England beat Australia 45-22 as Dawson hails major step up

England beat Australia 45-22 in the Nations Championship on Sunday, scoring a record number of points against the Wallabies and giving Steve Borthwick’s side a strong start to their autumn campaign.

Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson said the performance was a “massive step up” from the Six Nations and England’s summer Nations Championship matches. In his BBC Sport column, he praised the team’s discipline, accuracy and attacking play, while arguing that England’s display mattered more than Australia’s shortcomings.

England scored seven tries. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso had an early try disallowed before leaving with an injury; substitute Henry Pollock came on in an unfamiliar wing role and scored twice. Dawson said Pollock’s ability to cover several positions could give England greater flexibility from the bench.

Dawson also highlighted the link between fly-half Fin Smith, centre Henry Slade and England’s back three, saying the combination could help Slade reproduce more of the form he shows for Exeter. He praised England’s set-piece and defence, but cautioned that one convincing win did not guarantee a successful autumn.

England’s next test is Japan. Dawson said he wanted to see the side maintain its discipline under pressure, including giving away fewer than 10 penalties and keeping all 15 players on the field for 80 minutes. He pointed to the later match against New Zealand as a tougher measure of whether England can sustain Sunday’s performance.