England crush Wales with historic ten-try victory

Wales 14-68 England

England delivered a statement performance in Cardiff, running in ten tries to dismantle Wales.

The emphatic victory sent Steve Borthwick’s side to the top of the championship table, meaning France needed to defeat Scotland in the final match to claim the Six Nations title - and they duly delivered with a 35-16 triumph in Paris.

England wasted no time asserting their dominance, scoring inside three minutes. A penalty allowed them to kick into the corner, and after two phases, Maro Itoje powered over for the opening try. Wales thought they had hit back in the 6th minute when Blair Murray finished off a bouncing ball from a high kick, but the TMO ruled out the try due to offside.

Just moments later, England struck again. In the 10th minute, a dominant scrum earned them a penalty, which Fin Smith kicked into touch. From the lineout, Smith executed a looping pass to Tom Roebuck, who muscled his way over. With the conversion, England extended their lead to 14-0.

Wales showed attacking intent and, in the 22nd minute, Ben Thomas raced under the posts after a well-worked lineout play to cut the deficit to 14-7. However, their resurgence was short-lived. Gareth Anscombe’s restart was charged down, and in the 24th minute, England capitalized as Tommy Freeman powered through two defenders for a third try.

Two minutes later, England struck again. Ben Earl won a crucial penalty in midfield, and after swift passing, Chandler Cunningham-South finished a flowing move in the 26th minute. Just before halftime, in the 38th minute, Will Stuart stormed over following a Ben Curry break, ensuring England went into the break with a commanding 33-7 lead.

Wales came out stronger in the second half and controlled possession for the first ten minutes. England conceded three penalties in quick succession, with Maro Itoje at fault twice, but Wales failed to convert pressure into points. In the 51st minute, Ben Curry won a turnover on England’s try-line, denying the hosts a crucial score.

England responded with another surge. In the 57th minute, Alex Mitchell took advantage of a loose ball, kicking ahead and scoring under the posts. Shortly after, in the 63rd minute, debutant Henry Pollock got his first international try after a fine George Ford pass. Three minutes later, Joe Heyes bulldozed over in the 66th minute to extend England’s lead further.

Wales managed a second try in the 77th minute through Ben Thomas, but England were far from done. Pollock struck again in the 79th minute, effortlessly finding space after another Ford pass. With the clock in the red, Cunningham-South completed the rout with a try in the 82nd minute, marking a record-breaking defeat for Wales in Cardiff.

“The scoreline marked Wales' biggest defeat in Cardiff in championship history and their biggest-ever defeat to England.”