Arundell outshines rival to show very different futures

Louis Rees-Zammit could have been forgiven for casting a few envious glances Henry Arundell's way.

- LUKE BAKER

This can't have been what the Welsh wizard thought he was signing up for when he made his much-ballyhooed return to rugby after an NFL sojourn.

There was little he could do as his Wales team were outfought, outclassed and humiliatingly outscored at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, to kick off a 2026 Six Nations campaign that looks worryingly like it will be just as fruitless as the previous two.

On the day that their presumed wooden spoon rivals Italy were holding on for a hard-fought and thoroughly well-deserved victory over Scotland in Rome, Wales were proving not even the slightest match for an England side that didn’t need to get out of second gear.

A 29-0 halftime deficit became 48-7 by the final whistle. For those keeping count at home, that’s an aggregate score of 116-21 in the past two fixtures between the sides. The Welsh malaise has been well documented, yet the sheer scale of the climb back to competency that they face is becoming alarmingly apparent.

But back to Rees-Zammit and Arundell. There are undeniable similarities between the pair - explosive back-three athletes with pace to burn and a remarkable highlight reel of tries. Yet both have faced questions over their defensive and aerial ability and thus their capacity to be truly effective Test performers over the long term.

In the short term, however, Arundell is getting an armchair ride in a team on the up that suddenly knows its identity and has an attack that is clicking, while Rees-Zammit is fighting for scraps in a young, overmatched squad flailing around in the dark.