Rising star Henry Pollock came off the bench to score a key try as England began their quest for an unbeaten Autumn Nations Series campaign with a 25-7 win over a lacklustre Australia at a rainswept Twickenham.
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England, despite dominating territory and possession, led just 10-7 at half-time through a George Ford penalty and Ben Earl’s converted try, before Harry Potter’s superb solo length-of-the-field intercept score got Australia back into the match.
And it wasn’t until the 59th minute of a scrappy encounter that the score changed with Pollock, one of five replacements who revived the hosts’ pack, crossing for a third try in two Tests for England, after a double off the bench on debut against Wales in Cardiff in March.
The 20-year-old’s effort left the hosts eight points ahead going into the final quarter before further tries from scrum-half Alex Mitchell and replacement hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie sealed England’s eighth straight win.
Former England captain Matt Dawson gave a brutal assessment of Australia in commentary for BBC Sport, calling them “dreadful” and labelling it “the worst I have seen them, ever”.
“Australia were so disjointed,” Dawson said.
“It was a woeful performance.”
Australia were missing several first-choice players in Len Ikitau, Tom Hooper, James O’Connor and Will Skelton, with their European clubs not obliged to release them for a match staged outside World Rugby’s designated window for November internationals.
England, by contrast, were at full-strength thanks to a player-release agreement between the Rugby Football Union and the Prem in a match that will still have a bearing on the world rankings and the quest to secure a premium top-six seeding for December’s draw for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Australia coach Joe Schmidt, however, told a post-match press conference: “I don’t want to make excuses, England were very, very good tonight.”
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The Wallabies edged England 42-37 at Twickenham last year, thanks to Max Jorgensen’s last-ditch try but Potter’s intercept was their lone score on Saturday.
“I think we were right in the game at 10-7 at half-time,” said Schmidt.
But the New Zealander, who made eight changes to the Australia side that edged Japan 19-15 in Tokyo last week, added: “I did think that the bench made a difference from England.
“They really did step up the level of intensity and the physical combat that they brought.” England eventually broke the deadlock through Ford’s 35-metre penalty in the 20th minute.
And moments later they led 10-0.
Mitchell’s clearing box-kick was caught by Tom Roebuck, the wing outjumping Australia centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, noted for his skill under the high ball.
Roebuck then found Sam Underhill, with the flanker releasing No 8 Earl, who sprinted in between the posts for a try converted by Ford.
Earl almost had a second try on the half hour but was held up over the line by Potter.
The wing went from try-saver to try-scorer when he picked off England centre Fraser Dingwall’s pass near Australia’s line and sprinted clear in the 34th minute, with fly-half Tane Edmed landing the conversion.
Borthwick made five changes — all of them Lions — to his pack early in the second half, including a new front row of Ellis Genge, Cowan-Dickie and Will Stuart, with loose forwards Tom Curry and Pollock also coming off the bench.
Pollock, after Roebuck tapped a high kick back, collected the loose ball and raced clear for a try despite being ankle-tapped just short of the line. Ford couldn’t convert but England now led 15-7.
England then kicked for an attacking line-out near Australia’s line before the sniping Mitchell broke away for another unconverted try.
And five minutes from time, Cowan-Dickie marked his 50th England cap with a try off a driving maul.
England face Fiji at Twickenham a week on Saturday, when Australia play Italy in Udine.
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