England may not have been able to beat Grand Slam champions Wales in Cardiff, but their performance was nothing to be ashamed of...

Johnno's tactics

Those who greeted Martin Johnson's appointment as England manager with utter dread can rest assured that the head coach does have a fully-functioning rugby brain between those big ears. Unlike the botched Italian Job where Johnson was seen burying his head in his hands, against Wales the rugby world saw a new Martin Johnson. The astute tactician, Johnno predicted where the Welsh threat would come, and neutralised Andy Powell by putting Joe Worsley in his way. For all Warren Gatland's years as one of the best coaches in the world, the Kiwi certainly didn't out-think the England man in Cardiff, as wave after wave of Welsh attack broke against a robust England defence. In attack England were a threat, scoring two tries to Wales' one, and had they not conceded so many cheap penalties, then the result may well have been different.

Leading man

Man of the match by a country mile, Joe Worsley gave his Lions chances a shot in the arm. Not only will Ian McGeechan have been pleased to see the Wasps man deny Powell on countless occasions, but England will have gained heart from his performance. In a side struggling for leaders, Worsley was a man-mountain, taking dozens of hits and charging at the Welsh with every opportunity. Steve Borthwick take note, Worsley was a titan at the Millennium Stadium and inspired his side.

Creative back line

After a dismal display at Twickenham where England merely capitalised on Italian mistakes, it was fantastic to see genuine creativity from the English backs. Delon Armitage's jinking try is exactly the sort of ambitious rugby that England should be playing, and Paul Sackey's score in the corner was the product of a fine piece of vision by Andy Goode. Unfortunately there were times when England simply hoofed the ball at the first sight of a red shirt, but at last the backs started to click as England surged through the midfield with refreshing enthusiasm.

Life after Jonny

Despite being sent to the sin bin – which came after a try-saving tackle – Andy Goode had an excellent game. The No.10 put in a solid performance, making effective runs; he also put in a wonderful chip for Sackey's try, not to mention a stunning drop goal from wide on the left. The following day Danny Cipriani had a cracking game for Wasps, surely earning himself a recall for the England side that will face Ireland in Dublin. Toby Flood's missed penalty six minutes from time was an indicator of just how much England are missing Wilkinson, but while Jonny will forever remain in our hearts, Cipriani needs to be given chances if he is to become the future of English rugby.

Showing character under pressure

It was always going to be a tall order to topple Wales in Cardiff, and while Martin Johnson will be disappointed that England couldn't snatch the win, he will be proud that his side didn't let their heads drop. Losing 9-8 at half time, England were in the hunt, and it was really only when Toby Flood missed his penalty in the 74th minute that the game did indeed seem lost. The last time England came up against quality opposition was when they faced the Southern Hemisphere sides in the Autumn - and they were royally thrashed in the latter stages of games. This wasn't the case at the weekend, and while England may have been beaten by Wales, Johnno's boys didn't give up, and for a second it even looked like they might pull off a historic victory.