Henry Pollock's sends message to Steve Borthwick after England hat-trick

Sunday, 12 July 2026 at 18:00

byCharlie Elliott

Henry Pollock has spoken about his discussions with Steve Borthwick over earning a starting place for England as he continues to make a strong impact from the bench.

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The 21-year-old produced a hat trick after coming on as a substitute in England's 73-8 victory over Fiji at the Hill Dickinson Stadium yesterday. His pace was on full display for all three tries.

Beyond his finishing, the Northampton Saints forward injected fresh energy into the side at a stage when the contest had begun to lose intensity.

Pollock has quickly established himself as one of rugby's brightest young talents, combining eye catching performances on the field with a confident personality.

His rise has also seen him become one of only two rugby players signed to boxing promoter Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Talent Agency, alongside Finn Russell.

With an impressive strike rate of one try every 56 minutes in Test rugby, questions continue to be asked about when and how Borthwick should hand Pollock a place in the starting lineup.

His only England start in 12 caps came against Ireland during this year's Six Nations.

England struggled that afternoon, with a back row of Pollock at number eight alongside Ben Earl and Tom Curry being overpowered by Ireland's trio of Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris.

Speaking after the Fiji win, Pollock admitted that becoming a regular starter is one of his main ambitions.

"A big thing for me at the minute is wanting to get that starting shirt. But ultimately there's so many good boys in this team and your role can change week to week. I'm trying to focus on myself and focus on my performances and then on the back of that I can get results."

He also revealed he has discussed the subject with Borthwick, while accepting that competition for places remains fierce.

"We've had a conversation about it, and he said today to just go out there and be yourself. Hopefully I did that and hopefully he saw enough in me but at the same time, the depth in this squad is crazy good so I'm happy at any role I'm playing as long as I'm in the team."

Three England players who flopped against Fiji and should make way for Argentina

Steve Borthwick now has some huge selection decisions to make, with Henry Pollock making an irresistible case for a starting spot after his sensational second-half hat-trick.

Here are three changes England should make for next weekend.

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George Martin

Sometimes technical terms do not quite capture Martin’s impact. "Melted", "smashed" and "banged" are often more appropriate descriptions for the damage the Saracens-bound lock produces in the tight.

However, he did not produce the same standout performance he managed against the Springboks, while his statistics were also fairly modest.

Martin finished with just four tackles and four carries in his 48 minutes on the pitch. While he is clearly still working his way back into Test rugby, England now have an irresistible option waiting in the wings.

Replacement: Henry Pollock

Move Ollie Chessum back into the second row and unleash Pollock from the start.

fiji v england 2026 nations championship 4 1

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Henry Pollock of England (L) celebrates after scoring their team's tenth try during the 2026 Nations Championship match between Fiji and England at Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by George Wood - Nations Championship/Getty Images)

After coming on with more than 30 minutes remaining, it felt inevitable that Pollock would score — and he did.

He showed electric pace to chase down Ben Earl's kick for his first before running a superb short line off Henry Slade to sprint around 40 metres for his second.

His hat-trick arrived with the final play of the match, timing another devastating line from a driving maul to perfection.

Borthwick can no longer ignore him.

Marcus Smith

Smith was gifted a try but failed to make the most of a couple of promising attacking opportunities.

It also has to be said again: he is not a full-back. His defensive positioning remains a weakness, and Fiji looked capable of exposing England's backfield whenever they attacked.

Ironically, Smith looked far more comfortable during his brief cameo at scrum-half after England reshuffled their backline.

There may not be a player in world rugby easier to sympathise with. Smith is a world-class fly-half who continues to be asked to play almost everywhere except his best position.

fiji v england 2026 nations championship

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Marcus Smith of England celebrates after scoring their team's first try during the 2026 Nations Championship match between Fiji and England at Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger - Nations Championship/Getty Images)

Replacement: George Hendy

If Freddie Steward is still unavailable, England should call up Northampton full-back George Hendy.

Hendy is a specialist No.15 who would provide greater security under the high ball and far more natural defensive instincts from the backfield against Argentina.

Tommy Freeman

Freeman has looked some way below his usual standards over the past two matches.

He came desperately close to scoring on several occasions, with the bounce of the ball repeatedly denying him, but he never quite imposed himself on the contest.

His almost telepathic understanding with Fin Smith remains another strong argument for keeping him on the wing, as that combination simply does not have the same impact when Freeman moves into the centres.

His versatility was useful as England reshuffled during the second half, but he still failed to produce the influence expected of one of England's star backs.

Replacement: Noah Caluori

Caluori made an outstanding first impression on debut.

Within minutes of coming on he produced the inside pass for Henry Slade's try before getting on the scoresheet himself, showing excellent support play to finish England's attack.

The youngster brought genuine pace and energy to England's backline and deserves the opportunity to start against Argentina.