BEN YOUNGS: The lightbulb has switched on for Steve Borthwick – this is how his rampant England tore Australia apart, from ‘missing piece’ George Furbank to a ferocious pack and electric Jack van Poortvliet

England’s rampant performance against Australia felt like a lightbulb moment for Steve Borthwick. Finally, the strategy married up with the team selection, and George Furbank looked like the missing piece of the jigsaw.

I played alongside Furbank when he made his England debut in 2020. He was thrown in at the deep end for a Six Nations game in France, a baptism of fire. He lost the ball when he had a two-on-one with Jonny May and it took him a while to get over it.

But he always looked like someone who could be a game changing full-back for England and he showcased that on Sunday. Furbank is a tough, niggly player. He’s got a bit of Mike Brown about him, which people maybe don’t appreciate.

What’s more important, however, is his silky playmaking. England look a totally different team when Furbank is there as a second distributor. He’s capable of playing fly-half, too, as he showed when we started together at No9 and 10 against Tonga. He organises and makes the right passes. He’s got time on the ball.

The best teams look at the rugby pitch like a map. When you’re attacking, you’ve got structures and shapes. England split their eight forwards into a 1-3-3-1 pod system. That means they have two pods of three in the middle of the field, with Ollie Chessum and Ben Curry standing out towards the touchlines in the 15-metre channels. The pods of three forwards provide arrowheads and your playmakers work off the back of them.

What you don’t want to do is get stuck in between the 15-metre lines. Then it becomes a nightmare because all those structures and shapes go out the window. You end up with both pods really close together in the middle of field. Everything becomes congested and predictable.

Moving the ball to the wide channels provides the team with reference points to work from. The pictures on that map become so much clearer and that’s where Furbank was so valuable.

Furbank’s connection with No10 Fin Smith is so important. They got the ball to the edge and into the hands of electric winger Manny Feyi-Waboso throughout the first half.

Furbank’s organisation around those three-man forward pods was vital. They were able to hit a pod from a touchline, play the ball out the back to Smith, then launch the next layer of attack, with the outside backs flooding around.

Jack van Poortvliet’s try just after half-time (below) was a good example of Furbank’s value. Henry Pollock charged up the left wing and centres Henry Slade and Seb Atkinson went into that breakdown. England played one more phase, found their shape, and then got the ball to Smith.

Smith had three running options and played the ball to Furbank. Who then appeared on Furbank’s shoulder? Slade and Atkinson, who were on the left-hand side only four or five seconds before.

If Furbank wasn’t there as a second playmaker, then Slade and Atkinson wouldn’t have had time to get there. He bought them a couple of extra seconds. Without that second playmaker, all Smith could have done is crash it up through the forwards.

You can’t underestimate the leadership Furbank brings. He was Northampton captain. Furbank, Smith and Slade will be the three key drivers in that back line. The rest of those guys are very much doers, who you just want to be freed up to play.

England have missed Furbank, who has had such cruel luck with injury. That’s tough for Freddie Steward because he probably walks into most international teams. It’s crucial now that Furbank stays fit because he’s such a valuable asset.

How ferocious pack put Aussies back in their box 

Ollie Chessum, Maro Itoje and Alex Coles made life a nightmare for Australia scrum-half Ryan Lonergan. The charge down pressure they brought on his box-kicks was relentless.

You may not get a charge-down from 20 attempts but that should never stop you from doing it. If you don’t get the ball, the pressure at least makes the scrum-half hook the ball out and you’ve got a lineout 15 metres upfield.

Whenever I used to practise my kicking, Chessum would always come down. We would lay down a tackle pad to create some space, I would have the ball at the other end and Chessum would try to get at my right foot.

We would discuss what the opposition nine likes to do. Are they a kick long team? Are they a kick short team? If they’re a kick long team, then your drop of the ball is lower which gives you a better chance of charging it down.

The best chance of getting someone is when they’re a right-footer kicking over their left shoulder and England targeted that. Their speed and reach to get there was first class.

People moan about caterpillar rucks but scrum-halves need them as protection because you’ve got 6ft 6in blokes who can charge down all day long.

England managed to shorten Australia’s caterpillar rucks really effectively. They were counter rucking and pulling bodies off the feet. Ben Curry was a menace.

By doing that, another body has to join or the caterpillar becomes shorter, which then opens up the opportunity to then charge down. England exploited that really well.

No9 shirt now Jack’s to lose 

It was a great statement from Van Poortvliet in the No9 jersey. It was the best game he’s had in an England shirt. He was decisive, brought speed of ball and tempo, carried well and his kicking game was on point.

I loved the maturity he showed when he threw an interception pass for Australia’s first try. He just parked it and moved on to the next thing. As a nine, you make more decisions than anyone else on the pitch. Every ruck is a decision. Do you go left and right? Which player do you pass to? Do you kick? You need a clear head.

There’s been a lot of chopping and changing at scrum-half. I think the fact Alex Mitchell is out injured freed up Van Poortvliet. He wasn’t thinking, ‘I need to come up with an X factor moment’ or ‘if I make a mistake, I’m coming off’. That’s what it’s like in a team that’s low on confidence.

It’s Van Poortvliet’s shirt to lose now. If he plays like that for the next three weekends, then he’s in the hot seat for the World Cup.

Hip drop rule is a flop 

I don’t want to see people hurting their knees or ankles – no one does – but Angus Bell’s yellow card for a ‘hip drop tackle’ on Feyi-Waboso baffled me.

What is going on? It’s a new law, and I cannot work out what you’re supposed to do. Is Bell supposed to just let go of him? If he lets go then Feyi-Waboso will run past and score a try and Bell’s team-mates would say, ‘Er, mate, what the hell are you doing?’

If an attacker has got in behind you, I don’t see how you stop them without dropping your hip. You have to let them score or concede a yellow. I think it needs addressing after the autumn. For me, Bell did not do a lot wrong.

The two fliers I’d pick to replace injured duo 

Feyi-Waboso’s injury is a big blow. When he’s fit, he’s England’s most valuable player. He’s box office and he can score out of nothing.

I would fast-track Noah Caluori as his replacement for the Japan game. Caluori’s got the highest ceiling. If the attack goes wrong against Japan, England can fall back on their scrum and maul. They have the size and power to maul Japan until the cows come home!

So, it’s almost the perfect game for Noah. Tommy Freeman and Manny are England’s top two wingers so use this opportunity to develop depth. You don’t get many chances to do that.

With Atkinson also out, I can’t see why you wouldn’t give Max Ojomoh a go at No 12. He was man of the match against Argentina and he hasn’t had a look-in since. If England are looking to move the ball and play, Ojomoh is the guy to do that.

Pollock’s grin was damning for toothless Aussies

Henry Pollock did a brilliant job on the wing. He’s an incredible athlete. Do I think he starts on the wing? No. If England go with a 6-2 bench, is he the best person to cover the wing for 30 minutes? Absolutely.

He was laughing after the game about how easy it was and that’s a damning indictment of Australia. If England were playing against New Zealand, France or South Africa, they would ruthlessly try to target him off strike moves and contestable kicks.

Australia did none of that. They gave him an armchair ride. That’s rugby IQ 101. Where’s your nous? Where’s your match understanding? They could have Mark Nawaqanitawase and Joseph Suaalii as all-star wingers at the World Cup but if that was their standard of half-backs, then they are going nowhere.

For all of England’s brilliance, I still can’t get over how poor Australia were. They were toothless. The All Blacks will provide the real litmus test.

I was really encouraged by England’s performance and they are going to get more and more cohesive as the series progresses.