SIX NATIONS 2024
England .............................. 16pts
Tries: Earl 20, Dingwall 63
Penalties: Ford 48, 72
Wales..................................14pts
Tries: Penalty 17, Mann 38
Conversions: Lloyd 39
IT was another skin-of-the-teeth England win as Jamie George’s crew rewarded Steve Borthwick’s decision to stick with his Rome line-up, as the team edged past Wales in this second round tussle.
They had to hold their nerve to claim their second Six Nations win of this campaign, having turned round 14-5 behind at half-time after losing Ollie Chessum and Ethan Roots to yellow cards, in a match which finished two tries apiece.
However, it is small steps, because they trailed here until 17 minutes from time when Fraser Dingwall dived over in the corner to leave England 14-13 adrift of a Welsh team in which Warren Gatland gambled with his selection by making seven changes from the side that were pipped by Scotland.
This included rolling the dice by picking utility back Ioan Lloyd, 22, to start at fly-half in this match despite him playing full-back, wing, or centre for most of his three years at Bristol, with only occasional cameos at 10.
Overall, Lloyd justified Gatland’s faith in him, and he is definitely a player of the evasive mould that Barry John, the Welsh fly-half legend who was honoured with a minute’s silence before the match, would have approved.
In the end, however, it was George Ford, his 93-cap England opposite number, who drew on all his experience to produce the two moments that clinched the result for the Red Rose, leaving Wales without a win at Twickenham for 12 years.
Ford’s masterstroke was to turn scrappy ball just inside his own half into prime possession by changing direction and pegging Wales ten metres from their own line with a booming 50:22 touchfinder.
This put the heat on Wales, and after a Roots lineout catch it told, because as the ball was moved down the England line, and Ford fired a long pass to Freddie Steward, Mason Grady was ruled to have knocked the ball down deliberately.
As Grady headed for the sin-bin, Ford’s penalty from in front of the posts punished the offence to give England their winning margin, and with nine minutes remaining they kept Wales under lock and key to claim the day.
Up until the last quarter the game had been hard fought, with the Welsh showing more cohesion and flair in attack, but England also having their moments. The first of these came when Elliot Daly was banged into touch at the cornerflag by full back Cameron Winnett just after the break.
Although a Ford penalty trimmed the Welsh lead to 14-8, it was England who had the jitters when a pinpoint Lloyd pass saw Winnett make a clean break b
