Here’s Rob Kitson’s match report
Some drama at the end and a better second half can’t mask that this was a poor match between two teams who are a long way off the quality that Ireland and France are currently serving up.
Both teams should be worried about their next fixture.
Marcus Smith is talking to Martin Bayfield.
“We were a bit shaky towards the end, but we got the job done. The forward pack put us on the front foot, it was nice to go up with that lead at half-time. We know the Wales team were going to have their patch, but we’ll take what we need to learn in the fallow week coming up.”
FULL TIME! ENGLAND WIN!
PEEEEEEEEEP! Exhausted but enthusiastic celebrations from the English players
Updated
84 mins. The Wales lineout is won safely and they are now in the England half before Itoje rips the ball in contact to win the game.
83 mins. The ball goes to ground, but there’s a whiff of deliberate knock-on by Courtney Lawes
The TMO confirms it was a feather-touch by the England captain. Strangely there’s no yellow card, but that Ref Mike Adamson for you...
82 mins. Wales remain on their own 22 after 14 phases.
81 mins. Wales are having to run it out of their 22 and it’s 8 phases for 10 metres so far.
TRY! England 23 - 19 Wales (Kieran Hardy)
79 mins. The all is won cleanly by Seb Davies in the middle of the lineout and Wales have a try after hardy quick-taps a subsequent England offside penalty.
Biggar converts with time left. Can Wales pull this one out of the bag?
Updated
77 mins. Wales have possession around halfway and are up to 10 phases and the England 22 before Marler is penalised for not rolling away. Biggar sends it to the corner for one last attack.
74 mins. The game is ebbing away as England win a scrum penalty that allows Marcus Smith to clear the ball into the Wales half.
Updated
72 mins. Gareth Anscombe has replaced Liam Williams
MISSED PENALTY! England 23 - 12 Wales (Marcus Smith)
71 mins. Nick Isiekwe can’t hold his first lineout catch and the reason for that is Adam Beard was tugging on his arm a bit. Smith calls for the tee once more and drills it through to probably seal the match.
Joe Marler replaces Ellis Genge.
Subs.
Wales
Jon Davies is on for Owen Watkin
Kieran Hardy replaces Tomos Williams.
Seb Davies for Ross Moriarty.
England
Nick Isiekwe is on for Charlie Ewels
Will Stuart is on for Kyle Sinckler.
PENALTY! England 20 - 12 Wales (Marcus Smith)
67 mins. Cuthbert is caught by Nowell on the deck and doesn’t release, at least that’s how the ref sees it. For me, Nowell was the tackler so that should be penalty Wales. Whatever I think, Smith takes the opportunity to extend the England lead after tricky opening period in the second half.
Updated
65 mins. England have some possession for the first time in a little while, and Malins puts them in the Wales half with a decent carry. Sam Simmonds joins in to take them up to the 22 and the Wales tackling looks very weary before Sinckler makes it easier for them by knocking-on.
Updated
61 mins. Ben Youngs comes on for Harry Randall to surpass Jason Leonard and win his record-breaking cap for men’s rugby.
(Rochelle Clark is the most capped England rugby player, with 137 caps.)
TRY! England 17 - 12 Wales (Nick Tompkins)
60 mins. Lot of phases from the Wales forwards picking and going on the England line. It’s very slow in being recycled, but when it comes left from Tomos Williams the carries have done their job in creating space wide for Tompkins to score.
Biggar adds the two and this game is now very interesting indeed.
Updated
57 mins. From a strong turnover won by Gareth Thomas Wales come left to Adams again who kicks forward and forces and Wales lineout on the England 5m line via an offside penalty from the home side.
Wales subs:
Tomas Francis is off for Leon Brown
Taine Basham replaced by Jac Morgan.
England:
Sam Simmonds is on for Tom Curry, which I missed earlier!
Updated
TRY! England 17 - 5 Wales (Josh Adams)
53 mins. Wales work the ball left across the field from the lineout, with carries sucking in the England defence. This allow Tomos Williams to fizz a flat miss-two pass to Josh Adams who scores in the gap vacated by Malins.
Biggar misses the conversion
Updated
51 mins. Liam Williams joins the attacking line on the right and puts a quality grubber along the touchline which Malins has to carry into touch under pressure from Cuthbert.
48 mins. More scrum trouble for England as Genge is penalised for putting his knee down. From the lineout Faletau has a big carry from the base into the England 22 and sets up a platform for some carries from the Welsh front five. Gareth Thomas, with Basham free to score outside him, instead carries the ball into the line. England rub this mistake in as they somehow grab the ball in a crowded ruck allowing Randall to boot it clear.
45 mins. Tomos Williams is on the move after England deal poorly with the restart, this puts Wales in behind but Moriarty again spills the ball and allows Randall to clear.
