While England slumped to demoralising defeat in one Cardiff citadel, Tom Jones was busy belting out his greatest hits in another.
Steve Borthwick’s men were laboured and one-paced in a galling 20-9 loss at the Principality Stadium. The chances are high that everything came a lot more easily to Sir Tom at his Cardiff Castle gig.
The 83-year-old Welsh maestro might just have been moving more freely than England’s laboured Test warriors to boot. Too harsh, granted, but also impossible to resist a topical dig. England were more high bombs than Sexbomb in the Welsh capital.
Sadly there was nothing unusual at all about their inability to convert a trio of first-half chances.
And Jac Morgan positively lapped up acres of the Green Green Grass of Home when leaving Joe Cokanasiga and Joe Marchant for dead before sending Gareth Davies under the posts for a stunning try. George North twisted the knife with Wales’ second score, to leave the delirious home fans to taunt England by chanting “Why, Why, Why Steve Borthwick”.
Delilah might have been banned by the Welsh Rugby Union, but England seemingly had a moratorium on creativity and poise at the Principality. England are still desperately searching for their identity under new boss Borthwick, and a promising first-half lifted the lid on their basic World Cup building blocks.
The Red Rose platform was well set through solid pack work, thanks to repeated round the corner drives. The visitors were unable to add any real magic to that industry however, and were left to pay the price despite taking a 9-6 lead into the break.
Spare a thought for Wales hooker Ryan Elias, whose World Cup chances will hang on results of a scan on a hamstring issue. The Scarlets front-rower went down less than a minute into this clash in a cruel blow after more than two months of pre-season graft.
Early scrum dominance allowed Marcus Smith to post the three penalties that put England into that half-time lead. But after the interval, and just when England should have stepped up in every aspect, Borthwick’s side somehow hit the skids.
Morgan should never have had the time and space to flummox Cokanasiga and Marchant as he did out wide, the squat flanker almost taunting England with his match-turning break. Scrum-half Davies coasted home after Morgan’s smart pass, and Wales never looked back.
North cemented the win with his score, before Rees-Zammit saw a possible third score chalked off after a television review at the death.
England will name their 33-man World Cup squad on Monday, the bulk of which is already settled.
This defeat will change nothing in terms of head coach Borthwick’s final selection calls. Borthwick admitted he might go for a late-night walk if tonight’s last selection meeting becomes tense or fraught.
He might need to take that walk to calm down after a distinctly underwhelming performance. England are bound to improve quickly and out of sight given this was their first hit-out.
But the scale of progress required must concentrate minds and add major pressure. England’s World Cup opener against Argentina is just 36 days away. Time to turn it on.
