SAINTS duo Fraser Forster and Ryan Bertrand both started as England defeated Australia 2-1 in their Euro 2016 warm-up match.

Bertrand played the full game, winning his eighth cap, and was able to stake his claim for the starting left back role, for which he is battling Tottenham's Danny Rose.

Forster, meanwhile, was given the nod ahead of first-choice Joe Hart, but was subbed late on to give game time to debutant Tom Heaton.

The Saints goalkeeper's net was broken with 15 minutes left when Eric Dier headed into his own net, before he was withdrawn from the action with three minutes remaining.

It was Manchester United's Marcus Rashford who will take on the limelight after this one, having scored a debut goal early on to give England the lead at Sunderland's Stadium of Light.

Wayne Rooney made it 2-0 on 55 minutes.

Bertrand and Forster will be expected to make Roy Hodgson's reduced 23-man squad for the Euros, which start next month in France.

Elsewhere, Shane Long went head-to-head with Saints team-mate Virgil van Dijk as the Republic of Ireland took on the Netherlands at the Aviva Stadium.

The 13-goal striker carried across his fine form this term for Saints with a goal to give Ireland the lead, with a finish on the rebound from John O'Shea's header.

Van Dijk and the Netherlands, who did not qualify for the Euros, rallied and Luuk de Jong struck an equaliser on the 85th minute to make it 1-1.

Van Dijk played the full game, while Long, who will find out if he is in the final tournament squad on Tuesday, was substituted on 67 minutes moments after going close from Jonathan Walters' cross.

Steven Davis will likely be the chuffed of all the Saints contingent after his Northern Ireland side got their Euros preparation under way with a 3-0 defeat of Belarus at Windsor Park.

Kyle Lafferty put them in front after six minutes, and Michael O’Neill’s side doubled their advantage one minute before the break through QPR striker Conor Washington.

Substitute Will Grigg wrapped up the win late on in what was the team's eleventh match unbeaten.