Step by step, England are heading in right direction

THE start to Jamie George's England captaincy has gone very well, all things considered.

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This has been a far from-perfect start to the Six Nations for England, under a new skipper and with a pledge to launch a new era but two wins from two matches, I will take that.

Ultimately, I do not really care how England win: it is simply about the winning itself.

Of course, everyone wants England to elevate their game to a place where they can challenge the very best - and they are not there yet - but it is clear that they are taking steps forward and, for the time being, that is good enough.

The over-riding emotion at the final whistle of the tense 16-14 win over Wales on Saturday was relief.

England started well, but failed to claim any points from a dominant opening 10 minutes.

The art of Test rugby is converting pressure into points. England had two or three early line breaks, and yet it was Wales who scored first.

That is a big lesson for England to heed.