powers through defenders. The first real linebreak from England.
England 0-0 Barbarians - 11 min
Kick to the corner and a five-metre lineout for England but it’s sloppy and Baa Baas clear. A good take over his head by May and Atkinson fires a pass out to Freeman in space but it’s forward. Baa Baas scrum on halfway.
The continuity hasn’t been there for the hosts so far.
England 0-0 Barbarians - 9 min
Knock-on in contact gives the Baas Baas a scrum in their own 22, which they again win. Racing 92 full-back Max Spring boots to touch near halfway. A more traditional gameplan from the Baa Baas so far than the ‘run from everywhere’ style we sometimes see. I’m sure they’ll become more expansive as the game goes on.
England go aerial in response, Niniashvili gets caught by Cokanasiga and wins the penalty. Great work by the winger.
England 0-0 Barbarians - 6 min
England go through the phases to the right and Freeman makes a half-break but good defence by Niniashvili pushes him into touch.
Baa Baas go quickly and kick away, allowing England to respond and Jonny Hill makes a break through the defensive line. Marcus Smith then slips but puts a money crossfield kick into the hands of Marchant and Smith then tries another but mark called and Barbarians survive.
Some nice early touches from Smith - this sort of game suits his style of play
England 0-0 Barbarians - 4 min
Loose ball and a good carry from Bevan Rodd takes England into Baa Baas territory. Marcus Smith tries a grubber through but it’s brilliantly caught on the full by Ollivon and the visitors clear.
England look to build again
MISS! England 0-0 Barbarians - 2min
Bevan Rodd pinged for hinging at that scrum. You might expect Baa Baas to kick to the corner but they’re going for the posts - a decision booed by the crowd.
Antoine Hastoy lines it up but it drifts wide of the right upright. Still scoreless
England 0-0 Barbarians - 1 min
England full-back Tommy Freeman safely fields the first high ball but Will Collier then knocks on a crash ball. First scrum and it’s a Baa Baas put-in - the Barbarians win the scrum penalty! Not what England needed
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