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The home side's attacking frailties were laid bare and capitalized on by a clinical Australia as the tourists secured a worryingly straightforward victory in the first match of the Ashes.

Shaun Wane’s side had spoken effusively about their motivation going into the opening series for 22 years, and they were definitely full of endeavour at Wembley. However, in the crucial moments, it was the world champions who displayed more composure in front of a record attendance for an Ashes Test in the United Kingdom of more than 60,000.

Brilliant Performance from Walsh

Led by an outstanding showing in attack and defence from Brisbane Broncos’ Reece Walsh, the Kangaroos were deserving and convincing winners in the first match of the three-match series, meaning England must triumph at Goodison Park next weekend to sustain their hopes of a series victory since the 1970s.

England will have to be much better with the possession if they are to achieve that. On multiple occasions in the opening period, the hosts found themselves in promising positions but they were failed to score for any tries. That was in large measure thanks to Walsh, who pulled off two wonderful turnovers.

Key Moments of the Match

The first came as Farnworth seemed destined to put Young in for what would have been the first score, then Walsh stopped Mikey Lewis as half-time neared. By then, the Kangaroos had gone ahead as Reece Walsh himself finished a wonderful move.

Cleary converted before adding a penalty on the stroke of half-time to establish a eight-point advantage. It was a significant point, as was the try for Angus Crichton shortly after the restart which made it fourteen to nil in favour of the visitors. England now had to cross the line thrice and that seemed to halt their momentum.

Should there have been uncertainty about the victors, they were decisively settled with a quarter-hour to go. Munster's half-break was supported by Angus Crichton, who pushed past Welsby for the Kangaroos' third score.

That made it twenty to zero and there was further humiliation in the final minutes as Walsh finished another scintillating attack, taking advantage of a weary and visibly shot English defensive line for his second.

Final Score and Outlook

By then, local supporters had begun to filter out and many missed Clark's late try, which at least prevented the home side being held to nil. Nonetheless, there are many issues for Wane to address going into what is now a must-win Test next weekend.

• England: Welsby; Young, Farnworth, Wardle, Johnstone; Williams, Lewis; Havard, Clark, Lees, Bateman, Pearce-Paul, Knowles.
• Interchange: Litten, Walmsley, Trout, McMeeken.
• Tries: Clark.
• Conversion: Lewis.

• Australia: Walsh; Nawaqanitawase, Staggs, Shibasaki, Addo-Carr; Munster, Cleary; Carrigan, Grant, Fa’asuamaleaui, Crichton, Young, Yeo.
• Interchange: Dearden, Collins, Cotter, Koloamatangi.
• Scores: Walsh 2, Crichton 2.
• Kicks: Nathan Cleary (five).