ENGLAND HAVE WORLD AT FEET
Seven tries and a Joseph hat-trick as title secured in record-equalling victory
ENGLAND produced comfortably their best performance of the Six Nations so far as they thrashed sorry Scotland to claim the championship title and equal New Zealand’s world record of 18 successive Test wins in the process.
Eddie Jones’s men, criticised for their lacklustre first-half display against Italy a fortnight ago, fired out of the Twickenham blocks with a magnificent first 40 minutes after Scotland’s Fraser Brown was sinbinned in the second minute for a reckless tackle on Elliot Daly, which should have instead seen the visiting hooker sent off.
England never looked back as Jonathan Joseph made an emphatic case for inclusion in Warren Gatland’s British & Irish Lions squad for this summer’s tour of New Zealand with two superbly taken firsthalf tries, before completing his hat-trick shortly after the break, while replacement Anthony Watson also scored as the hosts romped to a 30-3 lead at half-time.
They played with zip, aggression and razor-sharp accuracy to run in seven tries in total as Scotland’s pre-match optimism was well and truly blown out of the water.
The stunning victory against their shell-shocked opponents, whose sorry record at Twickenham now stretches to 34 years without a win, was England’s 17th in succession under Jones and 18th in total.
Yesterday’s result also saw England equal their record margin of victory in the Calcutta Cup.
Victory next week over Ireland in Dublin would see England earn the world record for a winning run outright as well as back-to-back Grand Slams under Jones. Less than two years after becoming the first home nation ever to be knocked out of the Rugby World Cup in the pool stages, these are heady days indeed for England supporters.
Owen Farrell, who suffered a dead leg in training on Thursday, the same day that Jones gave a bizarre press conference at England’s Pennyhill Park base when he claimed that the inside centre had ‘run into my dog’, was passed fit before kick-off.
England’s head coach insisted during the week that the possibility of equalling the world record had not been discussed by his players or backroom staff, while the lacklustre first-half display in response to Italy’s no-ruck tactics had also been confined to history.
With Farrell fit, England showed three changes to the side which laboured to victory over Italy with Joseph replacing Ben Te’o at outside centre, Jack Nowell starting in place of Jonny May on the wing and Ben Youngs returning at scrumhalf ahead of Danny Care.
No 8 Billy Vunipola was passed fit after his return to action following knee surgery last November, but was forced to settle for a place on the bench, with Nathan Hughes starting. Loosehead prop Joe Marler led England on to the field in recognition of the Harlequins star’s 50th cap.
England looked threatening from their very first attack and when the ball was whipped wide to Daly the right winger fed to Maro Itoje, only to be upended by Scotland hooker Brown and dumped on his back.
The move broke down and Brown was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card for a clear tip tackle as Daly was helped from the field for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) and replaced by Watson.
From the next line-out the ball was fed along England’s line and Joseph stepped on the after-burners to leave opposite man Alex Dunbar flapping at thin air. Joseph cantered in almost unopposed to make it 5-0 after three minutes.
Farrell converted before adding a penalty three minutes later as England were able to take an early grip on proceedings.
Daly returned to the field after passing the HIA, only to leave it again two minutes later at the insistence of England’s team medics. Brown also returned from the sin bin on 13 minutes but his side had shipped 10 points during his absence. Farrell added his second penalty on 16 minutes, before Scotland also lost their influential fullback Stuart Hogg when he suffered a knock and failed the HIA.
The visitors finally showed some fight when prop Gordon Reid burrowed over from close range and Finn Russell converted to make it 20-7 after 30 minutes.
However, England immediately hit back when Farrell kicked his third penalty when Jonny Gray was penalised for pulling down a line-out.
It got worse for Scotland when Courtney Lawes claimed a line-out and the ball came quickly off-thetop, allowing Farrell to flick a clever flat pass to the razor-sharp Joseph who cut yet another superb line through Scotland’s porous midfield. The Bath flyer fed his club team-mate Watson who screamed outside Scotland’s defence for England’s third try. In truth, the game was already over. Farrell added the extras to make it 30-7 after 37 minutes and a cricket score beckoned with England’s powerful bench yet to enter the fray.
Farrell missed a long-range penalty on the stroke of half-time but England entered the dressing room knowing the championship was theirs and that they would have a shot at a second successive Grand Slam in Dublin next Saturday.
It got even worse for Scotland after the break when Joseph completed his hat-trick with ridiculous ease on 43 minutes. Farrell’s conversion stretched England’s lead to 30 points before another penalty on 47 minutes made it 40-7. Huw Jones scored a try in the left corner for Scotland, which Russell converted, before England sent on Billy Vunipola and Jamie George. Vunipola received a huge ovation on his return from injury and he made an almost immediate impact when he drove over another Lawes line-out take to further add to Scotland’s humiliation.
Farrell’s conversion made it 47-14 with more than a quarter to go and Scotland then lost Tommy Seymour and Ryan Wilson with concussion as the mental and physical toll on the visitors grew.
Jones scored his second try on 70 minutes, converted by Russell, but it was far too little too late and England’s replacement scrum-half Danny Care took his side past the half century mark before adding his second on the stroke of fulltime.