Rugby: England beat Australia 45-22 at Twickenham
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Namibian and TimesLIVE
England beat Australia 45-22 at Twickenham, with seven tries including two from Henry Pollock, for a record points tally by England against the Wallabies, according to The Namibian.
England dominated Australia 45-22 at Twickenham on Sunday in the opening match of the Nations Championship, with seven English tries including two from Henry Pollock, who came on the wing after Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was injured at half-time, according to The Namibian. Australia prop Angus Bell was temporarily sent off in the 32nd minute for a hip-drop tackle on Feyi-Waboso.
With 45 points, England recorded their best total against the Wallabies, surpassing the 44 points of their 44-40 victory in Sydney in 2016. It was their fourth win in nine matches this year, after a disappointing Six Nations, and their twelfth success in the last fourteen encounters with Australia. The result relieves the pressure on head coach Steve Borthwick, contested after five defeats in the previous eight tests of 2026, while players such as captain Maro Itoje this week denied press articles evoking a "toxic environment" linked to his methods.
"I'm really happy. We only got together a week ago and preparation was short, but we delivered a great performance," England centre Henry Slade, named man of the match, said on ITV. Australia captain Harry Wilson acknowledged England's superiority: "England were the better team today. They responded physically and put us under pressure. Our defence wasn't physical enough."
Australia, who scored through Max Jorgensen, Filipo Daugunu and Jeremy Williams, suffered their third consecutive defeat after conceding 93 points in two heavy defeats to New Zealand last month. England face Japan on Saturday, while Australia play Scotland on Sunday.
