England thrash USA 40-5 amid multiple lightning delays in Washington

USA 5-40 England, Audi Field

England wrapped up their summer tour in emphatic fashion with a 40–5 win over the USA in Washington DC, despite facing severe weather delays that halted the match multiple times.

The game, held at Audi Field on Saturday night local time, was marred by lightning strikes that pushed back the kick-off by nearly an hour and forced further pauses mid-game. Nevertheless, Steve Borthwick's men maintained their focus, racking up six tries in a dominant performance.

The match finally began after a lengthy wait, but the drama didn’t stop there. Just ten minutes in, USA fly-half Chris Hilsenbeck was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, giving England the early momentum.

George Ford wasted no time capitalizing, sending a perfectly placed kick to the corner that set up a try for hooker Curtis Langdon. Ford added the conversion to give England a 7–0 lead.

Soon after, England doubled their advantage. Luke Northmore sprinted over the line following a turnover by Tom Pittman, with Ford again accurate from the tee, stretching the lead to 14–0. But just as England were beginning to dominate, play was halted around the 29th minute due to a lightning strike nearby, forcing players and spectators to evacuate.

Upon resumption, England attempted to score again but had a maul try by Alex Dombrandt disallowed for obstruction. Another lightning warning followed, and the teams were once more ushered off the field.

After a second weather-induced delay of roughly 40 minutes, the match finally resumed. England immediately responded with a try from Cadan Murley before the break, although Ford missed the conversion. The visitors went into halftime leading 19–0.

The second half began with another quick strike. Within the first minute, Jack van Poortvliet crossed the try line following a sharp attack, with Ford nailing the conversion to extend the lead to 26–0.

England’s fifth try came around the 55th minute when Harry Randall finished off a break set up by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, continuing his strong return from injury. Ford made it four conversions from five.

As the game moved into its final quarter, England emptied their bench, but the pressure didn’t ease. Gabriel Oghre, on debut, marked his first cap with a well-taken try from a driven maul. Charlie Atkinson added the extras, pushing the score to 40–0.

In the dying moments, the USA managed to get on the scoreboard with a try from Shilo Klein, set up by a well-structured line-out move from Chris Poidevin. The conversion was missed, and the match ended 40–5 in England’s favour.

Despite the chaotic stoppages and unpredictable weather, England demonstrated depth, composure, and sharp execution across all phases. They leave the summer tour unbeaten, having earlier swept Argentina 2–0, and now closing with an authoritative victory over the USA.