England stay in Six Nations title hunt with Wales rout

rugby15 March 2025 19:40| © AFP
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      England kept their Six Nations hopes alive with a crushing 10-try, 68-14 bonus-point win over sorry Wales, piling the pressure on France who must now defeat Scotland in Paris later on Saturday to claim the title.

      England had the match all but wrapped up at halftime after scoring five tries to lead 33-7 at the break.

      England captain Maro Itoje opened the scoring as early as the third minute, with Tom Roebuck, Tommy Freeman, Chandler Cunningham-South and Will Stuart all following the skipper's lead.

      Scrum-half Alex Mitchell, 20-year-old debutant replacement Henry Pollock, with two of his own, Joe Heyes and Cunningham-South again added five more tries between them in the second half.

      That allowed England to surpass their previous record Six Nations winning margin over Wales of 40 points set during a 50-10 success at Twickenham in 2006.

      Freeman's effort meant he equalled France wing Philippe Bernat-Salles' 2001 record of scoring a try in every round of the Six Nations.

      For Wales, their 17th successive test defeat represented an unwanted record for a Tier One country in the professional era.

      Their 11th straight championship loss meant they had finished with back-to-back wooden spoons for the first time in the history of a proud rugby nation.

      It was not the way interim Wales coach Matt Sherratt would have wanted to wrap up his three-game caretaker spell after taking over mid-tournament following the end of Warren Gatland's unsuccessful second stint in charge.

      Itoje had spoken in the build-up about the need to "start well" and "really take the game to Wales".

      The lock forward was as good as his word under the closed roof of a raucous Principality Stadium.

      England kicked a penalty to the corner and, following a couple of line-out drives, Itoje dived over from a ruck as Wales were caught napping. Fly-half Fin Smith converted and England led 7-0.

      Wales full-back Blair Murray sprinted in five minutes later but his try was disallowed after scrum-half Tomos Williams was offside in the build-up.

      But there was no stopping a powerful England and Roebuck marked his first test start with a 10th-minute try when the wing shook off the diminutive Murray to go in at the right corner.

      Fin Smith added the difficult conversion and England were 14-0 ahead.

      Murray, however, almost broke clear for a try after chipping ahead only for England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie to bring him down with a brilliant tap-tackle.

      Wales did cut the deficit in the 31st minute when, following an attacking line-out off a penalty, Williams' pass sent in centre Ben Thomas for a try converted by Gareth Anscombe.

      Just three minutes later, England pulled clear again.

      SLICK 40 MINUTES

      Fly-half Anscombe's clearing kick was charged down and England worked out the ball back to Fin Smith before Freeman went over.

      England, in arguably the slickest 40 minutes of coach Steve Borthwick's reign, still had time to score two more tries before the interval.

      Wales were once more out-muscled at the breakdown with Cunningham-South, on as a replacement for the injured Ollie Chessum, twice involved before he finished for the four-try bonus point.

      England, with flanker Ben Curry outstanding, crossed Wales' line again as prop Will Stuart celebrated his 50th cap with only his third test try.

      Fin Smith then missed his first conversion in five attempts – the only blemish in a dominant first-half display by England.

      Wales rallied at the start of the second half but it was England who scored next when Mitchell, seizing on a loose ball, kicked ahead for the visitors' sixth try.

      Pollock and Heyes cemented England's grip on the game before Thomas scored his second try of the match only for Cunningham-South to have the last word late on.