Kangaroos retain Ashes with win in Liverpool

Full-time: Australia has retained the Ashes after a 14-4 defeat of England in the Second Test at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool. The Kangaroos overcame the sinbinning of Reece Walsh and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, along with England's Dom Young, to finish too strong after the scores were locked at 4-4 at halftime. With a 9-6 penalty count in favour of England and 15 Australian errors compared to 11 by the home team, the match never really broke open but tries to man-of-the-match Cameron Munster and Hudson Young proved the difference. Australia will head to Leeds next weekend with the aim of completing a 3-0 series cleansweep in the first Ashes series since 2003. The Kangaroos have held the Ashes since 1973.

78 min: Munster has been named man-of-the-match.

75 min: Walsh returns to loud boos from the 50,000 crowd but with the score unchanged as England failed to capitalise on the one-man advantage.

70 min: Young has been stopped short of his second try after backing up a Cleary break. Fa'asuamaleaui knocked on. 

65 min: Tempers have boiled over again after Walsh collides mid-air with Young after Addo-Carr knocks a Williams kick into touch. Walsh has been SIN BINNED. 

61 min: Farnworth is penalised for tackling Walsh in the air.

52 min: Hudson Young has put the Kangaroos further ahead after Kotoni Staggs batted back a Cleary bomb to the Raiders second-rower who raced over to score. Cleary converts. Australia 14 England 4.

48 min: Cameron Munster has scored the first try of the match after combining with halfback Nathan Cleary and swivelling out a tackle by George Smith to slide over the line. Cleary's conversion hit the crossbar. Australia 8 England 4.

46 min: Australia have had their first set camped on the England line but never really looked like scoring.

Halftime: The teams go to the break with the scores locked up at 4-4 on the back of two penalty goals apiece. It is the first tryless first half between the two teams since their 1992 World Cup clash. England are playing with more intensity than the first Test and have created more scoring opportunities than the Kangaroos. With a parochial crowd cheering them on, England have dominated possession and field position, completing 17 of their 20 sets with the ball compared to 13 of 19 for Australia (68%). The Kangaroos have committed nine errors to five by England and are trailing the penalty count 5-4. In a sign of how much an arm wrestle the game is, England's back three of Tom Johnstone (64m), Dom Young (62m) and AJ Brimson (60m) lead the run metres. 

38 min: Smith has levelled the scores with a penalty goal after Walsh was penalised for an escort as Mark Nawaqanitawase fielded a kick. England 4 Australia 4.

33 min: Cleary has kicked a 40/20 to put Australian in a good attacking position but Grant has been picked up for a forward pass to Carrigan under the England posts.

24 min: Smithies has been penalised for a cannonball tackle. Cleary kicked a second penalty goal. Australia 4 England 2.

22 min: Young has reached out behind Walsh as the Kangaroos fullback attempted to shepherd a Farnworth grubber over the deadball line but knocked on.

21 min: Knowles has been denied a try after Walsh was unable to cover a Smith grubber and the St Helens lock dragged the ball forward before crossing the line.

19 min: Addo-Carr has slid into touch after a backline movement by the Kangaroos. The error has been compounded by a penalty.

15 min: England has been camped on Australia's line but came up short after Dolphins bound forward Morgan Knowles knocked on cold. Carrigan lost the ball in the next set.

13 min: Fa'asuamaleaui and Young are back from the sinbin and the latter has almost scored, only to be tackled into touch by Reece Walsh and Josh Addo-Carr. Walsh has been penalised for a high tackle.

8 min: Hudson Young has been penalised for a high tackle on Mike McKeekan on the Australian line. Smith kicks a penalty goal. England 2 Australia 2.

5 min: Another melee has broken out after a high shot by Grant on England centre Herbie Farnworth. 

4 min: Nathan Cleary opens the scoring with a penalty goal. Australia 2 England 0.

2 min: Kangaroos prop Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and England winger Dom Young have been sinbinned after running in to become involved after Australian captain Harry Grant took exception to a tackle by Harry Smith.

2 min: England have conceded back-to-back penalties in the opening minute of the game, with a melee breaking out.

Late Mail

England: Shaun Wane has finalised his line-up, with Titans utility AJ Brimson confirmed to make his Test debut as one of four changes from the side that lost in London. Wigan halfback Harry Smith has been recalled in place of Mikey Lewis, who moves to the interchange. Former Titan Kallum Watkins will start in the second-row, while Raiders forward Morgan Smithies is another new face on the bench. Prop Mike McKeekan and hooker Jez Litten have been promoted from the starting line-up to start, while Leeds frontrower Mikolaj Oledzk joins the bench. Hooker Daryl Clark, prop Ethan Havard and fullback Jack Welsby were dropped, while Cowboys secondrower John Bateman has an ankle injury. 

Australia: The only change to the Kangaroos is Panthers prop Lindsay Smith joining the interchange in place of captain Isaah Yeo, who has been stood down under the game's concussion protocols. Lindsay Collins moves from the bench to start at prop with Pat Carrigan shifting to lock in place of Yeo. 

Numbers Game

Ashes Tests 1908-2025 - Played 118, Australia 60 wins, Great Britain 54 wins, draws 4.