Henry Pollock scored a vital try against Australia at the Allianz Stadium as England’s bench turned the tide and started the autumn with eight straight wins.
The arrival of the British and Irish Lions five with 30 minutes remaining was decisive for the game against the Wallabies, but their comeback was halted in the 60th minute when Pollock showed speed and skill to score his third Test try and build an eight-point lead with the game well underway.
Tries from Alex Mitchell and Luke Cowan-Dickie then kept England out of sight and secured their first win against the southern hemisphere’s big three since 2022.
Steve Borthwick was frustrated by having only four training sessions in preparation for the first of four Tests at Twickenham this autumn, but it was an enjoyable afternoon for the head coach, even if it took some time for his players to hit their stride.
England dominated the first half but failed to convert a series of chances and somehow went into the second half with a narrow 10-7 lead, giving Australia a try.
Aided by a favorable penalty count, the Wallabies introduced the theme of the opening 40 minutes, with Immanuel Fay-Waboso’s powerful shot blocked by Max Jorgensen and Joe Hayes keeping it over the line.
Tommy Freeman, converted from winger to outside center, found space twice, but on both occasions he played more like a winger by running back rather than passing.
It took until the end of the first quarter, but a George Ford penalty sealed the score, with Tom Roebuck showing his athleticism to catch Mitchell’s box kick, followed by Ben Earl’s hot pursuit.
Earl’s finish came with 40 meters to go, as the No. 8 evaded three Wallabies in hot pursuit.
Afterwards, England were helped by Australia’s lack of ideas in attack, but held firm to their lines and when they went downfield Earl was thwarted by crossing the line.
The attack continued and when Australia looked like they were going to crack again, winger Harry Potter picked up Fraser Dingwall’s pass and ran almost the entire length of the field for a touchdown.
The goal gave the Wallabies a boost and they looked good on both sides towards the end of the first half, when Rob Valletini threatened again in his white shirt, only to concede a penalty.
To deal with Australia’s increasing dominance, England brought on five Lions players from the bench in the 51st minute, including Tom Curry, who was making his first appearance since the tour due to wrist surgery.
It was Pollock who made the first impact in the 60th minute. He deftly picked up a kick that Australia couldn’t catch due to low back pressure, and ran as fast as he could while recovering from being hit on the ankle midway through.
Then, after a patient attack from England, with Mitchell shuffling around and a collective effort, Cowan-Dickie’s maul try sealed the end for the Wallabies.