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The Field of Dreams comp is back!England hammer Wallabies in horror show at Twickenham
Ian Chadband, AAP • November 9th, 2026 7:07 am
Australia have been thrashed 45-22 by England with Henry Pollock (l) crossing twice at Twickenham | Photo: AP
The toothless Wallabies have been handed another calamitous defeat after their maulings by New Zealand, looking sluggish and largely bereft of ideas as they were hammered 45-22 by rampant England at Twickenham.
Les Kiss's men, who had promised to make it an "epic battle", have rarely looked as alarmingly ineffective as they were pulverised seven tries to three by an England side with a point to prove on Sunday (Monday NZ time).
After a week in which there were reports of England players' unhappiness with the management style of Steve Borthwick, the hosts were clearly playing for their coach as their golden boy substitute Henry Pollock scored twice in the second half to ram home their massive superiority.
A 23-point winning margin didn't flatter England, who were utterly dominant and could have won by even more if they hadn't given away an intercept try to Max Jorgensen just before halftime and conceded a couple of last-quarter consolation tries to replacement wing Filipo Daugunu and flanker Jeremy Williams.
As well as Pollock's double in an unfamiliar wing role, England, also inspired by the brilliant running of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, could celebrate tries from Jamie George, Ollie Chessum, Joe Heyes, Jack van Poortvliet and Ben Spencer as they ran up one of their biggest ever home wins over the Wallabies.
Australia's Max Jorgensen is tagged by Henry Slade in Sunday's heavy defeat at Twickenham | Photo: AP
In reply, all Australia could offer in a dismal attacking display was one intercept try just before halftime from Jorgensen and a second-half consolation try in the left corner from replacement wing Daugunu.
England made a sensational start when Feyi-Waboso hit a clean line to storm over in the opening two minutes only for the try to be ruled out because of a forward pass from Ben Curry earlier in the move.
But it was only a brief reprieve as an attacking England rolling maul, such a weapon for the hosts in their win last year, ended with George burrowing over for the opener after seven minutes.
The Wallabies were slow and stodgy and, apart from a couple of excellent aerial takes from Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, back at the scene of his memorable Wallabies debut two years ago, couldn't get any attacking momentum.
It was no surprise when Chessum went over in the left hand corner in the 25th minute after a fine England attack, once again involving the brilliant Feyi-Waboso, and when Angus Bell got sin-binned for a hip-drop tackle on the livewire winger, it seemed to sum up the Wallabies' woes.
Within a minute, prop Heyes piled over again after another unstoppable rolling maul and Australia were in danger of being humiliated when Tommy Freeman just failed to touch down in the corner for a fourth score from Fin Smith's clever grubber amid the most sluggish Australian defending.
But suddenly, Australia, outclassed and out of ideas, grabbed a lifeline just before the break when Jorgensen, the match-winner two years ago, intercepted a loose van Poortvliet pass as England were threatening again and galloped home to narrow the gap to 19-10 at the break.
Jeremy Williams (r) scored a late consolation try for the Wallabies in the heavy defeat to England | Photo: AP
If the Australians felt this could spark a comeback, the optimism was sucked out of them within moments of the restart when Pollock, a halftime replacement for the limping Feyi-Waboso, went on the rampage, setting up an immediate try for van Poortvliet.
Mistake-riddled Australia were marginally better than in their woeful first half after introducing Rob Valetini and Taniela Tupou, but the game was soon gone once Pollock, enjoying life on the right wing, scooted over twice in three minutes with the Aussie defence in tatters.
Daugunu and Williams went over as the Wallabies belatedly showed some fight but replacement Spencer's try sealed a thoroughly miserable day for the Wallabies.
