England coach Stuart Lancaster was left reveling in his reshuffled, young side’s grit to claw back a 10-point deficit and choke Wales out for a gripping 21-16 victory in the opening Six Nations match on Friday.
England had been knocked pre-match by the absence through injury of centers Manu Tuilagi, Brad Barritt and Kyle Eastmond, flyhalf Owen Farrell, the lock trio of Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes and Geoff Parling, backrowers Tom Wood and Ben Morgan, and prop David Wilson.
The team featured only nine survivors from the side who started the 26-17 victory over Australia at Twickenham in the climax to the November program last year and just five from the XV thrashed 30-3 by Wales in Cardiff two years ago.
Photo: Reuters
Lancaster dubbed that Six Nations loss in the Welsh capital in 2013 the “lowest point” of his coaching career,” but he cut a different figure after Friday’s victory at the Millennium Stadium.
“Obviously we’re just delighted to get the win, first and foremost. Being 10-0 down we closed the gap ... to go in at halftime at 16-8 we gave ourselves some work to do,” he said. “We upped our intensity and to get 13 unanswered points in the second half was great and for a young side to come here and get the win is really pleasing.”
Youthful Bath duo Anthony Watson and Jonathan Joseph scored England’s two tries after Wales had shot out to an early lead, while flyhalf George Ford knocked over a conversion and three penalties to seal the win.
The visiting pack put a shove-on in the second scrum of the match, but Welsh No. 8 Taulupe Faletau broke blind, sucked in the defence and popped the ball to Rhys Webb, who skinned Jonny May on the outside for a try that Leigh Halfpenny converted.
England struck back after Mike Brown put in a grubber behind Halfpenny for Watson to cross for his maiden international try.
England started the second period just as the home side did the first and went on to score 13 unanswered points.
After going through 20 phases in the Welsh 22m area, Joseph replicated his outstanding form with Bath by jinking his way through weak tackles by Webb and Biggar for a fine try converted by Ford.
Lancaster said he believed the confidence-boosting win had no bearing on the World Cup England are to host this year and in which they have been drawn in Pool A along with Wales, Australia and Fiji, with only two able to qualify for the knock-out phase.
“It’s all about the here and now,” he said, with the England-Wales pool clash set for Sept. 26 in Twickenham.
“I remember being interviewed two years ago [after the 30-3 loss] and it was the lowest point of my coaching career without a doubt, and today’s win is up there as the highest point,” Lancaster added.
It was special, he said, “because of the pressure and emotion leading up to it, the chance we had to get new combinations together. Whether it’s one point, two points, five points, it was all about getting the win and we’re delighted to have got it.”
However, assistant coach Andy Farrell grumbled at the final score.
“The scoreline didn’t really do us justice,” the former Wigan and Britain rugby league star said. “There were three tries left out there we could have scored and that would have been just.”
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