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England made it 12 wins in a row against a helpless Wales who now look even further adrift at the foot of the Six Nations.
Arundell (7', 18', 35'), Earl (23'), Roebuck (44'), Penalty Try (67'), Freeman (79')
Tries
Adams (51')
Ford (8', 24', 36', 45')
Conversions
Edwards (52')
Ford (2')
Penalties
England made it 12 wins in a row against a helpless Wales who now look even further adrift at the foot of the Six Nations.
Here are five things we learned from England’s 48-7 victory over their arch rivals:
George Ford’s fly-half masterclass
What a 12 months for the Sale Sharks 10. Having been third choice at the tail end of the 2025 Six Nations, Ford is now firmly England’s first choice due to an ability to control the tempo of games with clever kicking, including a devastating spiral bomb, and flat to the line play, which is second to none in comparison with other playmakers worldwide.
Ford repeatedly put his grateful colleagues into gaps; zipping pinpoint passes to his attackers. The veteran kicked 11 points off the tee, with some sumptuous conversions from the sidelines and was a class above everyone else on the pitch, going the full 80.
With Owen Farrell’s international days seemingly behind him, Ford looks unleashed, better than ever in a firing team built around him.
Henry Arundell can’t stop scoring
The Bath winger scored his second international hat-trick in just 35 minutes with his jet-like pace and strong lower body a nightmare for defenders. In his last three outings for England, Arundell has scored five tries against Chile in the World Cup, an audacious solo effort from the bench against Fiji and three more touchdowns today.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was displaced by Tom Roebuck in the build-up due to injury and the Exeter Chiefs wing may have a tough time finding his way back onto England’s starting flanks if Arundell continues his freescoring.
Tommy Freeman has been unleashed in the centres
The Northampton Saints versatile back has played full-back, wing and outside centre already in his early England career but this performance proved many of his No.13 doubters wrong.
Freeman was heard saying recently that he often forgets how big he is after previously being let go as a junior by Leicester Tigers for being too small. At 6ft 3inch and 103kgs, Freeman now packs a serious punch and his direct carrying repeatedly punched holes in Wales’ defence. Regardless if he’s at centre or wing, Freeman, like Arundell, has also got a non-stop taste for scoring, having now scored in seven straight appearances.
Card freny
The last time there were six cards brandished was August 2023 when the two sides met on the eve of the World Cup. England’s naughty step of Ellis Genge, Freddie Steward and Owen Farrell springs to mind but it was Wales whose ill-discipline cost them dearly, with Steve Tandy admitting post-match he’s seriously worried about their rising penalty counts and cards.
Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Ben Thomas and Taine Plumtree were all sent to the sin bin for the visitors but the most comical yellow card was England captain Maro Itoje’s. The Saracens second row came on to a rousing ovation in the second half but just seconds later was sent back off the pitch due to the hosts being on a warning and Itoje, as skipper, taking the punishment for his side’s consecutive penalties. Tom Curry’s cameo also didn’t last long as he was quickly booked.
Aaron Wainright and Louis Rees-Zammit possible Wales shining lights?
Perhaps I’m clutching at straws here but in a performance where Wales were completely outplayed, Wales’ No.8 and full-back were certainly the best of a very bad bunch.
Despite his pack being beaten up, Wainwright put in the hard yards and broke through plenty of tacklers with surging carries. It was a never say die attitude from a player who can certainly hold their head high, despite the dismal defeat.
Rees-Zammit started in his relatively new position at No.15 and on a day where he had virtually no platform or speed of ball to showcase his fancy footwork, the Bristol Bears back made some impressive carries, utilising his strong leg drive. Wales need a lot more than just his return from the NFL to turn the tide but Rees-Zammit looks the long-term option at full-back; very comfortable under the high ball.
Ellis Genge
7/10 - Scrummaged solidly and carried with intent, though had a difficult opening with the refere.
Jamie George
8/10 - Lineout ran smoothly and his leadership shone with a captains display from the previous full-time skipper.
Joe Heyes
8/10 - Strong in the tight and active in the loose with several punchy carries.
Alex Coles
7/10 - Workmanlike shift. Tackled tirelessly and complemented the engine room well.
Ollie Chessum
6/10 - Huge physical presence. Dominant collisions and key defensive interventions but gave away silly penalty.
Guy Pepper
7/10 - Hunted breakdowns and maintained intensity across the full 80.
Sam Underhill
7/10 - Typically abrasive. Disrupted Welsh ball and hit rucks relentlessly.
Ben Earl
8/10 - Dynamic carrier and defensive workhorse. His physicality set the tone early.
Alex Mitchell
7/10 - Snappy service and smart tempo control. Chose his moments well around the fringes.
George Ford
9/10 - Masterclass in game management. Controlled territory with a kicking s above. clinic and orchestrated multiple scores.
Henry Arundell
9/10 - A first-half hat-trick showcased his pace and finishing instincts. Lethal whenever space appeared.
Fraser Dingwall
7/10 - Distributor first, carrier second. Kept England’s shape tidy and defended robustly in midfield traffic.
Tommy Freeman
8/10 - Powerful in contact and sharp in wider channels. Linked play effectively and capped it with a score.
Tom Roebuck
8/10 - Took his try well and was a constant aerial and carrying threat. Growing into Test rugby with real authority.
Freddie Steward
7/10 - Assured under the high ball and positioned himself well in backfield coverage. Didn’t overplay but rarely put a foot wrong.
