England stake claim as chief Six Nations title rivals to France - but Steve Borthwick and George Ford left wanting more after mauling Wales
England blend power and precision to crush Wales and underscore status as France's main Six Nations challengers, but Steve Borthwick targets further improvement ahead of pivotal trip to Murrayfield
Saturday 7 February 2026 23:15, UK
If France set the benchmark with their emphatic opening‑night victory over Ireland, then England proved they are the main rivals to their Six Nations crown.
Saturday's emphatic 48-7 victory over Wales laid down a marker at the start of a tournament in which England must take the next step towards silverware under Steve Borthwick.
England brought a level of brutality - both offensively and defensively - that a Welsh side out of form and in transition had no chance of containing.
- England 48-7 Wales - Match report
- Six Nations 2026: Fixtures and schedule | Standings
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World‑class scrum‑half Tomos Williams and Louis Rees‑Zammit, deployed at full‑back in his first Six Nations appearance since returning from his stint in the NFL, were neutralised and nullified, leaving Wales defenceless against the onslaught that followed.
England's dominance was asserted at a canter, without the need to move beyond second gear. They plundered 48 points, and everyone inside Allianz Stadium agreed they could - and should - have had more.
"We're obviously delighted with the result, and by and large I thought the performance was good," England fly‑half and player of the match George Ford said.
"There's a tad bit of frustration in that as well. We wanted a good start, a decent performance, and we got that. But we probably left a bit out there today."
Tandy rues 'self-inflicted' parts of defeat
Crisis‑stricken Wales arrived at Twickenham with expectations at an unprecedented low given the off‑field turmoil engulfing Welsh rugby.
On the pitch, they hastened their downfall with a brainless first‑quarter mired by disciplinary issues.
In a 21-minute spell, Wales conceded 10 penalties and saw front‑rowers Nicky Smith and Dewi Lake sent to the sin‑bin.
England scored 12 points while Wales were down to 13 to extinguish any hope of the unlikeliest of upsets.
"We're really frustrated," head coach Steve Tandy said. "Through the autumn and working with the group, I've loved it, but we're more disappointed with ourselves today.
"A lot of what happened was self‑inflicted. We felt we were in a good place, but to lose while having four yellow cards and being very inaccurate with the ball, you're always going to fall behind on the scoreboard.
"It's part of the game, and part of our journey to where we need to go. We are where we are for a reason.
"Ultimately, we're really disappointed with our performance tonight. England are in a really good spot, but we're bitterly disappointed."
Borthwick insists plenty of room for improvement
England's challenge before the Six Nations was clear: reach their Round 5 clash with France in Paris with a Grand Slam still on the table.
Looking that far ahead, though, is a sure way to derail their ambitions - especially with challenges more difficult than Wales, beginning with Saturday's trip to Murrayfield, looming.
England may enter the Calcutta Cup as holders and Scotland may be reeling from their 18‑15 opening‑round defeat in Italy, but England have not won in Edinburgh since 2020.
That victory came two years before Borthwick's appointment, and the England head coach outlined a number of areas for improvement before travelling to Murrayfield.
"Defensively we were excellent," he said. "We know Wales have got so many dangerous players and pace out wide and we shut them down really well.
"Our kicking game was good and the set‑piece did a good job, but there's plenty of room for improvement. What is really pleasing is we created loads of opportunities and we can get better at converting those.
"Especially in that second half, we didn't convert the opportunities in the manner I would like us to. There is plenty for us to go and work on."
England's 2026 Six Nations fixtures
All times UK and Ireland
- England 48-7 Wales (Saturday February 7) - Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (4.40pm)
- vs Scotland (Saturday February 14) - Murrayfield (4.40pm)
- vs Ireland (Saturday February 21) - Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (2.10pm)
- vs Italy (Saturday March 7) - Stadio Olimpico, Rome (4.40pm)
- vs France (Saturday March 14) - Stade de France, Paris (8.10pm)
