England send message with emphatic Australia victory to show faith in Steve Borthwick

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England’s players had promised a performance that showed their faith in Steve Borthwick; consider that message of unity emphatically sent. Crisis? What crisis? If last November’s victory over New Zealand remains the high watermark of the Borthwick era given the opposition, here, at least, was a performance that rose close to those standards, an answering of critics and call to arms that they needed at the start of this potentially fractious campaign. There was daring, there was dynamism, and there was more than a hint of indignation after a week of questioning over their spirit.

A pot still to boil or a flash in a pan? The next three weeks will reveal plenty about what Borthwick is really cooking but they have, at least, backed up strong words with equally forceful actions. Australia were not at the races but, perhaps, they were not allowed to be, with a refreshed and recharged Maro Itoje leading from the front. Vindication came in a cohesive and connected backline performance and the impact of Henry Pollock, scoring twice after an injury-enforced introduction on the wing following the departure of the irrepressible Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

“I am really pleased for the players and supporters that we were able to produce that,” Borthwick said. “The players have been laser-focused on producing that performance. In the last couple of days, a number of my predecessors have reached out and contacted me. The basic gist of it was, ‘Been there, got the T-shirt, focus on the rugby’. That’s what I’ve done this week. That’s what the players and staff around the players have done this week.”

It had been a week of fire and fury for England nonetheless. The flames had been lit by a report suggesting division in camp and perhaps attempting to sow it, too, which drew out a united, and frustrated, defensive front as Borthwick’s squad hit back. What fractures and fissures might Australia find? The opening skirmishes felt of outsized importance. England had begun strongly in their last outing against Argentina back in July, correcting a concerning trend that had troubled them through the Six Nations.

It looked a perfect start for the hosts, a pull-back from Seb Atkinson helping set a roaming Feyi-Waboso free to career beneath the sticks. An earlier forward pass from Ben Curry wiped the try out, though England’s intent to play was clear. Feyi-Waboso was utilised several times more in the opening 10 minutes and made metres every time, and it was his kick chase that drew a blocking penalty that Fin Smith could kick to the corner. From there, the maul – as is becoming a theme this November – was unstoppable; Jamie George, who had spoken so strongly of his side’s unity on Friday, a fitting scorer from a collective effort.

Ryan Lonergan replied with a penalty but it was about the only kick Australia had in an opening half-hour that, while staccato at times, England controlled. Itoje harried and hustled around the ruck while Feyi-Waboso was a constant threat, given licence to explore and exploit the spaces that appeared. From one such jaunty jape came the position that led to Ollie Chessum’s try, scored at the end of the attacking line down the left edge that Feyi-Waboso had vacated.

It was the Exeter wing at the centre of everything. To see him down on the touchline soon after suggested a major England blow, but it came with one for Australia – Angus Bell shown a yellow card for a “hip-drop” tackle, collapsing his weight onto the ankle of the English carrier in the style that World Rugby are keen to crack down on. From the resultant penalty, the home maul worked again, Joe Heyes this time the try-scorer.

Just about everything had gone right for England; it couldn’t last. With Feyi-Waboso clearly hurt yet hobbling on, Jack van Poortvliet floated a pass in a vague attempt to access his strike weapon, but out of the line shot Australia’s, with Max Jorgensen intercepting and turning on the after-burners.

With no specialist wing cover on the bench, Feyi-Waboso’s inability to continue meant 40 minutes of Henry Pollock on the wing. It felt the sort of swing from which England have sometimes capitulated, but not so here. On turnover ball deep into their own territory, the blond bombshell exploded into life, bursting out of grasping arms up the left touchline. Quick ball allowed Smith and George Furbank to go to work in playmaking partnership, the former to the latter, and on to Tommy Freeman, who gave Van Poortvliet a redemptive gambol beneath the posts.

Pollock was far from done. A try of his own was simple enough to score as the ball broke his way but followed by a rockstar strut; two minutes later, an even more extravagant encore, that shock of hair lighting up even as the evening descended. “We now have to bear Henry Pollock saying playing on the wing is easy,” Borthwick joked. “He was excellent…and now we’ll hear a lot about it. That’s the downside.”

It felt gloomy for Australia, certainly. Les Kiss’s side were felt to have made strong strides when they conquered South Africa in September but their last three outings have brought them back down to earth with a bump, first blown away twice in the Bledisloe Cup by the All Blacks and so demonstrably second best here. Filipo Daugunu restored a varnish of respectability with a neatly-taken try and Jeremy Williams added another with a rather more opportunistic finish from a botched English lineout. “Too little, too late,” captain Harry Wilson remarked after – and Ben Spencer ended any prospect of a lasting rally with an intercept try soon enough.

If there is lingering concern for Borthwick over injuries to Feyi-Waboso and Atkinson – though there is hope the latter could be fit for Japan – he could take heart from the spite and spirit his side showed. This was more points than they had ever tallied against Australia, which spoke both to their performance and that of a lacklustre visiting side. Backing it up against Japan is the next, and significant, challenge.

“I’m delighted we were able to get the win,” Itoje said. “[Borthwick] is a world-class coach and we are lucky to have him. It’s never nice getting criticism, but it is part of the game. If we were scared of criticism, we wouldn’t be here. We have full support in Steve.”