Henry Pollock impresses as England A beat Australia A thanks to second-half blitz

Teenage tearaway Henry Pollock helped England A oust Australia A with a convincing second-half performance that laid on a 38-17 victory at the Twickenham Stoop.

Pollock, a member of the cohort that won the World Under-20 Championship over the summer, enhanced his rocketing reputation with another all-action performance as the hosts overcame a 10-5 half-time deficit in convincing style. 

Australia were game opponents and led at the interval thanks to Luke Reimer’s finish from tail of a maul and a Tom Lynagh penalty. Their industrious defence thwarted England, who had gone ahead in the opening stages thanks to a close-range effort from Joe Heyes.

After the break, though, it was a different story. Cadan Murley capped a flowing backline move within minutes of the resumption level matters before Pollock combined with the effervescent Gabriel Ibitoye on a sparkling counter. Curtis Langdon was on hand to dot down as England’s pack asserted control.

Greg Fisilau was the next to cross and, while Ryhys van Nek scored from another Australian drive, Will Muir’s interception put the result beyond doubt with Murley’s second adding gloss in the final minutes.

03:48 PM GMT

Pick of the tries

This was a beauty, finished by Curtis Langdon. The link play between Gabriel Ibitoye and Henry Pollock really is excellent.

03:41 PM GMT

FULL TIME!

Australia bid for one last flourish but England work hard to win a turnover. They have a look out wide from their own 22 before Archie McParland dinks into touch. An impressive performance, all told.

03:39 PM GMT

79 mins: England A 38 Australia 17

Henry Pollock named as man of the match. Good luck stopping his hype train. He really is an exciting prospect.

03:38 PM GMT

TRY, ENGLAND A!

Tuima is the target and the forwards have a drive before the backs are released. Fraser Dingwall plays his 34th pull-back pass of the afternoon and Shillcock swings a long pass out to Murley, who has a walk-in.

Shillcock converts, too. We are going to see an England win.

03:35 PM GMT

75 mins: England A 31 Australia A 17

England are in the corner looking to extend their lead.

03:34 PM GMT

75 mins: England A 31 Australia A 17

The attendance is announced as 6,419 and Archie McParland is on at scrum-half for England.

03:34 PM GMT

73 mins: England A 31 Australia A 17

Another powerful scrum earns a lovely platform for England and Will Muir has a run out wide.

03:32 PM GMT

72 mins: England A 31 Australia A 17

Eight minutes remaining here, both benches are emptied. It’s been an impressive second period for England.

03:29 PM GMT

69 mins: England A 31 Australia A 17

Rusi Tuima, a late call-up for this one, is on for England. Arthur Clark, whom he has replaced, has a lot of potential.

03:28 PM GMT

TRY, ENGLAND A!

Maybe it is over! Australia win back a box-kick and aim to spread the ball from left to right but Will Muir reads a long pass and gallops up from the back-field to pouch the interception!

It’s a really good read, and Jamie Shillcock, on for Atkinson, converts.

03:26 PM GMT

TRY, AUSTRALIA A!

This isn’t over…

Australia go across the 22 but Will Muir covers well. We come back for the penalty and the maul is the weapon of choice once more. Replacement tighthead Rhys van Nek is the beneficiary. The conversion is good and it’s a one-score affair again.

03:22 PM GMT

TRY, ENGLAND A!

It has taken a while, but England’s forwards are assuming control of this one. Tom Willis tears off the tail of a maul and Iyogun gathers a pass from Langdon before Pollock powers closer after a change of direction from Porter. Fisilau comes around the corner to finish it off. Atkinson converts.

03:20 PM GMT

60 mins: England A 17 Australia A 10

Scrum penalty forced by England.

Australia promptly replace their props.

03:19 PM GMT

59 mins: England A 17 Australia A 10

Afo Fasogbon is on for England, replacing Joe Heyes. Greg Fisilau and Will Muir are being introducing as well, with Tom Pearson and Ibitoye making way.

Ibitoye has been particularly impressive.

03:16 PM GMT

TRY, ENGLAND A!

Another sparkling score! Carpenter gathers a clearance that travels just slightly too long and puts Ibitoye in space. He tears down the touchline and finds Pollock on his inside, who gives a return pass.

Ibitoye is felled by the scrambling defenders, and his offload just misses its intended target, but Will Porter follows up and fizzes a pass across to Langdon.

Atkinson converts and the hosts have a bit of breathing space.

03:14 PM GMT

54 mins: England A 10 Australia A 10

Locked up here with 25 minutes to go. Harry Hoopert is on for Australia A. He’s a big old unit.

03:11 PM GMT

51 mins: England A 10 Australia A 10

Joe Brial off for Australia A, Rory Scott on. Just under half an hour remaining.

Whoosh. Oscar Beard flies in from outside centre to clatter Joey Walton. The latter gets the pass away, but it’s adjudged to have gone forward.

Tough stuff from Walton in response. England move it wide from a scrum and Walton helps bundle Ibitoye into touch.

