England finally won this weekend in the Autumn internationals. Well, not THAT England, but AN England side did. England A (formerly England Saxons), defeated Australia A 38-17 on Sunday at the Twickenham Stoop.
With very little pressure upon them, England’s ‘reserve’ squad performed with expert fluidity and excitement against a future Wallaby squad that simply could not match the pace of their hosts. Performing just over the road from where both country’s 1st teams had collided just a week prior, the aim for the hosts was to inflict revenge over their old rivals – as well as individually prove why they should be given the shirt for the first team.
Many fans packed into the famous Twickenham Stoop, home of Harlequins Rugby, to see some of the most exciting and talented stars in English rugby strut their stuff in the white of the national side. Superstar wingers Cader Murley, Gabriel Ibitoye and Will Muir all stood out in their six-try romp, proving to England senior head coach Steve Borthwick that they can perform at the higher level.
The real star of the match, however, came in the shape of 19-year-old flanker, Henry Pollock. Giving the young star a 9.5/10 in their post-game ratings, RugbyPass said: “There is no doubt the Northampton Saints flanker is England’s future. Carried with serious venom and did so all afternoon. Only 19, but was in the face of the visitors from minute one. Pushed Tom Willis all the way on the carries charts, and was able to show off his pace with a surge down the right wing in the second 40. Linked nicely with Ibitoye down the left flank soon after on the way to England’s third try. Stole the show with Willis. How long before he earns his first cap?”
Joking about the young star, teammate Fraser Dingwall said after the match: “We’re all getting a bit sick of him winning these man of the match awards, to be honest!
“He’s obviously a cracking player. He’d be the first to say he’s got so much to grow in his game as well and I think it’s really important that people are realistic with him around that.
“He’s got so much athleticism about him, he’s got such work rate, he’s got such fight about him which are pillars that can build someone into an unbelievable player. He’s very much a good player at the moment and I’m sure he’s going to kick on. It’s just about making sure he tracks along that path.”
Pollock has had an impressive rise through the international ranks. Having previously captained the England under-18s, he made his debut for the under-20s against Italy at the start of 2024 having just turned 19 a few weeks earlier. The talented flanker scored an impressive hat trick on debut, helping to secure his place in the squad. His quality performances continued throughout the year, going on to be named the Player of the Tournament following England’s under-20s Six Nations victory. He concluded his impressive year by helping the team win the age-grade World Championship in South Africa later in July.
Such was his impact on the team, that Pollock was granted the opportunity to perform in a senior international squad, with coach Mark Mapletoft noting: “He’s just a highlight player. He’s got those pillars in terms of his physicality and work rate.
“The thing that impressed me most wasn’t necessarily all the man of the match bits that Henry’s picked up over the last 12 months – he probably by his own admission didn’t have a great game last year against Scotland away, probably let the occasion get to him, but what he then did was just re-calibrated and went again. That’s a rare skill in a young player. He’d only just turned 19 at that point.
“I think that ability when you’re on an upward curve and suddenly it’s chopped from underneath you. We’ve all been through that, we’ve all been through periods where you’re on the up then suddenly back, it’s like ‘I didn’t expect that.’ Then how we respond to that is a sign of someone who can keep progressing. If he gets the breaks at the right time, who knows? In the future, we could see him wearing a senior England shirt.”
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