High hits and Ford’s finesse: five things learned from England 45-7 USA | Gerard Meagher

Eddie Jones’s side learned plenty from their second Rugby World Cup match – including the need to play beyond the gongPiers Francis was understandably fired up for his first, and possibly only, start of this World Cup but given all that is swirling around the standard of officiating when it comes to high tackles, his hit on Will Hooley, just five seconds into the match, was remarkably absent-minded. Francis got away with it at the time – equally remarkable was that it was not a penalty, nor reviewed to the TMO – and although it was not as bad as that of the USA’s John Quill, which led to the f…