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Australia coach Kiss expects an attacking edge from England in November

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In short

Australia coach Les Kiss noted that England is implementing new concepts under attack coach Lee Blackett that build upon their traditional strengths in set pieces and kicking. The November 8 clash at Twickenham kicks off a challenging tour that also features matches against Scotland and Wales. Australia's inconsistent campaign so far includes losses to France, Ireland, and the All Blacks, contrasted with wins against South Africa, Argentina, and Japan. Ahead of the trip, flanker Tom Hooper was cleared to join the squad after undergoing scans for a shoulder injury suffered with Exeter.

Key points

  • England's evolving offensive approach under attack coach Lee Blackett poses a distinct ch…: England's evolving offensive approach under attack coach Lee Blackett poses a distinct challenge to the Australian squad.
  • The upcoming matches offer a clear evaluation of Australia's standing following a season…: The upcoming matches offer a clear evaluation of Australia's standing following a season of fluctuating results against premier opponents.
  • The return of forward Tom Hooper provides an immediate personnel boost for Australia's de…: The return of forward Tom Hooper provides an immediate personnel boost for Australia's demanding European fixtures.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

SYDNEY, Oct 30 : Les Kiss is expecting a real test from the England attack when the Wallabies take them on in the Nations Championship next month, the Australia coach said on Friday.

England-Australia clashes at Twickenham have traditionally pitted English power and game management against the flair of the Wallabies but Kiss said he had seen a development of the hosts' game under attack coach Lee Blackett.

"We've got England coming up, an extremely experienced team," Kiss told reporters before the Australia squad's departure for Europe.

"The game that they're playing, it certainly has the tenets of set piece and kicking as central, but you can see that they're trying to use ... a few other concepts and building that into their game.

"Lee Blackett ... is a very savvy operator and I know him well. They're going to have an attacking edge to them as well.

"So there are real challenges that we know they're ahead of us but that's what we need. We need that now. This is the last window before we close out into what…

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