TRY! England 17 - 0 Wales (Alex Dombrandt)
43 mins. England are out of the blocks quick and up to multiple phases in the Wales half. The red defence is containing it so far but the home side are inching towards the try line before Randall finds touch on the Wales 5m line.
Ryan Elias chucks the ball over the top of everyone in the lineout for Dombrandt to snaffle on the run and score. No-one even jumped from Wales. Oh dear.
Smith misses the extras
Updated
SECOND HALF!
40 mins. Biggar puts us back in play.
Half time musings
England on top both on the scoreboard and in the game, and for all the talk about Jones’s new England this is all built on the traditional power and kicking paradigm. Wales have had precious few periods of possession to build on and while it’s understandable they are trying to play with some pace and mobility, too often it feels frantic to their own detriment.
If the game stays in this pattern, then England will have do little more than kick into Wales territory and wait for the next three point opportunity. It’s not fun, but it’s effective.
Wales really need some more carries nearer to the ruck as the wider early, wide often plan is (often literally) walking into England hands.
HALF TIME!
PEEEEP! That’s your lot for the opening period.
PENALTY! England 12 - 0 Wales (Marcus Smith)
40 mins. England have the last attacking set of the half and are up to twelve phases with a penalty advantage. Smith steps and darts through the line, then Randall snipes into the 22 as the Wales defence scramble, but it invites more carries for Lawes and Genge and eventually a desperate Moriarty lies on the ball in the ruck.
Smith adds to the total.
Updated
37 mins. England go for a tricksy lineout with Itoje dropping the ball to Dombrandt to set up the maul, but it’s out of control and hits the deck. This is all the invitation Faletau needs to clamp on and win a crucial penalty for Wales on their own line.
36 mins. That was great kick by Slade, but Wales’s huge phase count brought everyone up into the line and made it easy for the England centre with an open pasture to kick into.
35 mins. With Liam Williams now back on, Wales have their first go at phased possession around halfway. It’s looks neat but achieves little as the pattern is always two passes to a runner, so England are simply blitzing the middle of the tackle line and forcing Wales back.
It’s taken 10 phases to move twenty or so metres before the ball is lost and Slade cannons an 70 metre 50:22 kick.
PENALTY! England 9 - 0 Wales (Marcus Smith)
30 mins. Basham trucks one up and is hit hard by a Curry and Lawes double tackle before Rowlands then seals off as he attempts to clear out the ruck.
Marcus Smith makes no mistake this time.
Updated
27 mins. Tomos Williams chucks a one-handed NFL-job pass to Cuthbert who feeds the rampaging Moriarty to carry 20 metres into the England half. But again the ball is fumbled in the tackle just as things are looking interesting.
Tomas Francis returns, Leon Brown departs.
Updated
26 mins. England run a sensible pattern that puts Daly in a position to kick a deep touch in the Wales half. Which he duly does.
Wales are neat and tidy in the lineout of clear it deep into England territory.
Owen Watkin is back on, which I find incredible as he could hardly stand up at one point. Unbelievable.
Cowan-Dickie’s day is over, Jamie George replaces him
25 mins. Neither side able to get any structured possession as the ball pings back and forth via spilled or ripped balls. Dombrandt has his first run of the game, but possession is lost again.
A lengthy break in play while a few players have treatment, mainly Luke Cowan-Dickie who looks in some discomfort.
Updated
23 mins. In the greatest anticlimax for England since Shane Geraghty’s international career, the scrum ends with a Wales penalty for Sinckler standing up in the front row.
22 mins. The upshot of all that is England have a five-metre attacking scrum and it’s already been reset twice. Wales will LOVE this as the sin-bin clock is eeking away.
YELLW CARD! Liam Williams (Wales)
20 mins. Randall, again, has a dart and allows Ewels to drive for the line. Owen Watkin puts a big hit in and takes a whack to the head which leaves him looking very unsteady with blood pouring from his eye socket.
He’s off for an HIA and replaced by Jonathan Davies. I very much doubt we’ll see Watkin again, and neither should we. Tomas Francis has also banged his head, so he’s off for Leon Brown.
In the melee near the line that followed all that, Liam Williams handled the ball on the ground to prevent it being played. He’s off for ten minutes.
Updated
18 mins. Harry Randall puts a testing, rolling kick into Wales’s coffin corner. Liam Williams covers it, but Malins is there to grip him and force the Wales fullback into touch.
England win the lineout and are on the attack in the Wales 22.
Updated
MISSED PENALTY! England 6 - 0 Wales (Marcus Smith)
16 mins. First step and go from Smith sets him around Beard and loose enough to get behind the Wales tackle line offload to Genge. As the tackle comes in, Wales are penalised for not rolling away.
Smith hits it from 30 metres in front, but fades it just right. Poor miss, that.
