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• George laments 'unforgivable' England showing after last-gasp Australia defeat

  England captain Jamie George labelled his side's performance as "unforgivable" after their 42-37 defeat to Australia on Saturday.

  The Red Rose came flying out of the blocks with two early tries from Chandler Cunningham-South before Australia hit back through Tom Wright and Harry Wilson at Twickenham.

  Noah Lolesio's penalty ensured the Wallabies snatched a 20-18 lead at the break, only for England replacement Ollie Sleightholme to drag his side ahead with a brilliant double.

  Andrew Kellaway and Mario Itoje exchanged late scores for either side before Max Jorgensen’s last-gasp try secured victory for Australia.

  George lamented his side's defensive showing after ending on the wrong side of a high-scoring thriller.

  "I think the blueprint of how we wanted to play was in the first 20 minutes," George told TNT Sport. "We put Australia under a lot of pressure. Sometimes in a Test match like that you think the job is done.

  "We took our foot off the gas. Credit to Australia they were very good but we cannot keep doing that, it will be a tough one to watch back.

  "It is a fine balance between closing up shop and trying to see out the win rather than attacking. We talk about being brave and courageous and that [Itoje] try was exactly that. We will look at being better.

  "The system and the principle all work. We know it works, but we didn't quite get what we wanted out if it.

  "Leaking 42 points at home is unforgivable. They got front-foot ball and then have some pretty good runners outside."

  Saturday marked the first time England have lost four Test matches in a row since 2018, when they suffered five straight defeats under Eddie Jones.

  England head coach Steve Borthwick echoed George's sentiment after the Autumn Nations Series defeat.

  "Gutting. We made such a number of errors, and it gave opportunities to the opposition to run in tries and they did," he told TNT Sport.

  "In terms of our mindset, you are seeing a team wanting to move the ball and we want that, but we have to understand the consequences of it, and we saw that here.

  "We didn't give our defence the chance to show what it can do, there was so much turnover and loose ball that the system couldn't set itself.

  "There'll be no shortage of motivation for next week for South Africa."

• Jamaica's Sunshine Girls struggle on opening day at Fast5 Netball World Series

  Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls faced a tough opening day at the Fast5 Netball World Series on Friday, as they lost all three of their opening encounters, but will be hoping for better fortunes on Saturday’s final day in Christchurch, New Zealand.

  The young, relatively inexperienced Jamaican squad—fielding seven debutants—was visibly affected by the high-stakes atmosphere, showing early jitters and struggling to find their usual rhythm. Their opponents—New Zealand, England, and South Africa—capitalized on the team's early nerves and shaky play to clinch solid 39-19, 35-15, and 33-25 wins.

  In their first game against the host nation, New Zealand, Jamaica faltered under the pressure and succumbed to a 20-goal blowout. The Sunshine Girls’ normally steady ball movement and confident shooting were absent as they grappled to find cohesion on the court before Amanda Pinkney eventually scored 13 goals and Simone Gordon, six.

  New Zealand, buoyed by their home crowd, put Jamaica on the defensive from start to finish, with Martina Salmon scoring 17 goals, while Maia Wilson and Saviour Tui had 11 goals each.

  

  Jamaica’s next matchup, against England, unfolded similarly as the shooting struggles persisted, and unforced errors cost them valuable scoring opportunities and inevitably resulted in another 20-goal defeat. Pinkney again led the way for the Jamaicans with nine goals, while Shadine Bartley had the other six.

  England’s disciplined defence and polished offensive execution widened the gap, as Harriet Jones hit a solid 13 goals from as many attempts, with support from Sophie Egbaran (8 goals), Paige Reed (8 goals), and Sophie Kelly (6 goals).

  However, the Jamaicans returned for their final game against South Africa determined and refocused, and it was evident in what was their best showing of the day.

  The Sunshine Girls appeared more positive and organized across the court, as they found moments of fluidity in their movement and delivered some confident shots, giving fans a glimpse of the team's potential.

  

  Despite ultimately falling short by eight goals, they had much to smile about as this time it was Bartley that led from the front with 12 goals, supported by Kestina Sturridge (7 goals) and Pinkney (six goals).

  South Africa used their experience to good effect, as Zandre Smith scored 18 goals and Kamogelo Maseko had a perfect seven goals from seven attempts. Rolene Streukter, also scored seven goals, with Lefebre Rademan getting the other goal.

  With the first day out the way, the Jamaicans will be hoping for better fortunes on the second day as they face reigning champions Australia, who are so far unbeaten in the tournament, and Uganda. However, fatigue could set in as playing fast-paced games involving four six-minute quarters against five of the world’s best teams is by no means easy.

  Those games are scheduled for 6:00pm and 10:30pm Jamaica time.

  NB: Fast5 action can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax app.

   

• Ireland frustrated by lack of discipline as home winning run ended

  Ireland captain Caelan Doris believes they were "not good enough" as they suffered a first home defeat in more than three years against New Zealand.

  The All Blacks ran out 23-13 winners in Dublin thanks to Damian McKenzie, while Ireland's discipline cost them late on after they had made a bright start to the second half.

  McKenzie scored three of his six penalties before the break to give New Zealand a 9-6 lead, but the visitors started the second half a man light after Jordie Barrett's yellow card for a high tackle.

  Josh van der Flier scored a try for the hosts, but McKenzie soon added another three penalties before Will Jordan's try secured New Zealand a first win on Irish soil since 2016.

  And Doris pointed to Ireland's discipline as the turning point late on in the game.

  "It was intense out there. We were quite reactive out there and our discipline wasn't where it needed to be," he told TNT Sports.

  "We got momentum at the start of the second half, but they came back. They were quality, we weren't good enough.

  "Discipline was a big part. We didn't fire enough shots and part of that was our defence letting them hold onto the ball. I'm not sure exactly what the answers are, but we weren't good enough tonight."

  Ireland were seeking a 20th home win in a row, but New Zealand ensured their impressive run came to a halt on Friday.

  It is now five wins on the bounce for New Zealand in all competitions, having followed up their dramatic win over England last weekend.

  Head coach Scott Robertson was impressed with what he saw from the All Blacks, both individually and as a team.

  "It was a hell of a match, we defended extremely well, and it's really pleasing with all the work we have been doing," he said to TNT Sports.

  "Discipline and self-control is an area you have to own it, and I think a lot of individuals did."

  On Damian McKenzie, he added: "He is so mercurial, and sometimes he doesn't get it right, but when he does! He got enough right tonight, and I'm really pleased with how he controlled the game and kept calm."