England beat Australia 45-22 but lose Feyi-Waboso to ankle injury

England beat Australia 45-22 at Twickenham on 8 November, scoring seven tries and taking a bonus point for their efforts. The win came with a worry attached. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso hurt an ankle and will miss the rest of England's autumn campaign, The Guardian reports.

Henry Pollock was the headline act. He scored two tries from the wing, a position he filled as a makeshift winger, meaning he was moved out of his usual role to cover a gap. Pollock replaced Feyi-Waboso at half-time. Borthwick said Pollock thinks playing on the wing is easy, a remark that drew smiles from a squad well aware of how demanding that spot can be.

The bigger talking point is the back three, the two wingers and the full-back who sit at the edges and back of the field. For the first time in two years, Steve Borthwick could pick Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman and George Furbank together as his first-choice trio. The three had never lined up together wearing 11, 14 and 15 before.

Furbank's return was also notable. It was his first England appearance since the autumn 2024 win over Japan, and he had missed a planned comeback in the summer because of appendicitis. His break set up Jack van Poortvliet's try. He now has a groin injury that will keep him out of the match against Japan.

Feyi-Waboso, 23, made his England debut in early 2024. He has never managed more than five consecutive starts for his country, and a hamstring problem threatened his autumn involvement and forced him to miss the Six Nations. Against Australia he made 130 metres from eight carries in 40 minutes. Early on he scored a try, about 90 seconds in, but it was disallowed. Once his ankle injury is counted, he will finish the year with 17 appearances in England's 36 matches since his debut.

Australia's coach, Les Kiss, was blunt afterwards. He said his side "didn't fire a shot" and did not put England under pressure, Reuters reported.

Next up is Japan. Borthwick is considering resting some players for that game, and Freeman may sit out. Attack coach Lee Blackett, who worked with Feyi-Waboso at Wasps, will have to find the right mix of experience and fresh legs for a back three that has only just found its feet together.