Six Nations: England withstand Wales comeback to win 23-19 at Twickenham
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Six Nations: England beat spirited Wales at Twickenham
Guinness Six Nations: England v Wales |
|---|
England (12) 23 |
Tries: Dombrandt Pens: Smith 6 |
Wales (0) 19 |
Tries: Adams, Tompkins, Hardy Cons: Biggar 2 |
England survived a threatening second-half comeback to record a fifth successive home Six Nations win over Wales in an untidy game at Twickenham.
Marcus Smith's boot built a 12-0 lead by the end of the first half before Alex Dombrandt went over.
Wales rallied as Josh Adams raced in and Nick Tompkins squirmed between white shirts to make it 17-12.
England scored a pair of penalties, but Kieran Hardy's try kept the contest in doubt until the final play.
Wales, 23-19 down, gamely took on the search for a game-snatching score with the clock in the red, but it proved a phase too far, an ending too far-fetched even for the history of this fixture.
Maro Itoje stole a turnover and Ben Youngs, off the bench to win an England men's record 115th cap, gleefully booted the ball into the stands.
It brought to an end a contest that played out in three acts: England dominance, Wales resistance, and the hosts finally prevailing with the game in the balance.
But neither side will have struck fear into France. Fabien Galthie's side swatted aside Scotland earlier in the day, playing with a fluency and flair that Wales and England, the sides that separate them from a clean sweep, fell far short of.
It will take a shock result, possibly two, to prevent them inheriting the Six Nations crown that is lost to Wales now.
Wales pay for slow start
Itoje's steal was a fitting final note.
The England second row had snaffled the ball from Smith's kick-off as England started at a clip and Wales, once again in this championship, were caught cold.
Scrum-half Harry Randall shuttled between breakdowns at break-neck speed as England probed and stretched deep in Wales' half.
Itoje clamped down over an isolated Alex Cuthbert to force a penalty. Ross Moriarty was off his feet for another. Smith punished both from the tee to give England a six-point lead after as many minutes.
It could have been worse for Wales. It should have been better for England.
Nick Tompkins' third Test try threw the outcome into doubt
Smith screwed a straightforward penalty wide on 17 minutes. Wales, down to 14 men after Liam Williams was sin-binned for a sleight of hand at the bottom of a ruck, survived an England scrum five out.
But, short of ball and time in the England 22m, Wales hung in the fight, Cuthbert's power and pace reminding the hosts that their slender lead left them vulnerable to a sucker punch.
And the visitors ducked and dived all the way to the interval with Taulupe Faletau and Wyn Jones derailing a rolling maul that seemed destined for the tryline, and England had only two more penalties to show for their superiority.
Wales' tightrope walk suffered a slip within three minutes of the restart. Hooker Ryan Elis and his jumpers got their wires crossed five metres out and a grateful Dombrandt swerved and stretched to beat Cuthbert and score.
At 17-0 down, it seemed the contest might be over. But Wales, as captain Dan Biggar had requested earlier in the week, belatedly found the spirit of their famous Rugby World Cup win over England in 2015.
On that occasion, the visitors fought back from 10 points down to shock Twickenham.
This time, they set nerves jangling as Tomos Williams' whipped cut-out pass beat England's blind-side defence and Adams tiptoed down the touchline to score.
Seven minutes later, Tompkins, who played for England at age-group and second-string level, hit a carving line to cross.
Welsh belief bloomed. English voices shrank in the stands. This time though, in contrast to the opening-round defeat by Scotland, England coach Eddie Jones opted to keep Smith in place rather than switch in the more experienced George Ford off the bench.
He was rewarded as Smith, in combination with Youngs, saw out victory. Jack Nowell's strength at the breakdown secured a penalty that steadied the ship and, despite Hardy's late dart and some late adventure from deep, Wales ultimately paid dearly for their slow start.
Man of the match - Alex Cuthbert
Cuthbert, making his 50th Test appearance for Wales, was a menace with ball in hand, making 176 metres, more than any other player on the pitch
What they said
England head coach Eddie Jones: "It was a very good win for us - plenty of resilience, plenty of toughness.
"The last five or six minutes I thought we were exceptional, for a young team that is developing I thought there were some good signs out there tonight.
"We have to be more ruthless when we get into the opposition's 22."
Wales head coach Wayne Pivac: "In the first half we were disappointed with the discipline, we gave away eight penalties at the breakdown, with and without the ball.
"Some of them were silly penalties and it's an area we are working hard on."
'A special day' - Youngs on becoming England's record appearance maker
Line-ups
England: Steward; Malins, Daly, Slade, Nowell; Smith, Randall; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Sinckler, Ewels, Itoje, Lawes (Capt), Curry, Dombrandt.
Replacements: George, Marler, Stuart, Isiekwe, Simmonds, Youngs, Ford, Marchant.
Wales: L Williams; Cuthbert, Watkin, Tompkins, Adams; Biggar (capt), T Williams; W Jones, Elias, Francis, Rowlands, Beard, Moriarty, Basham, Faletau.
Replacements: Lake, G Thomas, Brown, S Davies, Morgan, Hardy, Anscombe, J Davies.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Touch judges: Mathieu Raynal (France) & Frank Murphy (Ireland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)