It may have been two and a half years in the making but on Saturday, in front of a packed Twickenham, Martin Johnson’s England finally arrived on the world stage.

Victory over the Australians is always special but it was the manner of this performance that so impressed.

The pace and intensity with which England exploded out of the blocks rattled the visitors.

Turning possession into points is one of the hardest aspects of international rugby but England were scoring at will.

Forays into opposition territory were yielding dividends on a consistent basis and the ability of Toby Flood to keep the scoreboard ticking over was reminiscent of Jonny Wilkinson in his pomp.

Penalties are one thing but tries are another and, in Chris Ashton, England look to have a clinical finisher on their hands.

The 35-18 final score owed as much to a fantastic team performance as it did to the brilliance of Ashton.

Tom Palmer and Tom Croft were immense up front and the Flood-Youngs halfback combination dominated the midfield.

Mark Cueto was another notable performer, making valuable yards all afternoon.

Next up for England are Samoa and complacency is the key word to avoid.

If England go out with the same attitude and endeavour on show last weekend, then we could be in for a treat.

Yet Samoa pose an entirely different challenge and, as underdogs, will have nothing to lose.

The physical nature of their game will look to disrupt England’s rhythm and break up play as much as possible.

If England can play their own game then I fully expect another rousing performance.

Last Saturday’s win sent out a message, but now it’s time to start adding some substance by racking up the wins.

* Lawrence Dallaglio is rugby ambassador for Greene King IPA, the official beer of England Rugby. Enjoy a pint of Greene King IPA at your nearest Official England Rugby Supporter Pub by visiting greenekingipa.co.uk