Ashes series has been a long time coming for Wane

England head coach Shaun Wane has been waiting five years for a “smashup” with Australia and is relishing the role of underdogs ahead of the first of three long-awaited Tests at Wembley on Saturday.

- by Harriet Sutton

Wane took the England role in February 2020 but a mooted series later that year was abandoned due to the Covid pandemic and the 61-year-old has been counting down the days to get another crack at the Kangaroos.

Speaking at the series launch event in London, Wane said: “I took the job in 2020 and this was the first thing I saw, the Ashes series.