OVER... AND OFF!
Tuilagi seals victory but is sent off for poor tackle – with Jones accusing referee of being the visitors’ ‘16th man’
England had promised to lift the nation’s spirits and Eddie Jones’s side did not disappoint. The display in their victory over Wales may not have been of vintage standard, but by delivering a first Triple Crown since 2016, the England supporters left Twickenham last night thinking not of coronavirus, but whether their side could yet chase down France to the Six Nations title, whenever the championship is finally completed.
The scoreline did not reflect England’s superiority, with Wales able to score two late tries, by Dan Biggar and Justin Tipuric, coming after England had been reduced to 13 men following Manu Tuilagi’s sending off for a reckless shoulder charge on George North when Ellis Genge was already in the sin bin.
Tuilagi’s red card was the first for an England player in the history of the Five and Six Nations, but the decision was described as “absolute rubbish” by Jones.
His frustration was tempered by his admiration for his players, with Jones claiming his side were now better than the one who reached the World Cup final in Japan last November.
A combination of menace, brute force and smart tactical play enabled them to back up their victory over Ireland in a similarly comprehensive manner. If France, who face Scotland at Murrayfield today and Ireland in Paris next Saturday, do push on to complete a Grand Slam, England’s only regret will be the flatness of their first-round display.
Once again their victory was founded on the brutality of their forwards, with Maro Itoje at the heart of their confrontational approach and Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry and Mark Wilson outstanding in their competition at the breakdown and tackle count. They made 64 tackles between them.
The power and aggression of England’s double-team tackling would prove a constant theme.
So, too, was the niggle, with television replays appearing to show England prop Joe Marler attempt to provoke Alun Wyn Jones by grabbing the Wales lock’s private parts.
Yet England’s back line also seemed intent on making their presence felt. Owen Farrell’s niggly approach got under the skin of the Welsh and Tuilagi’s gainline power was decisive. Ben Youngs, on his 99th cap, was the deserved winner of the man-of-thematch award.
England’s only frustration was their failure to secure a four-try bonus point, as they had also failed to do against Ireland, and the late concession of 14 points prevented them from going above France at the top of the table.
Wales have more serious concerns to address. This was a third successive defeat for Wayne Pivac in his first season as head coach. It was never going to be an easy job to follow in the footsteps of Warren Gatland, and the championship can be a merciless place.
His side played their part in a rumbustious affair, battling to the end and scoring the try of the match, a stunning 80-metre effort straight from the second-half kick-off, with Tipuric finishing off a superlative move started by Saracens centre Nick Tompkins from inside his 22.
It was a moment of magic lifted straight out of the great Welsh sides of the 1970s.
Yet Pivac’s side are now left with a battle to avoid fifth place, a poor return given the optimism that the World Cup semi-finals had garnered going into the championship.
It was England’s first try, after just four minutes, which landed a psychological blow from which Wales struggled to recover.
Itoje took the line-out, with Curry claiming the ball, allowing Youngs to filter wide. With Jamie George running to the left, Anthony Watson was able to track behind him in an unseen position and when Youngs fired the ball back against the grain, the England wing soared into the gap, stepping first Tomos Williams and then Liam Williams to score a try of ruthless beauty.
The loss of Jonny May with a head
injury after just nine minutes, following a collision with Leigh Halfpenny, could not stop England’s progress, with Henry Slade stepping up seamlessly. Halfpenny had landed a penalty after carries by Tompkins and Hadleigh Parkes, and then the Wales fullback exchanged penalties with Farrell.
But England were able to take a firm grip on the contest when, after Halfpenny and Farrell exchanged penalties, Daly glided over for his side’s second try after another incisive move, with Farrell and Ford combining and Slade running a decoy.
A second Farrell penalty extended the lead to 14 points and
England appeared to be cruising to a comfortable victory. Wales had other ideas, and a 10-point burst of scoring in a minute – a penalty from Biggar with the last play of the half and Tipuric’s stunning try from the kick-off of the second half – meant the game, albeit briefly, was wide open again. Farrell’s third penalty, however, settled England’s nerves, and Ford kept the scoreboard ticking with another three points.
The decisive play came just after the hour, when the relentlessness of England’s attack caused the Wales defensive line to run out of numbers, with Tuilagi cruising over for a deserved try, leaving England’s only remaining challenge to secure the bonus point in the final quarter. Frustratingly for Jones, it did not come. Instead, it was Wales who were able to dominate field position and, after several warnings for indiscipline, Genge was sent to the sin bin, ensuring England finished the contest short on numbers.
England were reduced to 13 as Tuilagi was sent off when the television match official ruled he had hit North with a shoulder charge after Slade had made a try-saving tackle on the Wales wing. Wales’s numerical advantage was turned into points when Biggar and then Tipuric went over for two late scores, but this was England’s day. Scores 5-0 Watson try, 7-0 Farrell con, 7-3 Halfpenny pen, 10-3 Farrell pen, 10-6 Halfpenny pen, 15-6 Daly try, 17-6 Farrell con, 20-6 Farrell pen, 20-9 Biggar pen, 20-14 Tipuric try, 20-16 Biggar con, 23-16 Farrell pen, 26-16 Farrell pen, 31-16 Tuilagi try, 33-16 Farrell con, 33-21 Biggar try, 33-23 Biggar con, 33-28 Tipuric try, 33-30 Biggar con. Referee Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand).