Dropped against Italy, the centre returned to deliver stiletto blows to Scotland and earn a standing ovation in England’s Six Nations title triumph
Three minutes past the last, England were still playing. They had nothing to gain now, except seven points on top of the 54 they had already scored. But they still had something to prove, to Eddie Jones, who rode them hard in the previous week, and to everyone who watched them against Italy, Wales, and France and wondered whether they were good enough to win this Six Nations, or worthy rivals to the world’s No1 side, New Zealand, whose record of 18 consecutive victories they have now equalled.
So they kept running at the Scots, moving the ball back and forth until, at last, they found an opening and Danny Care was able to slip through for a final try, which, when converted, made it 61-21. That was a record score in the history of the oldest international fixture in the sport, achieved against one the finest Scotland sides in a generation.
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