03:08 PM GMT

49 mins: England A 10 Australia A 10

Dingwall stands at first-receiver and almost ghosts straight through. He’s stopped just short and Australia’s forwards scrap superbly, eventually winning a penalty at the ruck.

03:08 PM GMT

47 mins: England A 10 Australia A 10

More flowing attack from England A, with Pollock bursting down the right. Dingwall had played a neat pull-back to Atkinson.

We’ll restart with a scrum about 10 metres out.

03:05 PM GMT

45 mins: England A 10 Australia A 10

Big boot down-field from Charlie Atkinson and Jock Campbell, the Australia full-back, slices into touch.

Tom Hooper is up in front of Tom Pearson to nab the lineout, though.

03:01 PM GMT

TRY, ENGLAND A!

That is really very neat. Murley finishes but it’s a collectively slick score. Pollock stands at first receiver and plays a pull-back to Dingwall, who transfers to Oscar Beard. There’s a lovely offload to a roaming Ibitoye, who sends his fellow wing over on the right.

The extras are missed again, so we stay level. England have made a couple of changes in the front row as well. Emmanuel Iyogun comes on for Opoku-Fordjour and Curtis Langdon replaces Oghre.

02:58 PM GMT

41 mins: England A 5 Australia A 10

Tom Lynagh gets us going again. Hugh Tizard takes well and Tom Willis rumbles at the gain-line.

Will Porter hoists a box-kick and Gabriel Ibitoye is run out of it. England hit the penalty to the corner. Assured start from the hosts.

02:56 PM GMT

Players back out

When will Mapletoft go to his bench? There is some firepower there. Australia have replaced Josh Nasser with Lachlan Lonergan at hooker.

02:51 PM GMT

England’s try

An endeavour to spread the ball from first phase has been obvious from England. Getting the ball in the hands of Gabriel Ibiotoye is rarely a bad idea.

02:47 PM GMT

Match action

Henry Pollock has probably been the pick of the England A side so far. He’s made plenty of bustling carries and has been disruptive in defence. Luke Reimer, his opposite man, looks an excellent prospect as well.

02:44 PM GMT

Half-time: England A 5 Australia A 10

A good, largely even contest with some flashes of quality and some strong individual performances. Australia probably deserve their lead. Their dogged, organised defence has been the difference so far.

02:42 PM GMT

39 mins: England A 5 Australia A 10

Australia survive. Tom Willis fires out a pass to the wing where Ibitoye offloads to Oghre. The tourists cover well and force a breakdown penalty.

02:41 PM GMT

38 mins: England A 5 Australia A 10

This England pack is confident. They’ve called for a scrum from the penalty.

02:40 PM GMT

37 mins: England A 5 Australia A 10

It’s another burly shove from England A and they earn a penalty advantage. After some industrious defence, we come back for the offence.

02:38 PM GMT

35 mins: England A 5 Australia A 10

Australia’s line-out is skewed so there will be an England put-in about five metres out. The first one looks powerful, but needs a re-set.

02:37 PM GMT

33 mins: England A 5 Australia A 10

Murley is growing into this contest, roaming all over the pitch. He picks an angle off Atkinson and hits a gap but is bundled into touch.

02:35 PM GMT

31 mins: England A 5 Australia A 10

Carpenter rises to claim a box-kick and England can get some flow in their phase play, with Pollock prominent and Dingwall linking with Murley. The attack breaks down when Atkinson darts at the line. He cannot quite connect with Oghre.

02:32 PM GMT

PENALTY, AUSTRALIA A

From about 35 metres, the fly-half makes no mistake.

02:32 PM GMT

28 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

Cadan Murley raises a ripple from the crowd with some dancing feet, but his offload to Carpenter does not go to hand. England need to defend again, and concede a penalty that Tom Lynagh will surely convert.

02:30 PM GMT

27 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

Australia A still on top here as a strong carry from outsiude centre Joey Walton pierces the defensive line. There’s a neck roll, though, and England can clear.

02:27 PM GMT

23 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

Disruptive defence from Pollock and Tom Willis rescues England as Australia A go off their feet. Combative stuff from the two back-rowers.

02:26 PM GMT

22 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

Opoku-Fordjour is penalised for hinging at the scrum… and England compound that setback when Clark is trapped over the ball following a tackle. Australia A are in the corner.

02:25 PM GMT

21 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

England A are giving the ball some air with some inventive first-phase plays. The latest one, which sees Will Porter loop Dingwall after a long pass from Pollock, does not quite come off. But Mark Mapletoft and Lee Blackett have evidently given the players licence to push the envelope.

02:23 PM GMT

20 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

Very important tackle from Carpenter on Hamish Stewart as Australia A looked to run it out of their own 22 with a big overlap.

02:22 PM GMT

18 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

Hugh Tizard has a gallop but, again, a last-gasp jackal from Australia thwarts the attack. It was Hooper that time.

02:21 PM GMT

17 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

More enterprise from England. Will Porter wins a jackal turnover and they put the ball through the hands, with Carpenter eventually grubbering through for Ibitoye to chase. Australia recover and clear, but the chasers jump the gun and are pinged for offside.

