Player ratings: Sweet revenge
While Australia deserve some plaudits for their fighting spirit in Saturday's Sydney showdown, the scoreline flatters the home team somewhat.
England dominated for large parts and when it mattered most, they stamped their authority on the game – masterfully.
It is also sweet revenge for having been knocked out of the World Cup last year by the Wallabies – becoming the first hosts not to reach the global showpiece's knock-out stages.
Jan de Koning rates the England players:
15 Mike Brown:
Came into his own in the third test with some stirring runs. His defence was also flawless.
6/10
14 Anthony Watson:
His defensive frailties were cruelly exposed. He failed to make a single tackle.
4/10
13 Jonathan Joseph:
Concede a couple of penalties, but was a threat with ball in hand and made all his tackles.
6/10
12 Owen Farrell:
He may have slipped a couple of tackles, but is growing into the additional playmaker role Eddie Jones requires of him. Also, his kicking game ultimately won it for England.
8/10
11 Jack Nowell:
Also very poor on defence, but worked hard and made plenty of valuable metres with ball in hand.
6/10
10 George Ford:
His tactical play was superb and he was very clever in driving Australia back into their own territory at crucial stages.
7/10
9 Ben Youngs:
His tactical awareness and decision-making is what sets him apart from most scrumhalves. Also proved to be particularly devastating with his kicking game.
8/10
8 Billy Vunipola:
Brutally effective with ball in hand, even though he slipped a few tackles.
8/10
7 Teimana Harrison:
Struggled with the pace in of the game at international level. Did the basics, no more, before leaving the field on the half-hour mark.
5/10
6 Chris Robshaw:
Probably his best game in a long time – both with ball in hand and on defence. Also valuable in the line-outs.
7/10
5 George Kruis:
Did some invaluable work on defence and in the line-outs.
7/10
4 Maro Itoje:
His worst game of the series, especially on defence – where he slipped a couple of crucial tackles.
5/10
3 Dan Cole:
The veteran just keeps going. His most valuable asset remains his scrumming, while conceding a few penalties.
6/10
2 Dylan Hartley (captain):
The captaincy clearly agrees with him, as he has become a calming influence on his teammates and does his basics very well.
6/10
1 Mako Vunipola:
Like his brother, he tends to slip the occasional tackle. However, his powerful scrumming and brutal ball-carrying ability is what helped get England on the front foot.
8/10
Replacements:
16 Jamie George (on for Hartley, 63rd min):
Made a real impact, not only scoring a try, but also worked hard outside the set pieces.
7/10
17 Matt Mullan (on for M Vunipola, 79th min):
Not enough time to be rated.
18 Paul Hill (on for Cole, 68th min):
Not enough time to be rated.
19 Joe Launchbury (on for Kruis, 61st min):
Was a disappointment and made no real impact.
5/10
20 Courtney Lawes (on for Harrison, 31st min):
Made a huge impact off the bench – huge on defence, winning line-outs and a few strong carries.
7/10
21 Jack Clifford (on for Robshaw, 53rd min):
Worked hard on defence and won a couple of line-outs.
6/10
22 Danny Care (on for Youngs, 53rd min):
He did the basics, but brought nothing special to the game.
6/10
23 Elliot Daly (on in 74th min):
Not enough time to be rated.
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