FULL-TIME! England 27-13 Wales
That’s the final act of the afternoon and, indeed, the domestic season. England score five tries to win by 14. The hosts will be happy with their forward play and while midfield was sloppy and Ford was diabolical with the boot, there is plenty to build on for England. Wales started well but were sunk by conceding two tries in three minutes early in the second half. Work for both to do before heading to the southern hemisphere, then. Thanks for reading.
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79 min: The seconds are ticking down here without much to report. It’s a tame finish and that burst at the beginning of the second half will prove decisive.
77 min: Devoto’s first act is to make a lovely break forward but England are held up about 5m from their line and Wales win a penalty for a knock-on.
75 min: Devoto, England’s third debutant, replaces Ford, who despite his disaster showing with the boot is greeted with a healthy round of applause.
73 min: … but he misses again. The boos grow louder. Ford has had a disaster here. Yes, this may not be an important match in the grander scheme but with only one successful kick from seven, you have got to say that Owen Farrell is probably sat watching this with a smile on his face.
71 min: Hill is on for Cole and, with plenty of fresh energy in the pack, England drive forward and win a penalty on the 22, to the right. Hartley tells Ford to go for the posts. The crowd react angrily but, with a 14-point deficit, that seems sensible from the England captain. How can Ford do from here? It’s certainly achievable but he’s under pressure to make this now …
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69 min: Wales look spent now. They are 14 behind but have barely had any impact in England’s 22 since the interval.
67 min: Daly is on for Joseph. That, I think, is England’s fifth change. The attendance is 81,128, perhaps justification for England playing Wales instead of Barbarians.
66 min: Ellis Genge makes his England debut, replacing Mullan, and Wales’ eighth and final change sees L Williams is on for Webb.
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63 min: England bring on Attwood for Lawes, whose last act was that pass to Yarde. For Wales, Lee is replaced by R Jones.
TRY! England 27-13 Wales (Yarde)
60 min: Then England attack themselves. Care sends it to Joseph on his left shoulder. He then gives it to Watson, who almost break through. England recycle well though and work it to the right rapidly. Ford pops it to Lawes who brilliantly hands off two red shirts before finding Yards. The wing does the rest – giving his fist-bumping celebration plenty. Ford hits the right-sided post with a difficult conversion. He is now one for six.
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59 min: Watson flies past the gainline but then knocks-on about 10m from the tryline. That allows Wales to launch forward but Priestland, near the England 10m line, cannot keep hold of the ball after being tackled and impending danger is cleared by England.
58 min: And now Turnbull is on for A-W Jones.
58 min: Priestland, Anscombe, Jenkins, Dacey have all come on for Wales at the same time. Care is on for England.
56 min: “England v wales score please,” Geraint Price has emailed twice. Hi, Geraint, it’s, er, at the top of each scoring update. On the field, both Watson and Joseph embark on exciting jinking runs – of all the England players on the pitch, they are the most enjoyable to watch, for me – but are met by a wall of red shirts.
50 min: The footage is shown again on TV and commentators apart from Will Greenwood, reckon it was a knock-on from Cole. Greenwood, on the other hand, says it is knocked back. And to think other sports believe video evidence is conclusive! Anyway, it’s been given as a try and not much can be done about it. How can Wales respond? They have recent form for coming back at England at Twickenham, you may remember.
CONVERTED TRY! England 22-13 Wales (Clifford; con: Ford)
47 min: Wow! And seconds after the restart, Coles intercepts a pass from Biggar and Clifford takes the loose ball. The No8 rushes past Scott Williams to cross over the line. The referee sends it up to the TMO and there appears to be a knock-on but … the try is good. Wales are absolutely furious – and they have a right to be that certainly looked like it went forward. Ford, right under the posts this time scores – and Twickenham erupts ironically.
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TRY! England 15-13 Wales (Youngs)
44 min: England are ahead. And it’s Ben Youngs. Launchbury swats down Hartley’s lineout and the scrum-half displays a wonderful turn of pace to break clear from Evans and Baldwin – too front-rowers not exactly known for their speed – for the try. Ford, with a fourth attempt to find his range, hits his conversation wide again. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY AWFUL FROM THE ENGLAND NO10!
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42 min: … but Wales turn it over and Roberts bounds forward. He pops to North who is tackled. The ball is recycled to Biggar and he punts towards the England 22, allowing the hosts to regain possession.
Peep!
We are back underway. And England are straight on the attack …
HALF-TIME! England 10-13 Wales
40 min: That has been quite enjoyable for a largely meaningless fixture. George Ford’s kicking has been dismal, while his opposite number, Biggar, has been bang on with the boot. The highlight of the half, unquestionably, was Watson’s tasty finish for England’s second try. Back in a moment.
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38 min: Webb forces England to concede another penalty deep in the hosts’ 22 but instead of taking the three points, Biggar opts for the corner. England turnover from the maul that follows the lineout though.
TRY! England 10-13 Wales (Watson)
33 min: Brown is tackled and the ball is recycled by Youngs to Joseph. He feeds to Watson, who is tackled by George North but has enough momentum built up to make it over the line. It is referred to the TMO, who is in little doubt after one viewing. Blur’s Song 2 blurs out. England fans sing “Wahoooooo”. Then, silence. Ford lines up a difficult kick and once more it is to the right. That was certainly a degree harder than the previous two but Ford is 0/3.
