Harry Wilson pinpoints what ‘hurt’ Wallabies in England loss

Harry Wilson believes inaccuracies in the A-zone hurt the Wallabies most against England, as the visitors failed to turn attacking pressure into points during the 25-7 Autumn Nations Series defeat at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

12 months on from a 79-point thriller between the rival sides at the same venue, the Wallabies managed just one try, with winger Harry Potter picking off a pass before racing the full length to score in the 33^rd minute.

Tane Edmed added the extras but the Australians didn’t score any more points during the next 45 minutes. England ran away with a confidence-building 18-point triumph, crossing for three tries to none during the second term.

The Wallabies had 55 per cent of possession throughout the 80 minutes, spending almost one quarter of their time with the ball in the attacking 22, but the men in gold weren’t able to reward their own efforts with points.

“We’re very disappointed with that,” the Wallabies captain said post-game on Stan Sport.

“Credit to England, they played really well, played the conditions well and we had a few chances there in the A-zone and we weren’t accurate enough. It hurt us there in the end.

“We just didn’t get it right on the day. There was a lot of good today but you’ve got to score points, you’ve got to convert in A-zone and we definitely weren’t good enough in that part of the game.”

British & Irish Lions backrower Henry Pollock starred as England piled on the points during the second term, scoring a crucial try in the 58^th minute. Alex Mitchell and replacement Luke Cowan-Dickie also made their mark on the scoreboard with a try each inside the final 10 minutes.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt highlighted England’s impact players as “a difference” after the Test. Pollock and Cowan-Dickie made their mark on the scoreboard, while fellow replacement Tom Curry also stood out during this famous victory.

“I think the starters did really well for themselves. They played a really good game, put a lot of pressure on us, and the bench had it pretty good from there,” Wilson added.

“Credit to them, they picked a strong squad and they got the result today.

“Onwards for us to verse Italy next week.”

With the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw just one month away, the seventh-placed Wallabies are still looking to rise up the world rankings. If they want to avoid the likes of South Africa, New Zealand and England in pool play, the Aussies will need to finish the year with a top-six ranking.

Exeter Chiefs duo Len Ikitau and Tom Hooper have been called into the squad for next weekend’s clash with Italy, having missed the England match as the Test fell outside of World Rugby’s three-week international window.

“The likes of Len Ikitau’s, the Tom Hooper’s, the Will Skelton’s. I think that strength and depth, while we’re trying to build it at the moment, it’s a work in progress,” Schmidt explained after the England defeat.

“Maybe they could have been useful today but I love the way the guys who are here, the effort they put in and the way they kept fighting till the end.

“It’s a pity we couldn’t get something at the end, just probably to balance the scoreboard a little bit.”