YOU GAT WHAT YOU DESERVED
WARREN GATLAND taunted England’s ‘bottlers’ and hailed his history boys as Wales set themselves up for a Grand Slam shot with victory at a pulsating Principality Stadium.
Tries in the last 12 minutes from second row Cory Hill and wing Josh Adams delivered victory as England unravelled in the second half and Wales notched up a record 12th successive win.
A jubilant Gatland questioned England’s ability to cope with the big occasion after their chances of a clean sweep crashed and burned in Cardiff.
“I look back at England over the past few years and when it has really mattered I question whether they can win these big games. We’ve had a record of being pretty good in those,” said Gatland.
England were left licking their wounds as Eddie Jones’ decision to pass on the traditional Friday training session at the opposition stadium backfired.
The England 23 contained 10 players who had never played at the home of Welsh rugby before. They will remember their first visit for all the wrong reasons. Wales forced England to make 238 tackles and finally broke them.
“They beat us in the air and the penalty count was lobsided. They played smartly and we just let ourselves down in those areas,” said Jones. “The world hasn’t ended and we’ll learn from today.”
England created virtually nothing as an attacking force as Wales, led from the back by man of the match Liam Williams, countered England’s kicking game expertly. But it was a defensive lapse from Wales which allowed England flanker Tom Curry to pick up from an unguarded ruck in the 26th minute and run in unopposed from 15 metres out for his first international try. The score, converted by Owen Farrell, gave England a 10-3 interval lead but as the visitors, and in particular Kyle Sinckler, began to lose their cool after the break Wales began to eat into the lead. Gareth Anscombe knocked over two penalties in the space of five minutes to cut the deficit to a point. Although Farrell knocked over his second penalty of the game after Sinckler’s substitution, it was Wales who had the big finish in them. After hammering England for 34 phases Hill battered his way over to put Gatland’s side into the lead for first time with 12 minutes left. Dan Biggar, who had replaced Anscombe, converted from the touchline, and then delivered the cross-kick for Adams to outjump Elliot Daly and juggle his way over for the clinching score. A battered England, who lost Jonny May to concussion and Courtney Lawes to a leg injury, will now have to rely on Wales slipping up in Scotland in a fortnight or against the reigning champs Ireland in the final week. Wales 3 3 0 0 71 47 24 0 12 England 3 2 0 1 89 49 40 2 10 France 3 1 0 2 54 78 -24 2 6 Scotland 3 1 0 2 56 69 -13 1 5 Ireland 2 1 0 1 42 45 -3 0 4 Italy 2 0 0 2 35 59 -24 0 0