ENGLAND'S win over Wales was a phenomenal performance, the best I've seen from this group of players.

I like to look at games from the outside, but anyone would say that this is a rapidly improving England side.

What I felt was that the win was more important to England than it was Wales.

Would it have had any meaning for Wales for next year's Rugby World Cup? Probably not, but for England it would have been a huge mountain to climb if they had lost four in a row to their rivals.

There are still a few positions in the England team that need looking at, but they have a few leaders now.

It bodes really well, but what would be massive for this team is to go to their three-test tour of New Zealand and win one of those games.

In terms of the Six Nations Championship finale this weekend, the ball is in Ireland's court and I do think they will see it through against France in Paris.

It's one of those situations where everybody will go home not fully happy. Ireland will kick themselves for not winning at Twickenham and England will do likewise about their defeat in Paris.

As for Bath, Sunday's LV= Cup defeat to Exeter was a disappointment, but something that had to happen at some stage.

Everyone knows Bath were short of a few players, but it probably shows that they're still not quite the real thing yet.