Rooney justifying selection, but he's no captain
When Gareth Bale's physics-defying free-kick stung the hands of Joe Hart before finding the net on Thursday, there was an eerie quiet below the Welsh jubilation.
From England captain Wayne Rooney, there were no mandatory hand claps designed to evoke positivity from his teammates, nor was there a desperation in getting the ball and forcing the kick-off immediately. Instead, he stood with Eric Dier and Dele Alli, looking rather conspiratorial as he mumbled under the Dragons' din.
When Rooney hangs up his boots from international football, the way he's remembered could be rather peculiar if Euro 2016 follows a familiar unsuccessful path for England. The country's leading goalscorer, skipper, and (probably by then) appearance-holder will have fronted two exciting generations of national team players to gross underachievement.
The forward that has never lived up to the performances he put in as an 18-year-old at Euro 2004.
Beyond the chants of "Rooney" from England's loyal travelling support, the prominent calls from keen fans in his homeland were for his role to be reduced. Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy were wanted as surefire starters, with the precocious Dele Alli playing an important role behind the front pair; for many England followers, this was the nucleus of their attack.
Instead, Rooney has been asked to do a job that he's not wholly accustomed to. He's been finding pockets of space in the centre of midfield, spreading diagonal passes to the flanks with a sleekness reminiscent of David Beckham at Real Madrid. It's a credit to Rooney that he's been a standout player in the first two matches, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's the right captain.
His lack of loyalty has been apparent several times in his career. He has requested transfers at Manchester United to force new contracts, putting the adulation in the Old Trafford stands at risk in order to satisfy his avarice.
Nor did he exactly lead by example at United in 2015-16, playing out an overall average campaign until a sublime run unravelled Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final last month. It was a season where Louis van Gaal needed the support of his more experienced men, but Rooney was anonymous for chunks of it.
How out of the touch he's been with supporters was best (or worst) showcased on the international stage, when following a sub-par performance in a draw with Algeria at the 2010 World Cup, he derided fans who booed the team after the final whistle. Given the disjointed, lead-footed showing from the Three Lions, and the fact that the match was staged all the way in South Africa, they were well within their rights to voice their displeasure.
And then against Wales, his conversations with Dier and Alli weren't inspiring. It was akin to an employee keenly starting a new job and encountering a cantankerous old campaigner who's been there years, and who promptly whittles down the newcomer's enthusiasm. Well, he's hardly going to deliver a Churchillian monologue to Hodgson's younger ranks.
His professionalism and work rate are certainly inspiring for his teammates, but he's an inward performer. His aggression is still there, but he channels it into a gritted-teeth outing rather than looking at trying to rile up his colleagues and drag them to victory.
The captaincy should be Hart's. Having a skipper between the sticks isn't exactly popular in England, but Gianluigi Buffon proves it can be done with incredible success.
Hart was the only vocal member in the tunnel before kick-off, trying to rouse his team behind a mute Rooney. He sings the national anthem with more vigour - certainly more than the slight lip movements mustered by the incumbent captain.
Hart has also shown a great maturity and honesty while assuming the task of unofficial spokesman in the regular absences of Manchester City talisman Vincent Kompany, too.
It's perhaps a damning indictment of the current crop of England players that there's such a lack of leadership, but there is no more enthusiastic and proud national team regular than Hart.