Whereas England seized up against Italy, they bullied Scotland with a performance of spite, swagger and spark. A fortnight ago, it appeared as though New Zealand’s record of consecutive Test wins was making them feel claustrophobic. This weekend, Eddie Jones’ side seemed to embrace expectation and surged to an 18th consecutive triumph.

Granted, an inconceivable spate of backline injuries forced the visitors beyond contingency plans to desperate measures – and it will irk Paul Gustard that England still conceded three tries. French referee Mathieu Raynal did not entertain Scotland’s scavengers at the breakdown, either.

Even so, the hosts piled up 18 more points than they ever have in a Calcutta Cup fixture. Passing the 58 they put on Fiji last November, the Grand Slam champions amassed their biggest total since unpicking Romania at the 2011 World Cup. And, as Jones admitted afterwards, England probably “left 10 more out there” thanks to a flat period in the fourth quarter.

Though the Six Nations is sealed, a trip to Dublin represents an entirely different challenge. But Ireland have been sent a warning. Here are five facets of attacking play that England demonstrated on Saturday.

Itoje out wide

Both during the final stages of the Wales game…