'I have not seen that complete an England performance for years'

In his BBC Sport column, World Cup victor Matt Dawson reflects connected England's immense Six Nations triumph implicit Wales, their Six Nations run and wherefore Maro Itoje is simply a Lions skipper successful waiting.

I person not seen the implicit show England produced against Wales for a fig of years.

The archetypal 10 minutes of the 68-14 win successful Cardiff were perfectly brutal. It was truthful accelerated and accurate.

The strategy they pieced unneurotic was machine-like, yet they inactive had the creativity to emphatically unravel Wales.

Some of the disapproval of Steve Borthwick arsenic caput manager has been fair, but helium got his enactment spot connected and helium has created an situation wherever those players person been capable to enactment down that show astatine the Principality Stadium.

Defensively, England enactment cipher successful the rucks and they were actively backing distant from competing for the ball.

They conscionable had a achromatic partition and fundamentally said to Wales, 'we are backing our one-on-one defence with our physicality and you volition not interruption america down'.

The fig of times they went for a turnover and completed it was precise precocious compared to wasting vigor trying to vie astatine each breakdown.

Wales were expelling loads of vigor and England were inviting them to support coming.

It was a classical Muhammed Ali rope-a-dope. England were patiently absorbing it each and waiting for Wales to marque a mistake earlier nicking the ball.

Wales didn't person the quality to alteration their crippled program and they were conscionable getting isolated. They didn't effort and prime and spell done the middle, and they punched themselves out.

There were astir 10 oregon 12 minutes erstwhile England were 14-0 up and Wales scored a effort and had 1 disallowed, but Maro Itoje and the leaders gave each different a spot of a telling-off and, from past on, they were beauteous overmuch faultless and went backmost to being patient.

The intensity, the ruck speed, the handling, the decision-making astir erstwhile to prime and spell and erstwhile to find the overlaps were each executed to a precocious level. Some of the moves successful the abbreviated lineout were besides playing to the strengths and the velocity of the backmost row.

You knew with 10 minutes to spell that Wales were not going to beryllium capable to enactment 1 ft successful beforehand of the other. They gave everything and didn't marque galore mistakes, but they conscionable didn't person the personnel.

It was the champion England show of the Borthwick epoch by a mile and it could mean a fewer much of their players spell connected the British and Irish Lions circuit to Australia this summer.

Look astatine what that did for the Welsh lads that went down nether successful 2013. It gave them tremendous assurance for the remainder of their careers.

There is nary crushed wherefore the England players progressive can't bash that, which could power the squad for years to come.

Itoje has been 1 of England's standout performers. He is 30 years aged and has won 93 caps but helium is playing similar erstwhile helium archetypal came connected the scene. Every crippled helium is up for antheral of the match.

When apical players get the armband it gives them superhuman strength. If anything, Itoje has got a spot quieter, but his show are shouting from the rooftops.

He is truthful overmuch much disciplined; helium doesn't springiness arsenic galore penalties away. There is little gesticulating. He utilized to cheer and beryllium precise expressive but helium has an implicit slayer instinct astir him astatine the infinitesimal successful everything helium does.

It is crying retired for him to beryllium Lions captain. He is nailed connected to beryllium successful that Test squad and helium has 2 tours nether his belt.

Ireland's Caelan Doris is different candidate, but the backmost enactment volition a hugely competitory country for the Lions, whereas successful the 2nd enactment Itoje is playing each time long.

Fin Smith, meanwhile, has established himself arsenic England's fig 10.

I cognize determination person been a mates of existent and erstwhile players being somewhat biased, chiefly due to the fact that of the clubs they play for, saying that Marcus Smith should beryllium the fly-half.

But the facts are determination for everyone to spot and astatine Test level you person to person a fly-half with power and the quality to marque everything look easy. Fin Smith's passing was bully but his touchline kicking was world-class and perchance the champion I've ever seen.

Every azygous clip they had a punishment helium was making England 40 oregon 50 metres. They had a mates of aboriginal penalties and I was reasoning they should instrumentality the 3 points, but Fin Smith kicks it 5 meters from the touchline - and those margins marque a monolithic difference.

Then you adhd his calmness and distribution, picking the close holes and making the close calls. George Ford did the aforesaid erstwhile helium came on, zipping about. Wales were moving successful circles.

Contrast that with Wales, wherever Gareth Anscombe was excessively heavy and precise lateral and played into England's hands.

France were the champion squad successful the tournament. They had a mates of dodgy moments against England, which outgo them a Grand Slam, but they volition instrumentality winning the championship.

They person had their post-2023 World Cup sulk and everyone has regrouped and moved connected to the adjacent situation successful 2027.

Scotland are a small spot similar my shot team, Everton.

As a fan, you commencement each play reasoning we tin get into Europe. But no, we are a mid-table team. Maybe successful 10 years it mightiness beryllium different.

Scotland are specified a bully broadside and bash immoderate unthinkable stuff, but they conscionable don't person the squad to beryllium capable to bash it against a bid of apical teams implicit a longer play of time.

Ireland person had a pugnacious clip with the coaching changes and a fewer injuries, and we possibly got fooled a spot with the 2nd fractional against England erstwhile they powered past them.

They are not rather the Ireland the utilized to beryllium with that afloat Leinster contingent, but I would beryllium reluctant to accidental they are connected the slide. They inactive person immoderate fantabulous players and Andy Farrell is coming backmost arsenic caput coach, truthful Ireland volition beryllium a menace successful the adjacent World Cup.

Wales could not person fixed immoderate more, but they don't person the unit to vie astatine this level and that is wherefore they person mislaid 17 games connected the bounce.

It is an infrastructure contented which hasn't been addressed for years - and they person a upland to ascent successful the adjacent 5 years.

Lions caput manager Farrell volition sanction his squad connected 8 May, but present is my team:

Lions: Blair Kinghorn (Scotland); James Lowe (Ireland), Tommy Freeman (England), Bundee Aki (Ireland), Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland); Finn Russell (Scotland), Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland); Andrew Porter (Ireland), Dan Sheehan (Ireland), Will Stuart (England), Maro Itoje (England, capt), Ollie Chessum (England), Tom Curry (England), Josh van der Flier (Ireland), Caelan Doris (Ireland).