Jeremy Guscott: Don’t despair, we will come good
I can understand England supporters being dejected over the magnitude of the defeat and, yes, England will need to make some changes going forward.
But let’s take a reality check. They have finished second in the Six Nations Championship for the second successive year and nobody can take away their magnificent victory over New Zealand, nor their gutsy showing against Scotland and Ireland.
This Welsh team had to hit form at some time and they did it yesterday in resounding fashion.
Remember, they are the same side that won the Grand Slam last season. They won another Grand Slam three years earlier.
They are battle-hardened, experienced and physical. They have 648 caps between them; this young England have 290.
From England’s point of view we can look at the what-ifs. What if Manu Tuilagi had taken that early pass from Owen Farrell with the gateway to the posts opening up in front of him?
What if Ben Morgan had been fit for this game, bringing an arrowhead to the back row that was clearly missing yesterday?
Not that captain Chris Robshaw has anything to reproach himself about. His warrior spirit shone through, but he didn’t know whether to look left or right as the Welsh back row got to work.
Justin Tipuric showed himself to be the outstanding No.7 in this Championship and Sam Warburton discovered his form in destructive style.
That helped put Wales on the front foot as England were constantly penalised at the scrum and breakdown.
And once they were on the front foot that meant that their terrifying backline swung into action.
I said before this Championship started that man-for-man the Welsh three-quarters are a formidable unit. Yesterday as they moved into full stride they all looked 6ft 6in and about 24 stone.
Certainly it was all too much for Chris Ashton who failed to get a glove on Mike Phillips when the scrum-half charged 50-metres upfield, not Alex Cuthbert as he bullocked over for tries. And, sadly, the time has come for Ashton to be removed from the firing line and given time to rediscover his game in the marginally calmer atmosphere of the Aviva Premiership.
Mike Brown produced a breathless tap-tackle on George North to save a certain try but he was also exposed by Cuthbert’s power and does not have the speed to operate as an out-and-out winger at this altitude.
What else for England? Tuilagi must be confirmed at 13 with no more talk of him playing 12 or even on the wing. And he must be given a creative partner at 12. Brad Barritt has given sterling service and tackled his heart out, but England need to find a cutting edge and Billy Twelvetrees inside Tuilagi would be a more potent attacking force.
Ben Youngs didn’t have his best day at scrum-half, getting caught twice for a slow feed at scrum time and finding it difficult to get any go-forward. But he was invariably on the back foot.
Wales’ domination started with the front row where Adam Jones, Richard Hibbard and Gethin Jenkins stamped their authority. The two props used their immense experience to give Joe Marler and Dan Cole a torrid time. That plus Hibbard’s great physicality gave Tom Youngs his toughest test at hooker, not helped by his obvious bemusement at referee Steve Walsh’s instructions of exactly where to stand as the engagement began.
Mako Vunipola fared little better at the set-play when he deputised for Marler early in the second half, but he did make his considerable presence felt in the loose.
The result is certain to have an impact on Lions selection. I still believe Robshaw has a fine case to be on the plane but it seems Tipuric and Warburton may just have claimed the flankers’ berths.
But who will be captain? The buzz going around the Millennium Stadium last night was that Alun-Wyn Jones is in with a huge shout.
Certainly the Welsh lock who has captained the Ospreys looks the part. He is fit and fresh after his injury break.
England just looked tired towards the end. Much has been heaped on their young shoulders in the past months and they have come up with answers most of the time.
Here they met a fine Welsh side at the top of their game.
English supporters should not lose heart. There is much to applaud in Lancaster’s squad … as we shall eventually discover.
