Henry Arundell achieved a hat-trick of tries as England commenced their Six Nations title campaign by decisively defeating Wales 48-7 at Allianz Stadium.
Following France’s emphatic 36-14 victory over Ireland on the opening night, Steve Borthwick’s squad responded by crossing the Welsh try line seven times, marking their 12th consecutive Test victory.
Arundell marked his first Test start since the 2023 World Cup with three tries in the first half, complemented by touchdowns from Ben Earl, Joe Roebuck, and Tommy Freeman, along with a penalty try.
George Ford expertly orchestrated the play at fly-half, and England’s accuracy in the first half was notable, although they eased off after the break against opponents who had shown resilience.
Wales, in a state of crisis, hastened their own demise with a reckless disciplinary collapse in the first quarter, conceding 10 penalties in just 21 minutes, resulting in front row players Nicky Smith and Dewi Lake being sent to the sin bin.
Errors plagued their performance, and despite a more competitive second half, Wales’ 12th straight Six Nations defeat, a streak that has persisted since 2023, highlighted their decline.
Earlier that day, Italy surprised the Six Nations by defeating Scotland 18-15 in Rome, but at Twickenham, it quickly became evident that another upset was unlikely.
By the end of the first quarter, England had raced to a 15-0 lead, thanks to two straightforward finishes from Arundell, both set up by Ford, who showcased his precise passing and kicking.
However, the drama extended beyond the scoring, as Wales’ early disciplinary issues placed them in a precarious situation.
By the 16th minute, referee Pierre Brousset cautioned Lake that yellow cards would soon be issued due to the increasing penalty count, which had reached five, and within a minute, both Smith and Lake found themselves in the sin bin.
Earl was heavily involved, and after England attacked one side, they shifted play left, where their number eight demonstrated the strength to score.
When a rare Welsh attack faltered, the ball was passed to Arundell, who completed his hat-trick, followed by Roebuck crossing early in the second half.
In a demonstration of how straightforward it had been, Roebuck had three unmarked teammates outside him who could have also scored.
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Maro Itoje was sin-binned moments after entering the match, and Wales concluded a promising phase with Josh Adams collecting a Dan Edwards kick and scoring.
England had lost their momentum, but with visiting centre Ben Thomas in the sin-bin and the impressive Earl moved to centre, they regained their rhythm with Pollock earning a penalty try.
Taine Plumtree joined Thomas in receiving a yellow card, leaving Wales with just 13 players, but Tom Curry then drew the attention of the active Brousset for a no-arms tackle.
Freeman capped off the match with a powerful try, although England will recognize they missed opportunities to score in the second half.
