England’s demolition of Wales was near-perfection and proved the longer term is brighter than ever, writes CHRIS FOY – Here’s why Maro Itoje’s gang of assassins are able to wreak havoc on the world stage

Seeing is believing, as they say. This was the occasion when the stars aligned for England and they justified all the bold talk of an impending lift-off. It is real, after all. It is not just wishful thinking.

Look at the scoreline. Look again. What a stunning statement. It was near-perfection, away from home, in a place of fervent hostility, where ghosts of horrors past lurk in every corner. Rarely can finishing second in the Six Nations have come with so much justifiable euphoria attached. France did the job against Scotland to prevent a late title twist, but England produced a result for the ages.

Their hordes of fans in Cardiff had seen it, but they could scarcely believe it. This observer received a half-time message which read: ‘Where the hell has this England been?’ It summed up the mood of joyous incredulity. To think that just a few weeks earlier, Alex Mitchell was being booed for a box-kick barrage against Scotland at Twickenham.

In front of our eyes, Maro Itoje and Co morphed into a gang of assassins and delivered a ruthless execution. It plunged all of Wales into deeper darkness, while suggesting that England’s future is brighter than anyone could have imagined, before this tournament began, on the back of seven defeats in 12 Tests last year.

For so long, there had been defiance from inside the camp, as critics lined up to take shots. They had insisted that a top team was ready to burst out, but it wasn’t apparent to the wider world. England were training the house down, apparently, but not delivering in matches. They were playing well and winning narrowly, or escaping to victory despite clunky performances. They were like a student who revises diligently and effectively, only to unravel in exams.

Not anymore. This Test was passed with an emphatic distinction and it warrants acclaim as a stand-alone feat, even if it didn’t clinch a trophy. It was one of England’s most dominant victories of this or any era, against a leading nation. Sure, Wales are on a downer right now, but they so nearly upset Ireland in round three, so this was supposed to be a tense, close encounter.

England sent a message to the world of rugby with their dominant display in Cardiff

This was an era-defining performance and proved this young team is cooking up a storm

Maro Itoje’s gang of assassins are now ready to be unleashed on the strongest competition

That theory didn’t survive the first quarter. England seized the initiative and never let go. The desire to ram home their superiority in every facet was remarkable to behold. It was a brutal masterpiece which yielded the biggest winning margin since Sir Clive Woodward’s side routed Italy 80-23 in 2001. When France beat the Azzurri 73-24 in Rome last month, it was regarded as a scoreline England could not hope to match, but now they’ve trumped it.

All those outside the set-up craved evidence of progress and this was it, with bells on. Now, after 10 tries and a riot of attacking force and precision, everyone can believe them.

Step back to assess the campaign overview and progress can be identified in so many areas, starting with the captaincy. Jamie George had it taken off him and Maro Itoje was installed in a hurry. He has done such an impressive job of it that the Saracens lock is now being touted as the favourite to lead the Lions in Australia; a role which had appeared to be Caelan Doris’s for the taking until recently. Itoje has led by example, communicated well with officials and had a statesmanlike air.

England abandoned the blitz defence which had become a liability during the Autumn Nations Series and that was a positive step too. They conceded more points than France, but not many – and they problem-solved as the championship went on, to iron out kinks in the system. It is still a work in progress, but that task will become easier once Joe El-Abd can concentrate on it full-time, after a final few months in charge of French club Oyonnax.

In terms of progress pointers, the scrum takes some beating. What a transformation. Rewind to the end of the last summer tour and Steve Borthwick was lamenting a dearth of pedigree tightheads. Now, Will Stuart has been so consistently excellent – in his staple set-piece work and beyond – that the Bath prop is being seen as the front-runner to claim the No 3 shirt for the Lions in their Tests against the Wallabies. Ellis Genge has reached another personal peak too.

There have been ticks in various other boxes, not least to denote a successful transition at 10, where Fin Smith has rapidly established himself as a calm conductor. The Northampton fly-half had the composure to conjure a late winning try for Elliot Daly against France, then orchestrated a big win against Italy and an even bigger, better one on Saturday. He looks to the manner born.

What else? Plenty. Borthwick recognised the need for a bona fide No 8 so the selection of Tom Willis was a shrewd, successful ploy. The rampaging Saracen has given England a different dimension with his ability to break tackles and make ground at close quarters, which the national team have lacked.

Having both Currys – Ben and Tom – at full throttle in tandem has been another plus for England and it would be no surprise to see both twins make the cut for the Lions. Borthwick’s side have shown character to close out tight games and have also solved the recurring problem of final-quarter collapses, partly by deploying more experience on the bench. The breakdown has been another area of improvement, along with the attack in the last two games.

Steve Borthwick made astute calls as England finished their campaign with a flourish

Now attention turns to the coming months, with the USA and Argentina up ahead

So, where to from here? Rookies and fringe men will have their chance in the summer, on the tour of Argentina and the USA, while leading lights are away with the Lions. The English depth chart is looking healthy in most positions, but there is still the need for another scrum-half to emerge as a rival or under-study to Mitchell. And Borthwick will be desperate to bring through another imposing figure in the second row, where stocks are low.

There are three quality 10s to choose from and more midfield cover now that Daly and Tommy Freeman have filled in there well and Fraser Dingwall has re-emerged as a Test-class option. Tom Roebuck is another asset on the wing and England showed potency despite being without Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; their break-through star of 2024.

George Furbank’s stock has risen in his enforced absence, but this was a demoralising campaign for a few familiar faces. Henry Slade may be gone for good now, while Freddie Steward is clearly viewed as an insurance-policy last line of defence, against a high-kicking team. Marcus Smith will know that he is seemingly destined to function as an impact replacement and poor Ted Hill had just a handful of minutes before being usurped in the back-row pecking order, where competition is cut-throat.

England’s four-out-of-five return is a fine outcome despite just missing out on title, which means that the Borthwick regime appears safe and settled for a change. His team met the expectations of the RFU and provided evidence of clear, title-winning potential, despite twice playing a get-out-of-jail card along the way.

As for Wales, what a miserable mess. What a rebuild awaits. The scale of this mismatch may have an impact on their coach recruitment process, as it has highlighted to any prospective candidate that they would have to launch a revival mission from the bottom of a deep hole. Even two Tests in Japan at the end of the season now appear fraught with danger.

Caretaker head coach Matt Sherratt’s arrival – following the abrupt departure of Warren Gatland – had a bounce effect to start with, but this was a brutal indication of a power deficit. Wales just don’t have monstrous size and clout, especially up front. As ever, there are some technically-gifted players in their ranks, but they were simply blown away by a bigger visiting side.

Victory for the Welsh Under 20s to spoil England’s Grand Slam crusade was a sign of hope for the future, but the short-term outlook is bleak. There is no escaping the fact that the sport in Wales is in a dire state and whoever is appointed as the WRU’s new director of rugby has a huge job on their hands. It is not for the faint-hearted.

There were no crumbs of comfort here. The scoreline was a fair reflection of a gulf between these teams and there is a real danger that this result could seriously damage oval-ball interest levels in the Principality.

As ever, there is such a focus on the fierce rivalry with England but this was a humiliation at home. No wonder Adam Jones was left standing in a corridor, staring and numb with shock. Being stuck with the figurative booby prize of a wooden spoon is the least of Wales’s problems. This was a record 17th successive Test defeat and a result which means the Cardiff ghosts will turn to haunting them rather than England.