England\u2019s ambition to win a first Six Nations title since 2020 is up and running following a comprehensive 48-7 beating of Wales at Allianz Stadium.<\/p>\n
Steve Borthwick\u2019s side were clinical in the first half, securing the four-try bonus point five minutes before the interval, but they will be frustrated that they didn\u2019t kick on in the second as they were limited to just three more tries.<\/p>\n
That frustration is nitpicking in the sense that the result was done and dusted at such an early juncture, but Steve Tandy\u2019s Wales<\/a> were there for the taking by an even larger margin than 41 points, especially as they had two spells in the match reduced to 13 players following rapid-succession sin-binnings.<\/p>\n With the benefit of hindsight, though, England\u2019s second-half inability to fully press on the accelerator through their Lee Blackett attack will be seen as a good thing as it will sharpen the minds ahead of next Saturday\u2019s trip to Scotland, who will be looking to make amends for getting ambushed by Italy in Rome<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reshuffle<\/p>\n Making light of their post-selection reshuffle that was Tom Roebuck replacing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the wing, England<\/a> quickly set the tone in London with a Sam Underhill charge down on Louis Rees-Zammit followed by player of the match George Ford<\/a> landing a third-minute penalty kick for the lead.<\/p>\n A Freddie Steward aerial fumble resulted in England straying offside and Wales kicking to the corner, but obstructing at the lineout dashed their optimism. Another obstruction in rapid succession allowed the home side to kick to the corner down the other end, and that brought an eighth-minute Henry Arundell try.<\/p>\n The score stemmed from a tap penalty taken by Ellis Genge<\/a> and the ensuing pick and go drawing in the defence, Ford perfectly picked the timing of his assist pass to the winger, who was making his first Test start since Rugby World Cup 2023.<\/p>\n Ford added the extras for a 10-point advantage, and the die was now cast. The out-half was soon back on the kicking tee, Wales infringing following the pressure that arose from two of his booming kicks, but he was stopped from taking it as TMO spotted a Genge infringement and the penalty was overturned.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as\u00a0a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a>\u00a0for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n That let-off should have energised the Welsh, but they instead soon saw yellow. Skipper Dewi Lake had been told by the referee that his team were conceding too many penalties and Nicky Smith was carded following the next lineout.<\/p>\n With Roebuck next held up over the line on penalty advantage, skipper Lake was carded, meaning Wales would have to defend for nine minutes and 20 seconds with 13 players. A penalty advantage arose off the restarting scrum, where Wales had to bring on two of their bench, and this allowed Ford to find Arundell with the crosskick to score.<\/p>\n England v Wales: Five takeaways as \u2018predictable efficiency\u2019 exposes indiscipline of a visiting side \u2018careering from one disaster to the next\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n The try went unconverted, and while Freeman failed to find Roebuck with a pass and Genge got held up over the line, the 15-0 lead jumped to 22 in the 24th minute when Ben Earl powered his way over down the touchline and Ford brilliantly landed the conversion.<\/p>\n Wales limited the damage to 12 points with 13 players, but their replenished set-piece left them down repeatedly in the play that followed, culminating in a poor attack off a halfway line scrum where a Ben Thomas pass went loose and allowed Arundell to scoop up race and race away for his hat-trick score and England\u2019s four-try bonus point.<\/p>\n Wales\u2019 miserable half was then summed up by skipper Lake derisorily failing to touch the ball with his foot when taking a quick tap penalty five metres out. Up 29-0, England returned for the second half minus Genge, but a scrum penalty for Joe Heyes secured the territory, which ignited an attack that produced a four-on-one overlap finished off by Roebuck.<\/p>\n Thirty-six points clear with 35 minutes remaining, the situation now existed for Borthwick\u2019s side to go on and surpass last year\u2019s record-setting exploits in Cardiff, where they humiliated the Welsh with a 68-14, 10-try mauling.<\/p>\n England player ratings: George Ford \u2018conducts\u2019 Wales\u2019 demise as \u2018proper poacher\u2019 repays Steve Borthwick\u2019s faith<\/a><\/p>\n That, though, didn\u2019t come to pass as England became a bit like France on Thursday night when trouncing Ireland, temporarily losing their way.<\/p>\n With the Welsh bench bringing energy, Maro Itoje was sin-binned just 29 seconds after getting introduced as a sub with England on a card warning and Josh Adams went over in the corner for a 52nd-minute try converted by Dan Edwards.<\/p>\n That, though, was as positive as their riposte got. With Thomas yellow-carded on 65 minutes for playing the ball off his feet at a ruck near the tryline, England had a penalty try two minutes later.<\/p>\n Henry Pollock thought he had scored but he instead put a foot touch when he was smacked in the head while diving by Taine Plumtree. The decision was a penalty try and a yellow card, leaving Wales down to 13 players again for eight minutes.<\/p>\n English indiscipline helped the Welsh ride out this imbalance, a Luke Cowan-Dickie neck roll scrubbing out a Freeman try and Tom Curry then seeing yellow for an off-the-ball tackle. England, though, had the final say despite being a man short, Freeman getting in at the corner despite Wales having been restored to 15 players.<\/p>\n