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Find your Sport Nation frequencyMax after another mad, magic moment ... but not so late
Ian Chadband, AAP • November 5th, 2026 11:15 am
The 2024 Matchwinner Max Jorgensen is hoping for another glorious day at Twickenham | Photo: Richard Wainwright/AAP
What Max Jorgensen would give for another moment of magic like the one which sent the Wallabies' galloping golden boy down the left touchline for the 84th minute score that sank England in their own Twickenham fortress two years ago.
Just one thing, though: he could do without the stress of leaving it, er, quite so late this time.
He's had more than a few storied moments already has Jorgensen, even at the tender age of 22. Like a wonder try against the Lions and brilliant, crucial scores to down the Springboks at both Ellis Park and Perth.
But this generational talent is back in the city where he finished off the maddest, most marvellous moment of last-gasp larceny in 2024, grabbing that no-look backhanded flick pass from Len Ikitau before shooting down the left touchline and diving swallow-like over the line to turn defeat into a last-gasp 42-37 victory.
Pondering the inspiration that moment could give the class of 2026 before their return to England's HQ in Sunday's Nations Championship clash, Jorgensen reflected: "It can be a daunting place, 85,000 singing, chanting.
"It's a different type of atmosphere than you get over in Australia, so just having that feeling and knowing you can win at Twickenham, that you've done it before and that we can do it again is definitely good."
A Twickenham embrace after Max Jorgensen's try clinched the famous 2024 win | Photo: AP
As for the prospect of a repeat, he smiled ruefully: "Hopefully we don't leave it that close this time. Hopefully, we finish off the game a bit earlier.
"It's always pretty stressful leaving it to the last minute like that, but definitely a win for us would be amazing to start the tour."
Particularly as the Wallabies lost 25-7 in their most recent visit to Twickenham in 2025 during their first four-Test winless tour to Europe in 67 years, and have now returned to England on the back of two wounding, much-criticised defeats to New Zealand.
"Definitely, the vibes are really good coming in, coming into the England week. We had a good training day today," insisted Jorgensen.
"The boys are feeling really good. We had six-straight games where we were playing some really good footy, so we're sort of building on that, taking the harsh learnings from the All Blacks, and then taking those learnings into this week.
"We've reviewed those two games pretty hard. There were some harsh review sessions, which we definitely needed, but we've overcome that now and implemented those learnings into training today and going forward with the week."
Coach Les Kiss and his Aussie team had "harsh learnings" after their New Zealand hidings | Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
Experienced prop Angus Bell is adamant that, never mind the fruitless 2025 tour under Joe Schmidt, his coaching successor Les Kiss's Wallabies are this time targeting victories in all four Tests - in England, Scotland, Wales and back at Twickenham to face an as yet unknown opponent in the finals weekend.
The 26-year-old admitted the All Blacks' pace had exposed Australia's weaknesses.
"I feel like the training week we had prior to coming over here and also now today has been really good, and we've actually addressed those and fixed those," Bell added.
"It's all about how we prepare, how we train, how we play. We did cop a lot of criticism (after defeat by the All Blacks), but again, that's part of rugby and we know that it is."
