It isn’t often that major rugby Tests are done and dusted inside the first 30 minutes.
Yet the steamrolling fashion in which England destroyed the French at Twickenham on Sunday should send out a clear message to their future Six Nations rivals.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
If their 44-8 demolition of Les Bleus had happened in isolation, it could perhaps be dismissed as further proof of the chronic decline in France’s fortunes during the last decade. And the visitors to London were truly dreadful, defending as if their players hadn’t been introduced to one another, and folding like a Jiffy bag under the onslaught.
However, that shouldn’t detract from a brace of mesmerising performances by England, whether in trouncing reigning champions, Ireland in their own backyard, or putting the French to the sword with a heady mixture of scintillating back play and crash, bang wallop from their pack.
Eddie Jones suffered plenty of setbacks in 2018. And the hard-bitten England coach was refusing to talk about Grand Slams as the dust settled over Twickenham, especially given the fact their next match is against Wales – who are also unbeaten in the campaign – at the Millennium Stadium on February 23.
Yet there’s a compelling potency about the team which he has assembled in the build-up to the World Cup later this year. Blistering pace from Jonny May, Henry Slade and Owen Farrell. The experience of such seasoned veterans as Manu Tuilagi, George Kruse, Billy and Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, Courtney Lawes…men who have an aura about them at the moment. And the ability to seize the initiative and momentum, whether adopting an expansive approach or keeping things tight.
It’s difficult to envisage the Welsh capitulating as meekly as the French when these two sides lock horns, but Warren Gatland is missing some key personnel and his charges are already two points behind the RFU’s finest in the championship race.
One of the main challenges will be halting England’s ability to put early points on the board and use that as a platform to dominate opponents. But thus far, the Welsh themselves have been slow out of the blocks and we shouldn’t forget they trailed France 16-0 at the interval in Paris less than a fortnight ago. If they replicate that display, England will thrash them.
From a Scottish perspective, the myriad problems faced by their Gallic counterparts should provide a huge incentive, in advance of the sides meeting at the Stade de France on Saturday week.
They haven’t tasted victory in Paris since 1999 – an afternoon when Gary Armstrong’s team silenced the home fans with a breathtaking 36-22 win. But there’s nothing for them to fear from the French, no genies in the bottle or magic solutions which might offer an escape route for their hapless coach Jacques Brunel.
From this point, I’m convinced the battle is for second place in the 2019 competition and Scotland are still in contention.
But, in all probability, they will travel South next month with the job of trying to prevent the Jones boys from collecting another Grand Slam.
And they haven’t prevailed at the dreaded “HQ” since 1983.
