England break cover to glimpse new life

OWEN Farrell’s sending off in the 63rd minute of this helter-skelter second warm-up Test against Wales was the catalyst not only for this game to come to life, but also for England to get a glimpse of resurrection

- NICK CAIN

What sort of resurrection is not yet clear, because given Farrell’s high tackle history, the England captain is unlikely to be available for the World Cup opener against Argentina in Marseille four weeks from now.

Accentuating the positives, this narrow victory, clinched by a George Ford penalty five minutes from time, brought to an end a dismal period for England – which extended into the first hour of this match.

Bizarrely, Farrell’s dismissal for a rising shoulder to the head of Wales bench flanker Taine Basham saw England transformed in the last 17 minutes of the match. It was as if the players in white, with their backs firmly to the wall, suddenly discovered a purpose and mettle that has been missing for most of Steve Borthwick’s eight-month tenure.

The final quarter of this match was more harum-scarum than anything seen at Twickenham for eons, with England finally coming alive when Farrell’s yellow card –which was raised to red on TMO review – saw them reduced to 12 men.

This was the consequence of two earlier yellow cards given to Ellis Genge and Freddie Steward just before the hour. Genge was binned for “over-leaning and going down” at a scrum soon after coming on for his 50th cap, in what was another unconvincing England scrummaging display.

Steward’s yellow card was potentially match-turning as he conceded a penalty try for tackling Josh Adams in the air as the Welsh winger, celebrating his 50th cap, leaped for a precision-hanging Dan Biggar cross-kick from a sustained Wales attack in the England 22.