LONDON (Reuters) – If Rafa Benitez can get Fernando Torres playing for Chelsea as he did under his fellow Spaniard for Liverpool then Roman Abramovich’s latest throw of the managerial dice will look like a double six.

Benitez was appointed on Wednesday until the end of the season with his immediate task being to shore up a porous defence that has contributed to a run of only two wins in eight games that has left the European champions on the verge of an embarrassing group stage exit from the Champions League.

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) – If Rafa Benitez can get Fernando Torres playing for Chelsea as he did under his fellow Spaniard for Liverpool then Roman Abramovich’s latest throw of the managerial dice will look like a double six.

Benitez was appointed on Wednesday until the end of the season with his immediate task being to shore up a porous defence that has contributed to a run of only two wins in eight games that has left the European champions on the verge of an embarrassing group stage exit from the Champions League.

LONDON (Reuters) – Rafael Benitez was appointed interim manager of European champions Chelsea until the end of the season on Wednesday, 10 hours after the club announced the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo.

Spaniard Benitez, the former Valencia, Liverpool and Inter Milan coach, becomes the ninth manager under Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Rafael Benitez was appointed interim manager of European champions Chelsea until the end of the season on Wednesday, 10 hours after the club announced the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo.

Spaniard Benitez, the former Valencia, Liverpool and Inter Milan coach, becomes the ninth manager under Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) – A week after being humiliated by France, Australia rediscovered their true character and lifted their game as they always seem to against England to secure a spirited and fully deserved 20-14 Twickenham victory on Saturday.

Looking far more like the team who ended New Zealand’s winning run last month rather than that thrashed 33-6 in Paris last week, the Wallabies yet again showed that they are at their best when everyone is writing them off.

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) – For all the talk of scrum dominance and backs being given the confidence to play, Australia triumphed over England on Saturday primarily because they chose to kick their penalties while England opted to run them.

England’s World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward’s mantra was “TCUP” – an acronym for “thinking clearly under pressure” – but it was the Wallabies who kept their cool in the cauldron of Twickenham to chalk up a deserved 20-14 victory.

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) – Australia showed their true colours on Saturday when a week after being humiliated by France in Paris they earned a spirited and fully deserved 20-14 victory over England at Twickenham.

Looking more like the team who ended New Zealand’s winning run last month than that thrashed 33-6 in Paris last week, the Wallabies yet again showed that they are at their best when everyone is writing them off.

BAGSHOT, England, Nov 15 (Reuters) – Winger Chris Ashton, forced to watch from the stands through suspension, was so frustrated at missing England’s 54-12 victory over Fiji that he walked out of Twickenham after an hour and drove home in a sulk.

As England scored seven tries, including two by his direct replacement Charlie Sharples, Ashton was left to rue the three yellow cards that led to his one-game ban, knowing he was missing a glorious opportunity to end his personal try drought.

LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) – England coach Stuart Lancaster on Thursday recalled winger Chris Ashton to an otherwise unchanged team to face Australia at Twickenham on Saturday (1430GMT) in a match that could have major ramifications for the 2015 rugby World Cup.

Ashton, who missed last week’s 54-12 victory over Fiji through suspension, returns at right wing with Charlie Sharples, who scored two excellent tries in the match, switching to the left.

LONDON (Reuters) – Australia rugby coach Robbie Deans has made four changes in his team to face England at Twickenham on Saturday (1430 GMT) in the wake of last week’s 33-6 thrashing by France.

Fullback Berrick Barnes and winger Digby Ioane return in place of Mike Harris and Pat McCabe, while lock Sitaleki Timani and tighthead prop Ben Alexander come in for Kane Douglas and Sekope Kepu up front.