Wales head coach departs with immediate effect following record loss against England

Saturday, 15 March 2025 at 19:27

byRugby Rucker

England are waiting to pounce on any French slip-up after running in 10 tries to dismantle a hapless Wales in Cardiff, securing their biggest-ever Six Nations win over their old rivals.

Join RUCK's Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.

If France fail to beat Scotland in Saturday’s showdown (20:00 GMT kick-off), England will clinch their first title since 2020—a remarkable turnaround after an inconsistent campaign.

Steve Borthwick’s bold selection calls paid off in style. Tommy Freeman thrived in midfield, and a six-forward bench powered England to victory, despite losing key players to injury. Their sheer physicality crushed Wales and left them within touching distance of Six Nations glory.

For Wales, it was another nightmare in red. Any optimism under interim boss Matt Sherratt vanished as they slumped to a record-breaking defeat, their 17th straight loss in the competition. Already resigned to the Wooden Spoon, this humiliation only deepened the crisis.

Sherratt now heads straight back to Cardiff, leaving Wales to pick up the pieces.

The 52-10 hammering overtakes their 2002 Twickenham thrashing (50-10) as their worst Six Nations result. In the 144-year history of this fixture, only a 62-5 World Cup warm-up mauling in 2007 was worse.

ENGLAND: 68

Tries: Maro Itoje (02'), Tom Roebuck (09'), Tommy Freeman (33'), Chandler Cunningham-South (37',90'), Will Stuart (39'), Alex Mitchell (54'), Henry Pollock (66'), Joe Heyes (69')
Pens:
Cons: Fin Smith (02', 10', 34', 38', 55'), Marcus Smith (67', 69',80')

WALES: 14

Cons: Gareth Anscombe (31'), Jarrod Evans (76')
Tries: Ben Thomas (30', 76')
Pens:

WALES PLAYER RATINGS VS ENGLAND:

15. Blair Murray - 5.5

Murray showed his pace early in the contest after pouncing on a loose ball to cross over, but it was ruled out after a long TMO check. He caused the visitors numerous problems with kicks in behind, keeping them on their toes, but nothing came from it.

14. Ellis Mee - 5

The 21-year-old, like his counterparts in the back three, was good at reacting when England spilled the ball and was one of the big ball carriers despite only playing his third international.

13. Max Llewellyn – 5

The Gloucester Rugby man made some big hits and carries as he attempted to put a dent in England’s defence. After a spirited performance from the 26-year-old, he was replaced on 57 minutes by Nick Tompkins.

12. Ben Thomas – 5.5

Since returning to his beloved 12 shirt, Thomas has been playing his best rugby, but apart from his two scores—one at the half-hour mark and another late in the contest—there wasn’t much else to report on.

11. Joe Roberts - 5

Playing for the first time in his professional career on the wing, he had a strong showing despite an injury scare on 18 minutes. He was a great asset in defence, making a notable strip on Elliot Daly in the first half. Like the rest of the back three, when given the ball, he tried to put his side on the front foot.

10. Gareth Anscombe – 4

There was a lot of talk about the 33-year-old’s kicking game against Scotland, and there were again questions as, on 24 minutes, he missed touch when Wales seemed to have a little momentum. He did redeem himself with a brilliant kick into the corner, which was the catalyst for his side's first try, but overall, it wasn’t the best afternoon for the fly-half. He was replaced on 47 minutes by Jarrod Evans.

9. Tomos Williams – 4

It was a quiet afternoon for the Gloucester Rugby scrum-half as Wales’ attacking game was far from where it needed to be to compete with this England side. He kept the tempo up, but nothing went in the hosts’ favour. His Six Nations campaign ended on 63 minutes as Rhodri Williams replaced him.

1. Nicky Smith – 4

The loosehead prop started Wales’ last two games but was outmuscled on too many occasions. He made some good carries where he gained metres, but unlike his previous outing at Principality Stadium, this was a poor performance from the 30-year-old, who went off early in the second half.

2. Elliot Dee – 4

Despite Dewi Lake being back fit, the Dragons RFC man deserved to keep the number two jersey. However, like his front-row teammates, he was simply outclassed. His lineout throws were accurate, but he concluded his Six Nations campaign after being replaced by Dewi Lake at halftime.

3. WillGriff John – 3

After receiving a silly yellow card against Scotland, the Sale Sharks man had another poor showing, particularly in the scrum. The 32-year-old was replaced at halftime by Keiron Assiratti, but England’s dominance continued.

4. Will Rowlands – 4

It hasn’t been the best Six Nations for the Racing 92 man, but he was solid in the early exchanges, both in attack and defence. However, as the game progressed, his impact faded, and he was eventually replaced by Teddy Williams, who many Welsh fans believed should have started.

5. Dafydd Jenkins - 5.5

After an impressive defensive masterclass against Scotland, where he made 28 tackles, Jenkins continued that form in this game with his relentless work rate. Earlier in the week, he stated that England “can’t win” in Cardiff, but despite his efforts, he couldn't inspire his side to victory. It was still an excellent showing from the 22-year-old.

6. Aaron Wainwright -5

Starting his first game since the 43-0 defeat in Paris, Wainwright, like some of his back-row teammates, had a quiet game. He fumbled a golden opportunity early in the second half, though by that point, the game was already won for England.

7. Jac Morgan - 5

The standout performer for Wales in this year’s Championship had one of his quieter games but still made an impact with plenty of unseen work. The Wales captain would have wanted a better performance as he aims for a spot on the Lions tour to Australia this summer.

8. Taulupe Faletau – 5.5

Under the interim head coach, Faletau seemed to have rediscovered his best form, and this was another solid performance as he earned his 108th cap. He made some big hits and carries, but surprisingly, his afternoon was cut short after being replaced by Tommy Reffell on 50 minutes.

Replacements

16. Dewi Lake – 4

17. Gareth Thomas – 4

18. Keiron Assiratti – 3

19. Teddy Williams – 4

20. Tommy Reffell – 5

21. Rhodri Williams – 4

22. Jarrod Evans – 4.5

23. Nick Tompkins – 4

Can you name every England Rugby captain of the professional era?

From the early days of professionalism to the modern era, England has seen a host of legendary captains wearing the armband.

Whether it's the grit of Will Carling in the 90s, the tactical brilliance of Martin Johnson, or the fearless leadership of Owen Farrell, this quiz will challenge even the most dedicated fans.

Think you can name them all? Grab your boots and let's see how well you know the men who led England into battle on the world stage!

5 Things You Missed: Wales 14 - 68 England - 2025 Six Nations

"Full confidence in Maro"- Steve Borthwick backs Itoje to captain British & Irish Lions this Summer