Pollock calls wing duty easy after two tries in England rout

Henry Pollock came off the bench at halftime, played 40 minutes on the wing and scored twice — then spent the rest of the night telling England's actual wingers how easy the job is. The 21-year-old back-rower stepped in for the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and crossed for two quickfire tries as England thrashed Australia 45-22 at Twickenham in a record win.

Coach Steve Borthwick confirmed the dressing-room bragging. 'He is going round the changing room telling the wingers it is easy, so we have that to deal with,' Borthwick told the BBC. 'Henry is as quick as our wingers and arguably he would say he is more talented.' Borthwick said England had been preparing Pollock for that role for more than a year and that he deserved 'enormous credit' for his shift out wide.

The result was only England's fourth win in nine matches this year, and it came with the kind of attacking flourish that takes heat off a head coach. Borthwick pointed to the defensive side too, noting his team conceded just one line break — an intercepted pass — and praising players who were 'laser-focused' and treated every minute as if it mattered.

Across the field, Australia coach Les Kiss was left picking through a fourth defeat in 10 matches this year. 'I am disappointed, there is frustration,' he said. 'They are training well and working hard but they are not transferring that into the minutes.' Kiss gave England their due, saying they pinned his side in their own third in the first half and were 'very good and clinical'.

Replacement centre Filipo Daugunu and flanker Jeremy Williams grabbed second-half consolation tries to tidy up the scoreline, but prop Angus Bell had already been sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle in the first half. 'We went out with intention in the second half, we needed to be better but it was too little too late,' Kiss said, adding that losses like this force an internal look at a few narrow areas.

Australia sit third in the Nations Championship Southern Hemisphere standings behind South Africa and New Zealand, and play Scotland on Sunday. England are second in the Northern Hemisphere table, two points adrift of France, with a game against Japan on Saturday.