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Henry Pollock reveals which England team-mate is ‘always at heart of it’ after Australia brawl in Quilter Nations Series victory
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Updated 06/11/2025 at 10:18 GMT
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Tempers threatened to boil over between England and Australia as Steve Borthwick's men secured a 25-7 victory in their Quilter Nations Series opening match at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday. The two sides came together for a shoving match, and England forward Henry Pollock said that there was not much beyond some "bad words", and noted team-mate Tom Curry was "at the heart of it."
Pollock revels in England win after making box-office cameo off bench
Video credit: TNT Sports
England forward Henry Pollock explained the clash between his team and Australia during their Quilter Nations Series win.
The home side earned a 25-7 victory at the Allianz Stadium in south-west London on Saturday afternoon, as Steve Borthwick’s men kicked off their four-match autumn programme with an impressive display.
England went into the end of the first half 10-7 up after a try from Ben Earl, with a conversion and a penalty from George Ford bringing up the total for the opening 40 minutes.
Pollock, Alex Mitchell and Luke Cowan-Dickie all then added tries in the second half as they pulled away from the visitors.
He was interviewed after the final whistle by TNT Sports, and was asked to give his account on the contretemps between the two sides after the whistle.
Both teams came together for a brief scrap which, while physical, did not boil over into anything especially serious.
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The 20-year-old said: "I think some boys just wanted to get in their faces. So I think [Tom] Curry's at the heart of it, like always. So we all just flew in.
"A bit of fun at the end, a bit of pushing and shoving. You just want to grab someone's shirt. Just get involved.
"Literally push and shove, maybe a couple of bad words in there. Apart from that, it's more just slowing the clock down.
"Then, unfortunately, we got a penalty against us, so we were defending our own line."
Pollock also gave some insight into the kicking that led to his try.
He explained: "We were working that all week, the backs getting into the air, and then we’re in that circle around the ball when it lands. [Tom] Roebuck’s been doing it all week and all game. You saw Ben Earl’s try at the start, same thing.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
"You’re just trying to be in a good position, and I’m lucky enough the ball bounced in my area. I thought I wasn’t going to make it there [after the tap tackle] but luckily, it was a bit wet on the floor, so I just pushed myself over."
Pollock also described what it was like to be part of the 'bomb squad', which is a group of players introduced in the second half of England matches in order to make a difference.
"It’s sick," he began. "Steve [Borthwick] spoke about it all week, how we’ve got a strong bench and when you come on you’ve got to make an impact. He wanted the crowd going, and we certainly did that.
"It’s just a cool environment to be a part of. We’re coming on together, showing ourselves and getting the boys hyped because the last 20–30 minutes of games is when normal teams drop off. That’s when we come on and keep the level up and the intensity high."
He added that the team spirit in the England camp helps him to appreciate international duty, saying: "I love it. It’s every boy’s dream to play for their country. I’m lucky enough that I’m doing that. It’s cool, and I’ve got such good mates in the squad, and we’re getting so close together. It’s an amazing environment to be a part of."
England’s next match is on Saturday, November 8 against Fiji - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Watch and stream every game of the Quilter Nations Series live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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