Jones boys blast back to win series and silence Aussies
who had the game of his life here, Freeman – who was outstanding on his second cap – and Jack van Poortvliet, all 21.
The scrum-half came on for Danny Care after 37 minutes, which Jones stressed was tactical but it could spell the end of the veteran’s international comeback.
England were 11-10 ahead at the break but if this had been a cricket match they would have been following on.
They were totally dominated in the first half-hour, the opposite of what happened in the second Test, and could have been out of the game if Australia had not butchered two chances.
But Steward’s try just before the break, to cap a half when he had been a defensive rock, nudged England in front. Owen Farrell’s boot kept things ticking along to 14-10 then Smith had his moment after the Harlequins fly-half picked up a fumbled ball on the halfway line as the Wallabies tried to attack.
That had poked the bear as Australia threw everything into it but England, with Steward again monstrous in defence, held out and that was that. Lawes said: “We really wanted it as a team just to cap the tour off properly.
“We have really had a great time, we have stuck together, we have spent a lot of time together and we have really invested time together. We wanted to go out and make this tour special.”