England thrash Australia 45-22 in Nations Championship opener
England bounced back from a turbulent week of headlines by delivering a seven-try record victory over Australia in their opening Nations Championship fixture.
England secured a commanding 45-22 victory over Australia in their opening fixture of the Nations Championship block, altering the momentum of their autumn campaign following a turbulent week of headlines (Sky Sports).
Steve Borthwick’s side delivered a seven-try performance that marked a record point haul against the Wallabies (Sky Sports). The fixture at Allianz Stadium arrived in the wake of newspaper reports alleging a summer rift within the squad (Sky Sports), claims that team captain Jamie George denied to broadcasters (Sky Sports) and which The Irish News described as a toxic environment during the July tour.
Media additions
England started brightly, though early attacking momentum stuttered due to handling errors and a chalked-off score following a TMO review (Sky Sports). Jamie George broke the deadlock by touching down from a driving maul after fly-half Fin Smith kicked to the corner (Sky Sports). Australia responded via Ryan Lonergan's penalty (Sky Sports), before the visitors suffered a setback when loosehead prop Angus Bell was sent to the sin-bin for a hip-drop tackle on Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Sky Sports). Sky Sports noted that Bell became the first player penalised under that specific ruling since World Rugby outlawed the technique (Sky Sports).
England capitalised on the numerical advantage when tighthead Joe Heyes forced his way over for a try (Sky Sports). Just before the interval, Max Jorgensen seized upon a telegraphed pass from Jack van Poortvliet to run in an interception try, narrowing England's half-time lead (Sky Sports).
The hosts reasserted control immediately after the interval. Van Poortvliet atoned for his earlier error by scoring shortly after the restart, set up by stellar work from Henry Pollock and Freddie Steward (Sky Sports).
| Match Metric / Event | England | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Total Tries Scored | 7 | 3 |
| First-Half Tries | George, Chessum, Heyes | Jorgensen |
| Second-Half Tries | van Poortvliet, Pollock (2), Spencer | Daugunu, Williams |
| Conversions Landed | Fin Smith (5) | Lonergan (1), Donaldson (1) |
| Penalties Converted | 0 | Lonergan (1) |
Feyi-Waboso departed at half-time with an ankle injury Planet Rugby, (Sky Sports), but his replacement, Henry Pollock, produced a stellar cameo Planet Rugby. Ordinarily a back-row forward, Pollock deployed to the wing for the final forty minutes and scored two quick-fire tries (Sky Sports), spearheading the return of England's bench unit known as the "Pom Squad" Planet Rugby. Filipo Daugunu and Jeremy Williams later crossed for Australia (Sky Sports), but Ben Spencer intercepted an offload late in the match to seal the outcome with England's seventh try (Sky Sports).
Post-Match Reaction
Wallabies management pointed to physical shortcomings and discipline as key factors in the defeat. Australia acknowledged they struggled to match England's intensity in the physical exchanges and spent too much time playing from behind (Sky Sports).
England players emphasized unity and the value of squad depth following the final whistle (Sky Sports).
"The biggest thing is the rugby stuff. Pleasure and privilege. For me, the biggest thing is going out there and showcasing myself and the growth of this team throughout the summer and into the autumn."
Henry Pollock, Player, via Sky Sports
What Happens Next
England continue their autumn campaign in the Nations Championship by facing Japan at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. Australia travel north to face Scotland at Murrayfield (Sky Sports).
- England vs Japan: Saturday, November 14 at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (Sky Sports)
- Scotland vs Australia: Sunday, November 15 at Murrayfield (Sky Sports)