02:18 PM GMT

15 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

Punchy, direct stuff from ther hosts with Arthur Clark, Tom Pearson and Tom Willis all prominent but Australia rally and win a breakdown penalty.

There’s a bit of a scrap afterwards and – shock of shocks – Pollock is involved. It was a bout of handbags with Tom Hooper, the Australia blindside flanker. I think Pollock nicked Hooper’s scrum cap. Good fun.

02:15 PM GMT

14 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

There is defintiely a willingness from this England side to spread the ball. They go wide to Gabriel Ibitoye again, via a pull-back behind Tom Willis, and pick up a penalty soon afterwards.

02:14 PM GMT

12 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

England get a bit lucky. Will Porter’s box-kick skews almost directly up in the air but Australia A are penalised.

02:13 PM GMT

11 mins: England A 5 Australia A 7

It’s tightened up after an all-action opening, and Australia are edging the aerial exchanges.

02:11 PM GMT

TRY, AUSTRALIA A!

The maul picked up speed and Luke Reimer, who has been eye-cacthing in these opening exchanges, bursts up the middle. Tom Lynagh converts for a skinny lead.

02:10 PM GMT

7 mins: England A 5 Australia A 0

Good response from Australia A, they recover a high ball and get through some phases, earning a penalty for offside. They go to the corner and Josh Carnham takes…

02:08 PM GMT

TRY, ENGLAND A!

A clinical start from England. The scrfum gets a nudge on and they run a midfield wrap-around, with Atkinson swinging a long pass to Gabriel Ibitoye. The Bristol Bears wing spins through a tackle to close range and the forwards take over, with Pollock gettting his hands on the ball again.

Eventually it’s Joe Heyes, the Leicester Tigers tighthead, who shunts over. Atkinson’s conversion is missed.

02:05 PM GMT

4 mins: England A 0 Australia A 0

Arthur Clark has a rumble away from England’s 22 and there is another carry for Pollock, who has started in a busy fashion.

A bit of a rushed attack from Australia A leads to a forward pass and we have the first scrum, just outside the tourists’ 22.

02:03 PM GMT

3 mins: England A 0 Australia A 0

Corey Toole is off his wing and bundles through a tackle, offloading to Josh Nasser. England rally though, Tom Willis nabbing possession in the shadow of his own posts.

02:02 PM GMT

2 mins: England A 0 Australia A 0

Early carries for Henry Pollock and Asher Opoku-Fordjour but the latter is pounced upon by Luke Reimer, the Australia openside, and England concede a penalty.

02:00 PM GMT

1 min: England A 0 Australia A 0

Charlie Atkinson’s left boot begins this one. Australia A field it and Tom Lynagh clears down to Joe Carpenter, who runs it back.

01:58 PM GMT

Anthems over

Kick-off coming up.

01:57 PM GMT

Referee correction

Apologies. Eoghan Cross of Ireland is taking charge of this one. Hamish Smales and Joe James are his assistants.

01:56 PM GMT

Here they come

Players out here. Fraser Dingwall, captaining the hosts from inside centre, leads out England A. Interesting day for him. At the beginning of this year, of course, he was Steve Borthwick’s number 12.

01:50 PM GMT

Teams back into the changing rooms

The sole player still out there, getting through some sprint work, is Nathan Jibulu, ther Harlequins hooker. It would have been exciting to watch him, but Gabriel Oghre and Curtis Langdon is a strong one-two punch.

01:42 PM GMT

Man in the middle

Hamish Smales is refereeing this one.

01:41 PM GMT

Just over 20 minutes until kick-off

Both sides going through team drills here. Unless there is a late surge, the ground will not be close to full. That feels like a bit of a shame.

01:36 PM GMT

Pushing for promotion

Steve Borthwick is due at the ground to watch this one and he will have his eye on a few individuals, with a view to perhaps playing them in the final Test of the autumn against Japan.

Opoku-Fordjour is an obvious one, having dropped down from the seniors for some game-time after a fortnight in camp. Tom Willis and Tom Pearson, starting with Pollock in an exciting back row, are two more candidates.

In the longer term, England need some locks. Arthur Clark and Hugh Tizard start, with Rusi Tuima on the England bench.

01:33 PM GMT

Reminder of the teams

Lots of talent on both sides here. England are giving a run to a few World Under-20 Championship winners from the summer, with Fasogbon on the bench and both Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Henry Pollock starting.

The tourists have picked a backline full of pace and invention. Ryan Lonergan, a sparky scrum-half from the Brumbies, captains them.

01:28 PM GMT

Hello there

Hi everyone and welcome to our live text commentary of this intriguing fixture between England A and Australia A at the Twickenham Stoop.

The players are out and warming up and we have about 35 minutes until kick-off. Supporters are still filing in, but Jack Willis has arrived to watch his brother, Tom.

Afo Fasogbon, the 6ft 4in Gloucester tighthead, was the first off the England A coach. That’s a tactic straight out of the book of Under-14 intimadtory tactics.