13 mins. Alex Cuthbert has a great run on the kick return, right up into the England 22 he goes but his attempt to run over Steward is unsuccessful. The fullback stops him and this allows Cowan-Dickie to clamp on and win a clearing penalty.
Fantastic gallop from the Wales wing.
11 mins. Wales spring the ball loose from the maul, but Tompkins is pinged for crossing as he runs on an angle. But England had pulled the maul down illegally and so it comes back for another Wales lineout in the corner. This time Ryan Elias can’t find jumper and England nick it and clear.
9 mins. Quite a few resets later, Wales win a penalty after Genge pulls his side of the scrum down. Biggar send it to the corner and Wales have a catch and drive on the way.
7 mins. Wales finally get some territory via a Dan Biggar kick to compete which Steward can’t deal with. It bobbles to Tompkins who thumps a low, driven kick through and Daly can only carry it over his own line and touch-in-goal. Wales have great platform from a scrum-five.
Updated
PENALTY! England 6 - 0 Wales (Marcus Smith)
5 mins. Another breakdown penalty to England is slotted by Smith. Wales need to get hold of this, toot suite.
Updated
PENALTY! England 3 - 0 Wales (Marcus Smith)
2 mins. Owen Watkin spills an easy kick-off take and Itoje is first to the bouncing ball to put England firmly in possession and on the attack in the Wales 22. There’s brief disappointment for the crowd when the home side are penalised for crossing, but Wales help relieve this feeling by Tomos Williams deciding to tap and go for some reason.
In the following frantic phases Wales are penalised for holding on and Smith wastes little time in putting England in front.
Updated
KICK OFF!
1 min. Marcus Smith has the ball in his paws and he drops it onto his foot to get us underway.
The teams are on the field along with flags, and a covering of smoke after the flamethrowers at pitchside were unleashed.
Anthem time.
How are you managing to squeeze your tea* in between today’s matches? You can let me know that, or anything else by email or on Twitter
*the meal (I’m northern)
Pre match reading...
Much talk of Manu’s withdrawal after his speedy elevation to the England squad following his latest injury recovery and subsequent setback. Gerard Meagher with the lowdown on what England are saying here.
Teams
Henry Slade will move in one to the 12 shirt as Jones decides whether Elliot Daly or Joe Marchant gets to partner him in midfield following the Tuilagi withdrawal.
The most interesting selection from Eddie Jones is Harry Randall starting at scrum-half ahead of men’s rugby caps record breaker Ben Youngs. Randall put some zip on the ball from the base and also asked questions with his nippy running game vs Italy, but few predicted a selection from the off in a match such as this. His battle with Tomos Williams is one to look forward to.
Wayne Pivac welcomes back Josh Adams to replace aforementioned absentee Louis Rees-Zammit, while Alex Cuthbert will win his 50th cap on the other wing. Faletau makes a backrow of Taine Basham and Ross Moriarty.
England: Freddie Steward; Max Malins, Henry Slade, Daly, Jack Nowell; Marcus Smith, Harry Randall; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Kyle Sinckler, Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes (captain), Tom Curry, Alex Dombrandt.
Replacements: Jamie George, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, Nick Isiekwe, Sam Simmonds, Ben Youngs, George Ford, Joe Marchant.
Wales: Liam Williams; Alex Cuthbert, Owen Watkin, Nick Tompkins, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar (captain), Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, Ross Moriarty, Taine Basham, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Dewi Lake, Gareth Thomas, Leon Brown, Seb Davies, Jac Morgan, Kieran Hardy, Gareth Anscombe, Jonathan Davies.
Updated
Preamble
It’s Twickenham. It’s England vs Wales. Welcome.
Played two, won one is not too terrible a place to be. Played three, won one - not so much. Both sides today will be motivated by the usual historical and cultural brouhaha that runs through and alongside this fixture, but as cold professionals they will be desperate to avoid a fortnight cogitating that latter losing stat rather than any #banter that defeat will bring.
The context of the opening results has Wales arriving in arguably better shape. Pivac’s men were hosed by Ireland before putting together a solid and gutsy performance to close out a win vs Scotland. Their dander will be further up than England, who have spluttered both in defeat and victory vs Scotland and Italy respectively.
However, England’s team is looking strong as they welcome back Courtney Lawes as captain; a move that immediately gives more experience and creates a balanced backrow in one move. The line-up looked even better 48 hours ago, before Manu Tuilagi’s selection did a full Abe-Simpson-arriving-in-the-brothel reversal due the centre’s latest injury.
Wales have some big injury return news of their own, as the peerless Taulupe Faletau is straight back in at No 8 for his first start in a while. Louis Rees-Zammit is dropped from the squad entirely, which in all honesty is not such a big call - he’s still a kid and he’s not playing very well - and a rest for him now will pay more reward later.
