Whether by design or coincidence, as Wales’ replacements jogged out for the second half the Allianz Stadium DJ cued the Kaiser Chiefs’ I Predict a Riot. At 29-0, it was hardly a daring forecast.
Wales showed enough spirit to avoid the humiliation of last March’s Cardiff thrashing, but England’s 48-7 victory was emphatic. With ball in hand they made nearly twice the metres of the visitors, produced 16 line-breaks to Wales’ six and enjoyed almost 60% territory. By 25 minutes in, Wales’ hopes were almost extinguished.
Steve Borthwick felt England could have made the scoreline even more emphatic. He praised the defence, kicking and finishing but stressed the team left plenty out on the pitch and must improve in areas such as converting sustained time in the opposition 22 into more points. Still, the win leaves England top of the Six Nations after round one.
Henry Arundell grabbed the headlines with a first-half hat-trick. The 23-year-old’s international strike-rate is remarkable — 11 tries in 12 Tests, helped by five against Chile at the World Cup — but his capacity to convert half-breaks into tries is invaluable. Fraser Dingwall’s assist for England’s fourth exposed cover instantly, and Arundell’s continued work under the high ball and on defence this season underlines coaching gains around a naturally explosive athlete. In the modern game of chase-and-broken-field chaos, that raw speed is a major weapon.
Ollie Chessum, starting in the second row with Maro Itoje on the bench, provided effort and presence where required, while Ben Earl continued his run of high-level performances. Not a natural number eight, Earl nevertheless carried 17 times for 78 metres, finished joint-top in tackles with Guy Pepper and earned a turnover. Henry Pollock’s energetic cameo off the bench underlined his value as an impact player; whether he starts more often is a question Borthwick may consider.
Tommy Freeman remains an intriguing selection. He offered physicality, pace and was England’s leading metre-maker, dovetailing well with Dingwall at 12. But converted from the wing, Freeman can sometimes appear a touch awkward in wide midfield channels — a missed passing link left Tom Roebuck waiting on one occasion — and his aerial strength is less influential there. His head-down finishing returned when he was moved back to the wing late on to help finish England’s final try.
Freeman’s move into midfield began when options were limited. That’s now less the case: Ollie Lawrence is back from an Achilles injury, Dingwall impressed again at 12, Max Ojomoh and Seb Atkinson are in the mix, and Joe Marchant and Benhard Janse van Rensburg are nearing eligibility. The centre situation may require courage to stick to a plan but also wisdom to change it when needed. Borthwick knows fine margins will matter as England eye a showdown with France — a side who set an exceptionally high standard in beating Ireland — in the final round. These early lessons, tinkering and adjustments will be crucial if England are to achieve their aims.
