England ran in seven tries to beat Australia 45-22 at Twickenham on Sunday, with Henry Pollock scoring twice after an injury forced him into an unfamiliar position on the wing.
The Nations Championship victory was England’s highest points total against the Wallabies, moving Steve Borthwick’s team into second place in the Northern Conference and giving a side under scrutiny an emphatic response on the field.
England take control before Pollock steals the show
England began with attacking purpose at Allianz Stadium. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso appeared to have scored inside two minutes, but the try was ruled out for a forward pass. Jamie George soon opened the scoring from a driving maul, with Ollie Chessum and Joe Heyes adding first-half tries as the home forwards repeatedly put Australia under pressure.
Australia prop Angus Bell was shown a yellow card for a dangerous hip-drop tackle, but England failed to turn all their opportunities into points. An ambitious pass from scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet was intercepted by Max Jorgensen, who raced clear to bring the Wallabies back to 19-10 at half-time.
Feyi-Waboso did not return after the interval because of an ankle injury. With limited backline cover on the bench, Borthwick sent on back-row forward Henry Pollock as a makeshift winger. He was immediately involved in the move that allowed Van Poortvliet to atone for his earlier mistake with England’s fourth try.
Pollock then scored twice in quick succession, in the 55th and 57th minutes, as England stretched their advantage to 38-10. Filipo Daugunu and Jeremy Williams crossed for Australia later in the half, but Ben Spencer intercepted a pass in the closing minutes to complete England’s seven-try performance.
What the scoreline tells us
England’s tries came from Jamie George, Ollie Chessum, Joe Heyes, Jack van Poortvliet, Henry Pollock (two) and Ben Spencer. Fin Smith converted five of the seven tries, accounting for England’s 45 points. Australia scored three tries, through Max Jorgensen, Filipo Daugunu and Jeremy Williams, plus two conversions and a Ryan Lonergan penalty.
The half-time score was 19-10. England’s total of 45 points was a record against Australia, rather than a record winning margin. Jamie George’s 18th Test try also made him England’s highest-scoring forward in international rugby, according to Associated Press reporting.
Borthwick gets a timely result
The match followed reports of discontent within the England camp during the summer, which senior players publicly disputed. A convincing victory cannot settle every question about the coaching environment, but it offers Borthwick a valuable result after a difficult year.
Speaking afterwards, Borthwick praised Pollock’s ability to adapt, joking that the 21-year-old would now tell everyone how easy it was to play on the wing. He also said England would need further medical assessment of Feyi-Waboso’s ankle. Centre Seb Atkinson was another injury concern, although Borthwick did not expect a long-term problem.
England centre Henry Slade told ITV he was pleased with the display despite the team having only a short time to prepare. Australia captain Harry Wilson acknowledged the physical dominance of the home side, while Wallabies head coach Les Kiss expressed disappointment that strong training performances had not carried into the match.
Where England stand in the Nations Championship
England move to 15 points in the Northern Conference, two behind leaders France on 17 after four rounds. The tournament brings together six northern and six southern hemisphere nations, with their final placing determining the matches they play across Finals Weekend at Twickenham on 27-29 November.
England host Japan on Saturday 14 November (16:40 GMT), followed by New Zealand on Saturday 21 November (14:10 GMT). Australia visit Scotland on Sunday 15 November before facing Wales on Saturday 21 November. Those fixtures will test whether England can sustain the attacking fluency shown against Australia.
Official reports and further coverage
The Nations Championship’s official match report confirms the record points total, seven tries and current conference position. Rugby Australia’s match report provides the Wallabies’ account of the game, while World Rugby’s match centre lists the fixture and officials. England Rugby’s fixture details confirm the upcoming dates.
Watch ITVX’s England v Australia highlights from the 8 November 2026 Nations Championship match. ITV lists an 11-minute episode covering this fixture; viewing may require an ITVX account and UK access.
