Wales’ woes are not just for their team and fans, but a crisis for the Six Nations | Michael Aylwin

England did not play all that well in thrashing Wales and it is hard to see how the visitors pull themselves out of the rutEngland really didn’t play that well. Certainly, if the number of points left out there is any guide. There were times in the first half, that part of the game when both teams are meant to be still in it, when it seemed as if scoring a try just required the hosts to string enough passes together.Fair enough, they did score four in the first half alone, but two of them, the second and third, came when Wales were down to 13. So, yeah, string enough passes together …We are quibbling, obviously, but paving the way for the real story here, which is Wales

‘We let people down’: Dewi Lake apologises to Wales fans after England thrashing

The Wales captain, Dewi Lake, has apologised to Welsh supporters for “letting them down” after his team’s comprehensive 48-7 defeat by England. The visitors were second best in all departments and have now lost 22 of their last 24 Test matches with a buoyant France heading for Cardiff next Sunday in ominous form.Lake did not mince his words after his team’s latest heavy loss which saw them concede seven tries and receive four yellow cards. “We let ourselves down, we let people down,” he said. “We spoke all week about what we were going to produce and we didn’t do it

Team GB lose Cas appeal over new skeleton helmets at Winter Olympics

Great Britain’s skeleton team have been banned from wearing its new aerodynamic helmets at the Winter Olympics after the court of arbitration for sport ruled they were illegal because its “rear significantly protrudes”.The news is a big blow to Team GB’s Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt, who have dominated skeleton all season, winning all seven of the World Cup races between them.Those victories were won with a different helmet, but Weston and Wyatt were hoping to go even quicker by using a differently shaped design.In its appeal to Cas, the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association had argued that the new helmet, which it started using in St Moritz last week, was compliant with the rules because it was manufactured without any elements “attached” to it and did not have “aerodynamic modifications”.However the sport’s governing body, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, disagreed, saying the BBSA’s innovative design was aerodynamic and did not comply with its rules

England 48-7 Wales: Six Nations player ratings from Twickenham

15) Freddie Steward Dropped the first two high balls that came his way, which is uncharacteristic for him, but grew into the game thereafter. Lovely basketball pass to Chessum. 7/1014) Tom Roebuck A late call-up with questions over whether he was fully fit. Quiet first half, much more involved in the second. Simple finish early in second half

‘It’s bigger than just coach and athlete’: Jess Hull’s family ties bind an Olympic dream

When Jessica Hull races, she knows exactly when to make her move. And in 2023, Hull made a move that would become career-defining: returning to Australia to be coached by her dad. Now, she is one of the world’s fastest middle-distance runners.It was a full-circle moment for the 29-year-old. Simon Hull first coached his daughter in her early teens, the difference now being that they write the training together

England 48-7 Wales: Six Nations 2026 rugby union – as it happened

Thank you for joining me for this one. England were rampant and it felt like they were in third gear so fans can expect more from the team over this tournament. For Wales, well they have a lot of work to do and Rob Kitson sums it up perfectly in his report which you can read below: “Wales were not so much beaten as buried beneath an avalanche of seven white tries.” We will be back with all the second round Six Nations action next weekend, see you then.England travel to Scotland next weekend, while Wales’ tournament does not get any easier as France are coming to Cardiff