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30 min: Yarde wins a penalty, after being tackled high by Webb, five metres inside the 22. Ford, sensibly considering the angle and his dreadful efforts earlier, sends to touch. Hartley’s delivery turns into another maul and Youngs tries the same trick as before … but Wales are alert to the plan and clear their lines. England come back at the red shirts though, through a direct run from Mike Brown.
PENALTY! England 5-13 Wales (Biggar)
28 min: Bread and butter from 24m for the Wales No10, whose pre-kick routine is successful but no doubt irritating for many.
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26 min: We have not been given an indication of what Lydiate’s injury is yet. The game continues with Wales making gradual ground before winning a penalty on the 22 as Hartley illegally takes the ball from Faleteau at the bottom of a ruck. Soft and Biggar opts for the posts.
24 min: A Wales replacement: King is on for Lydiate, who sheepishly makes his way off.
TRY! England 5-10 Wales (Burrell)
20 min: … England get the maul rolling. Luther Burrell takes a Youngs pass to the left of the pack and he is too powerful for Biggar to get an arm around. But from the easy conversion Ford misses – again – by a long way to the right. That is awful from the England No10. Astonishing.
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19 min: Better from England, who get past the gainline time and time again – most notably through Brown and Joseph – before Wales give away a penalty inside the 22, to the right. Ford finds touch instead of opting for the posts and from the lineout …
17 min: Ford has his first kickable penalty – from quite a way out, near the 10m line – but sends it a long, long way wide. That is poor and there are a few groans from the ground. Would Owen Farrell have slotted that, eh?!
An email from Robin Hazlehurst:
I know there are a million quid-shaped reasons why these two are playing each other, but isn’t this the perfect opportunity for them to play someone like Georgia or Romania? There is talk of letting Georgia into the six nations, which might work but is not free from risk, so why not let them have a run here, now. They’d certainly be up for it and could show whether or not they can sell the tickets. Development of international rugby should focus on getting rid of pointlessnesses like this and using it as the perfect chance for lesser teams to play.
I agree.
15 min: Wales have had 75% of possession at this point and England’s discipline needs to improve – already there have been too many soft penalties.
PENALTY! England 0-10 Wales (Biggar)
12 min: Wales making gradual progression, building on some quick ball from Webb. They get a penalty after Ross Moriarty bounds forward. Biggar finds the corner to his left. From the lineout, brought down by Faleteau, Roberts crosses the gainline but is held up in the ruck. Biggar opts for the posts with the penalty. No problem.
10 min: England fans roll out their first rendition of Sweet Chariot, a song about slavery. On the pitch, the game is muddled in the middle of the pitch. Wales, at this embryonic stage, look a tad sharper – reflected, of course, by their early advantage on the scoreboard.
CONVERTED TRY! England 0-7 Wales (Evans; conv: Biggar)
6 min: And Wales are almost instantly at the try line from that lineout, delivered near the 22. Rob Evans runs on to a popped pass from Webb and barrels over the line – that’s the prop’s first international try. Biggar slots over the extras.
5 min: After Faletau gets in front of Youngs, Wales work through the phases without gaining much ground before earning a penalty on their own 10m line for offside.
2 min: Good from England, who turnover from a lineout on the left. Ford sets away Joseph, who makes good ground before the hosts run out of touch deep in the Wales 22. From the lineout, Biggar kicks the pressure away.
1 min: Dan Biggar sends the ball into the area. England collect and Youngs kicks it unconvincingly back towards halfway, allowing Wales an early opportunity to build up a head of steam.
Here come the teams. Twickenham is still heaving in the early summer sunshine. It’s national anthem time.
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The teams
England: Matt Mullan, Dylan Hartley, Dan Cole; Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes; Teimana Harrison (making his debut), James Haskell, Jack Clifford; Ben Youngs, George Ford; Marland Yarde, Luther Burrell, Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson; Mike Brown. Substitutes: Tommy Taylor, Ellis Genge, Paul Hill, Dave Attwood, Matt Kvesic, Danny Care, Ollie Devoto, Elliot Daly.
Wales: Rob Evans, Scott Baldwin, Samson Lee; Jake Ball, Alun Wyn Jones; Ross Moriarty, Dan Lydiate, Taulupe Faletau; Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar; Hallam Amos, Jamie Roberts, Scott Williams, George North; Liam Williams. Substitutes: Kristian Dacey, Gethin Jenkins, Rhodri Jones, Josh Turnbull, James King, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Priestland, Gareth Anscombe.
Referee: Marius Matrea (Italy).
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Preamble
Hello. Welcome to coverage of this friendly (Test? Oh, please – this is a warm-up game, spare us the overblown titles and unnecessary hype) between England and Wales at Twickenham. Both are headed for the southern hemisphere for tours of Australia and New Zealand respectively – proper business, real Tests – and this will be a decent way to blow off some cobwebs. Neither are at full strength though. Eddie Jones’ England are without half a dozen due to yesterday’s Premiership final and Wales are missing key players through injury, club action in France and that English domestic final between Saracens and Exeter. No matter, we are here to keep an eye on all the action. Kick-off is at 3pm in south-west London. Confirmed starting XVs are to follow.
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