England v Wallabies: Five takeaways as Steve Borthwick’s side produce ‘typical English display’ with Australia suffering fly-half ‘disaster’
England captain Maro Itoje and head coach Steve Borthwick.
Following a 25-7 victory for England over the Wallabies in London on Saturday, here’s our five takeaways from the international clash at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
The top line
England edged past Australia in a Test that felt more like a systems check than a statement, in a match played under grey skies and with a subdued atmosphere. It was a clash defined more by structure than spark as Australia arrived short of players, visibly fatigued, and lacking any form of control or penetration at half-back. England, meanwhile, were tentative, bedding in new combinations and trialling hybrid roles, but in the first round of the Autumn Nations Series, a win is a win, as they say. And Steve Borthwick will take this.
Ben Earl opened the scoring on 21 minutes, Roebuck collecting a George Ford kick with Sam Underhill on his shoulder and the galloping Saracen finishing the move himself, a try that made a mockery of those who question his game-changing worth at eight. Henry Pollock added a second with a committed burst off the bench on 60 minutes, set up by Roebuck’s kick chase, and the superb Alex Mitchell sealed the result on 71 minutes with a sharp finish that reflected England’s growing control and Australia’s fading resistance.
But England weren’t done yet, and the moment of the match came for the aficionados of forward rumble; a 15-metre rolling maul, orchestrated with precision and power, culminating in Luke Cowan-Dickie crashing over on the 75-minute mark. On his 50th England appearance, it was a fitting tribute, a classic hooker’s finish, built on the back of a dominant pack and a well-drilled set piece.
Harry Potter scored Australia’s only try, predictably off transition, a 90-metre interception against the run of play that flipped the momentum just before half-time. It was a true 14-point swing, coming off a missed pass from Dingwall in a 2-on-1 situation.
Player of the match Earl reminded all of his brilliance: 14 tackles, 78 metres, 11 carries, 2 turnovers, 1 try, a complete performance that defined England’s territorial dominance and defensive edge.
England’s defence outshines its attack
England’s defensive system was the standout feature, along with their superb aerial control of territory. At half-time, they had made 97 tackles with just 14 missed, giving them a tackle completion rate of 87%. By full-time, they had racked up 195 tackles, with the majority of those taking place in the Australian half, a reflection of their territorial control.
Ford kicked for 412 metres, Mitchell added 198, and England’s aerial contest was won hands down, with Roebuck superb in chase, and with Underhill and Earl controlling the drop zones, Underhill on the right, Earl on the left. Perhaps you’d call it a typically English display, and you’d certainly say it was driven at 10 by another typical George Ford display.
The tackle zone heatmap showed England doing most of their defensive work in the Australian half, a testament to their field pressure and kick-chase structure. Australia were forced to play from deep, and their inability to exit cleanly was a direct result of England’s speed into the defensive moment, as the English pack’s line speed was relentless, and the back-row’s ability to cut down momentum metres before contact was a defining feature.
Yet on the other side of the ball, England’s attack lacked fluency. Dingwall defended well, but the final touches weren’t there. Ring rust, lack of time together, and a lopsided selection meant continuity was missing, and perhaps at times, England were too direct, unable to beat a man, preferring to run through rather than around. Manny Feyi-Waboso threatened with the ball in hand but didn’t get the space to finish.
Hybrid experiments and bench impacts
Tommy Freeman showed appetite around the breakdown but played like a 14 at 13 in contact, not using his hands or eyes to pass. Freeman is a quick learner, and he’ll soon realise that at 13, continuity is king, and England lacked it as he perhaps struggled with the unfamiliarity of the role. His instinct was to take contact and reset, not to carry and create. He added power to a few rucks and made some strong carries, but the lack of distribution hurt England’s ability to stretch the field.
Dingwall’s missed pass, a 2-on-1 squandered, led to Potter’s try. It was a moment that summed up England’s attacking frustrations, and it’s fair to say the centre partnership lacked edge and cohesion. It felt like a team with one foot in Saints’ handling and one in Sale’s aerial game.
The bench arrived at 51 minutes. Tom Curry’s impact was immediate; rucks started moving backwards as his concrete shoulder hit them, and then a moment of brilliance with Henry Pollock’s try was a killer blow, engineered by the bench and finished with pace and instinct. His second run on 65 minutes showed his hunger, though he got isolated going away from support and he’ll learn that again – continuity is all at Test level.
And then came Cowan-Dickie’s maul try; a moment of collective power and precision as England’s pack locked in, drove with intent, and gave the veteran hooker a perfect platform to mark his milestone cap with a trademark finish.
Aerial bombardment – Mitchell and Ford control
England’s kicking game was dominant. Ford and Mitchell controlled territory with precision. Statistically, Ford’s 412 kick metres and Mitchell’s 198 set the tone but key to their efforts were the supporting cast and Steward and Roebuck grew into the match, dominating the airways in the second half. Roebuck’s chase and contest directly led to Pollock’s try, and Steward’s positioning was faultless.
England started with a kick-to-ruck-to-kick pattern, using Underhill and Earl to chase and control the drop zones.
Aussies lacking control
Australia couldn’t match the control of England at half-back, and Tane Edmed at 10 was a disaster; far too deep in the pocket, crabbing before passing, and his relationship with Hunter Paisami looked like they’d met an hour before kick-off.
Edmed’s delay in passing, his refusal to challenge the line, and his deep positioning allowed England’s defence to swarm. And as a result, he continually took and stepped before passing, giving England time to reset. Alongside him, Paisami looked isolated, and the midfield lacked rhythm. Australia’s biggest threat came in transition; Potter’s try the prime example, but their lack of control at half-back killed momentum.
Fraser McReight was a standout, yet again. A match-winner in 2024, he shone here too, winning turnovers and making 15 tackles. But Australia’s discipline was poor, five penalties in the first seven minutes, and their search for big collisions was undone by England’s speed into contact, with the glorious exception of the outstanding openside.
Australia defended England’s lineout well early on, challenging and stopping any drive. But they couldn’t sustain pressure. Their inability to exit cleanly and their lack of midfield shape meant England’s territorial dominance was never truly threatened, and Australia looked a shadow of the team that moved forward so much in the Lions series and the Rugby Championship.