England vs. Australia: 5 Greatest Moments in Rivalry

Dating back to 1909, England and Australia hold a rivalry that sits as one of the most celebrated in inter-continental rugby, ready to be revived at Twickenham this Saturday.

Both teams will collide in the English capital with hopes of ending their 2014 autumn international series on a strong note, and the spectacle has a lot to live up to in terms of what this fixture has produced in the past.

Since 1997, the Cook Cup moniker has made for an even more intense relationship between the two sides, and it's since then the great majority of England versus Australia highlights have occurred.

In advance of what promises to be a titanic struggle this weekend, we break down some of the finest moments to come from this most decorated of head-to-head matchups.

5. England's Maiden Victory Down Under

David Rogers/Getty Images

Date: June 21, 2003

Venue: Colonial Stadium, Melbourne

For 40 years, England toiled away in attempting to surmount one of the biggest powers in the southern hemisphere, having first travelled to face the Wallabies on their own turf in June 1963.

But it wasn't until the 21st century that the Red Rose would finally prevail in Oz, a victory which all too fittingly paved the way for a certain other English success later in 2003.

In the build-up to that year's Rugby World Cup, England were on a mission to prove they could contend with those lurking powers south of the equator, and a trip to Melbourne in June provided ample opportunity to do so.

It was a day where everything just seemed to click for the tourists. Will Greenwood's opening try was a perfect, flowing move that involved every component of the team working as one, Mike Tindall and Ben Cohen following up to pile the scoring on their hosts.

England would triumph 25-14, and all of a sudden their previous 10 defeats on Australian soil seemed worth it for this one coming-of-age moment. 

And yet, there were greater things ahead.

4. Elton Flatley Leaves Jason Robinson Eating Dust

Date: November 16, 2002

Venue: Twickenham, London

Rugby can be a terrifically complicated game comprising many moving parts at times, and then there are those times of clarity where a simple foot race is enough to squeeze out 10 seconds of ecstasy.

Such was the case in November 2002, when Australia and England saw out a thrilling encounter that would end 32-31 in favour of the Twickenham hosts, though not without the Wallabies' highlight moments.

Sitting at the summit of that list was an Elton Flatley try which saw the centre eat up close to the entire pitch before finally dotting over, celebrated not least because of his beating of English whiz Jason Robinson along the way.

During the fullback's international hay-day, it wasn't often the words "Robinson's not going to get there" were uttered by any commentator, putting into perspective just what Flatley had to overcome en route to the line.

As aforementioned, the sport can be made to look so difficult—other times, it appears oh so simple.

3. Josh Lewsey and Mat Rogers Summarise the Spirit of Rugby

Date: June 21, 2003

Venue: Colonial Stadium, Melbourne

Rugby is one of the few sports where opponents are able to share a few meaty hooks to the face before getting on with the matter at hand, and over the course of this rivalry, one can believe there's been a few of those moments.

Perhaps greatest of all the one-on-one battles—and how it was resolved—however, comes from Josh Lewsey and Mat Rodgers, who in the June 2003 clash mentioned earlier had a few words with another.

Coming out of a ruck with fists flying, the pair were swiftly able to ease up, realise what was at stake and get back down to business in a responsible manner.

All may have been forgiven, but it certainly wasn't forgotten—at least not on Lewsey's part.

In the dying embers of the game, England's fullback warrior rushed the line to clatter Rodgers with the most sumptuous of legal tackles, the very epitome of what it means for a defender to get their timing right.

Rodgers was left in a crumpled heap and the two went their separate ways, Lewsey the far more mobile of the two.

2. Chris Ashton's Length-of-the-Pitch Effort

Date: November 13, 2010

Venue: Twickenham, London

It takes an elite standard of try to make a countdown such as this, and Chris Ashton's searing effort in 2010 was nothing if not of that particular grade.

Say what you like about the Saracen speedster's justification as an international player, but when Ashton has ball in hand and space in surplus, there aren't too many who can rival his stride.

The Wallabies made the mistake of giving the winger precisely that at Twickenham four years ago, and after some steadfast defending from the English, the ball was squirted out to Ashton's flank.

He proceeded to go from standing to top speed in a matter of what seemed like milliseconds, going from his own five-metre line to the opponents' 22 in just 10 seconds—and not in a straight line, either.

Some see the signature swan dive as excessive celebration, but given the yardage and manpower he'd just blazed through, one wouldn't have blamed Ashton for spontaneously combusting with joy there and then.

1. Jonny Wilkinson's 2003 Rugby World Cup Drop Goal

Date: November 22, 2003

Venue: Telstra Stadium, Sydney

It's arguably the most memorable moment in modern rugby, never mind matches just between England and Australia, and Jonny Wilkinson was at the heart of everything the former did right en route to the 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph.

That victory is of course summed up most concisely by the fly-half's game-winning, extra-time drop goal from just outside the Wallabies' 22, a kick that sealed England's finest hour in the sport.

The previous 80 minutes had been predictably tense, with tries from Lote Tuqiri and Jason Robinson ensuring the full-time whistle was blown with the score at 14 points apiece.

In the 100th minute, Matt Dawson did his part in delaying the pass from the base of the ruck, offering Wilkinson the most crucial of windows in which to do his deed, and the rest, no matter how cliched, is history.