England scored 13 unanswered second half points to come from behind and beat Wales in Cardiff tonight, with Stuart Lancaster’s side recovering from an early Rhys Webb try to open their Six Nations account with a win.
It was a night to remember for the English youngsters, with all their scores coming from Six Nations debutants, Anthony Watson and Jonathan Joseph crossing for tries, George Ford kicking 11 points.
With Ireland due to face England and Wales in their third and fourth games of the Championships, we’ve picked out the 10 things rugby fans will have learned from tonight’s bruising battle in Cardiff.
1. England will win at least four games in this championship
They’ve won four of their five games in each of the last four seasons, and it looks like they’ll pick up at least another four this time around. They showed that their injury stricken side have young strength in depth, and gave a defensive masterclass after James Haskell’s early slip up. This side will be favourites at home against France, and with Ireland also at home to the French, the March 1st meeting at the Aviva Stadium will likely decide this championship.
2. The Welsh defence don’t do patience
At times it worked, and at times it didn’t. There were great block downs, and George Ford had very little time on the ball, but the Welsh made some costly errors from their rushing up in defence. They charged too far up to allow Mike Brown grubber to Anthony Watson in the corner, while George Ford was gifted three points when a Jamie Roberts tackle arrived before the ball. Dan Biggar (who was excellent otherwise) had a nightmare for Jonathan Joseph’s try, shooting up out of the line, before missing his man completely.
3. But their breakdown skills are superb
Dan Lydiate and Sam Warburton were at their best at the breakdown. Warburton made tackle after tackle, cutting player down low, allowing Lydiate to lay in and cause trouble. The awkward and relentless Alun Wyn Jones made himself a nuisance, throwing his legs around the loose ball, England rarely getting any quality ball for Ben Youngs and George Ford to work with. Wales offered very little in attack, but their breakdown skills kept the game close.
4. England’s young guns are the real deal
Raw talents, and  real talents. England had plenty of young talent on the field in Cardiff and they showed they’re up to this level. In particular, Anthony Watson looked fantastic in his first ever Six Nations appearance. Took his try exceptionally well, showing an incredible amount of acceleration to latch on to Mike Brown’s grubber. George Ford’s clutch kicking showed he can handle his nerves, while Jonathan Joseph’s individual magic for his second half try was down to sheer determination.
5. When Jerome Garces is in charge, the scrum is pot luck
Guesswork. Garces’s indecision at the set-piece meant that it’s extremely difficult to properly assess the scrummaging performances. Garces penalised players for collapses, before allowing resets for similar offences, and his indecision meant that there was a huge amount of trickery employed by both sides, which in turn made his life even harder. His lack of authority allowed Joe Marler to give Samson Lee tonnes of trouble, plenty of which was illegal, while Gethin Jenkins looked a shadow of his former self, although he did win a bizarre second half penalty by just flat-out refusing to engage on Mako Vunipola.
6. Dan Biggar is hard as nails
Biggar had an eventful night. An early whack to the snot greeted him in Cardiff, but despite what looked like a broken nose, his high-balls, some of which he contested himself, proved to be a useful tactic. Was incredibly physical throughout, and his first half block on George Ford was taken straight out of the All-Ireland football final. Made a horrible mistake for Jonathan Joseph’s second half try, however, charging out of the line, before tackling fresh air. Finished the game looking like he’d done ten rounds with Tyson in his prime.
7. The tip tackle law is still as vague as ever
Chris Robshaw certainly looked to have flipped Dan Biggar over the horizontal during the first half, but despite referee Jerome Garces initially bringing the whistle to his mouth, he let it slide. Given his willingness to go to the TMO for Anthony Watson’s try shortly beforehand, it’s incredibly surprising that he ignored the chance to do so again. The ambiguity continues.
8. Ryhs Webb is an absolute livewire
Snappy passing, sniping runs and blocking box-kicks. Webb isn’t the tallest, but he looked extremely lively throughout. Conor Murray will need to stay on his toes when we travel to Cardiff in March.
9. England’s defence will be difficult to break down
The sole Welsh try came from an individual error from James Haskell, not going low enough on Faletau, but overall it was an excellent defensive performance. The young backline were disciplined, patient and hard-hitting, and while they didn’t have a good day at the breakdown, they managed their defence excellently.
10. Concussion protocols are still a major problem
George North suffered two nasty blows to the head, but finished the match on the pitch. On the first instance, when he caught an accidental stray boot to the jaw, normal procedures seemed to take place. North was taken off, and returned before half-time. He didn’t look dazed, and seemed to be communicating normally, but a later clash of heads looked far more concerning. North lay prostrate on the ground for a few moments, but never even left the field, continuing on in what appeared to be a really groggy state. It seemed that normal protocols were acceptable when Wales were winning, but not when the game was in the melting pot.
