England outclass Wales in Six Nations opener
England produced an electrifying display under the lights at Twickenham as they ran out 48-7 winners against Wales in their opening match, reports BritPanorama.
Steve Borthwick’s side entered the fixture hoping to emulate France and Italy, who overcame Ireland and Scotland respectively. England did exactly that, showcasing a remarkable performance that is likely to send a strong message to their rivals.
The rout started almost immediately, with Borthwick’s men bolstered by previous victories over Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand in the autumn. George Ford kicked an early penalty in the fourth minute, much to the delight of the Twickenham crowd, and shortly after, Henry Arundell crossed the line for his ninth try for his country in just 12 caps.
Wales struggled initially to maintain their discipline, which resulted in Nicky Smith being sent to the sin bin, soon followed by Dewi Lake. England seized the advantage, with Arundell scoring his second try and Ford converting, extending the hosts’ lead to 22-0 within 19 minutes.
England continued to impress as the first half progressed. In the 25th minute, Ford shrugged off a challenge from Ellis Mee to score their third try, putting them 29-0 up at halftime after Arundell completed his hat-trick.
Wales made a brief improvement after the break, with Tom Roebuck scoring soon after halftime. The supporters were further cheered when Josh Adams added a try, converted by Dan Edwards. However, England’s dominance resumed as Maro Itoje, despite his temporary sin bin, witnessed his side persevere and thrive.
Henry Pollock later scored a late penalty try after Taine Plumtree was found to have wrapped his arm around a rival’s neck. Tommy Freeman added further gloss to the scoreline with a final try. England have now won their past 12 matches and, having secured seven tries in this contest, earned a crucial bonus point for the campaign.
Next up for England is a showdown against Scotland on Saturday at 4.40pm. Wales, meanwhile, will look to secure their first Six Nations win since 2023 when they face France a week on Sunday at 3.10pm.
In a competition where expectations run high, this performance reaffirmed England’s status as formidable contenders, while raising questions about the resilience of their neighbours from Wales.
