England 3 Wales 0: Stand-ins starting to become something more as Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins make their point

Logic would tell you if England were picking their best team at a World Cup finals, Rogers and Ollie Watkins would not be in it.

Both, though, did their best to challenge that with early goals as England tore Wales apart in what was supposed to be a Wembley friendly.

The competition for places, especially in England's attacking positions, is well and truly on. The Three Lions have a manager who does not just talk the talk on that, but walks the walk when it comes to staying loyal to players who produce for him, not those whose twinkling talent promises.

So it was probably for the best that Bukayo Saka got on the scoresheet too as England ran in three goals inside 20 minutes, something they last did 38 years ago, before any of their players were born.

Unfortunately the scoring stopped there, but as a show of intense intent, it was the perfect way to continue from last month's 5-0 win in Serbia.

Even with a Premier League so dominated by foreign players, England's strength in depth should be a trump card in North America next summer, if you will pardon the pun.

Were Jude Bellingham or Harry Kane's metartarsal to snap at the wrong moment, Rogers and Watkins showed themselves willing and able to step in. But after the statement Tuchel made in leaving the likes of Bellingham and Phil Foden out of this squad, they can have realistic ambitions of more.

So England played this friendly like it was an opportunity, not an obligation.

Tuchel may have been referring to the cause when he called it an "important Alzheimer's Society international", but probably not. The names on the back of both side's shirts went symbolically blank when they re-emerged for the second half in recognition of a cause the Football Association probably owes more to than its lawyers will allow them to acknowledge.

The noisy away fans in a 78,126-strong crowd naturally added to the big-match feel, as did a pre-match firework display that would not have been out of place at a military parade laid on for a dictator. For it to be followed by 22 dementia sufferers taking the place of children by walking out with the players added poignancy.

As soon as the whistle blew, England met business.

They were ahead inside three minutes, John Stones – the team's sole Yorkshireman on his first appearance under Tuchel – putting a header wide from a corner won by Anthony Gordon's shot.

But Marc Guehi showed a hunger to keep it alive, and put the ball back in for Rogers to score.

Eight minutes later it was two and Guehi – another not sure of his place – and Rogers were involved again.

Saka recovered a half-cleared corner and played it back in, only for Rogers to pick it up at the other side of the area and cross again. This time Guehi helped it over and when Neco Williams made a hash of his clearance, Watkins – starting because of a knee injury which kept Kane as an unused substitute – pounced.

It was a huge pity the Aston Villa man only lasted half a game, clattering into the far post as he produced a remarkable miss shortly before the interval.

Before that, Joe Rodon, one of three Leeds United players in the Wales team, produced a big block to deny Saka, but he was only delaying the Arsenal winger's goal.

That came in the 20th minute when England almost casually played the ball out to Saka, who drifted onto his left foot and curled a shot Karl Darlow had no chance with. The closing down from former Sheffield United winger David Brooks was on the relaxed side too.

At that point the game did become more friendly, Wales even having their first shot in the 43rd minute, albeit Harry Wilson ballooned it.

England, with Marcus Rashford on for the injured Watkins, came out strongly for the second half, but inevitably the intensity dropped with both sides having World Cup qualifiers early next week.

Both made quadruple substitutions shortly after the hour, with Ethan Ampadu one of those protected by Craig Bellamy ahead of Monday's visit from Belgium.

Out on the wing, Rashford first involvement was to set up a deflected Djed Spence shot on the full-back's first international start. Gordon, the new centre-forward, pounced on Welsh slackness but was unable to pick the substitute out.

Urged to shoot, Saka instead picked out Rogers in a better position, only for the former Middlesbrough midfielder to hit the crossbar.

In the final 20 minutes Jordan Pickford was called on to make some saves, keeping out a volley Brooks arrived beautifully onto with his shins. He dived to his left to keep out a Chris Mepham header.

Twice in the last 10 minutes Gordon posed a threat, initially denied by another big Rodon block. He had been played through by substitute Jarrod Bowen, but when he tried to return the favour minutes later, the cross cleared the leap of the ex-Hull City forward.

But England had proved their point – or rather the whatever you class Rogers and Watkins as within this squad had. In America, the self-styled land of opportunity, everyone has the chance of making it big.

England: Pickford; Konsa, Stones (Lewis-Skelly 79), Guehi, Spence; Anderson (J Henderson 69), Rice (Loftus-Cheek 69(; Saka (Bowen 69), Rogers (Gibbs-White 69), Gordon; Watkins (Rashford HT).

Unused substitutes: Kane, Eze, Burn, D Henderson, Trafford, Quansah, O'Reilly

Wales: Darlow; Williams (Kpakio 63), Dasilva, Rodon, B Davies (Mepham 63); Brooks, Wilson (James 63), Ampadu (Sheehan 63), Cullen, Johnson (Koumas 76); Moore (Harris 76).

Unused substitutes: King, R Colwill, Cabango, Thomas, I Davies, A Davies, Broadhead, Lawlor, J Colwill.

Referee: U Schnyder (Switzerland).