Hello and welcome to
Sports Mole's live text coverage of the
Rugby World Cup meeting between
England and Wales at Twickenham.
That's right - after months of build-up, the wait is finally nearly over as two of the World Cup's heavyweight sides collide in an almighty clash at Rugby HQ. It has the potential to be a real classic, in a fixture that very rarely disappoints.
It is Wales who come into this fixture narrowly above their opponents after the opening set of fixtures, courtesy of a heavy win over Uruguay at the Millennium Stadium. The Red Dragons, as expected, ran riot in that one by crossing over seven times in all and kicking their campaign off in style.
Everything went to plan on the field, at least. It was not the margin of victory that provided the main talking point from the meeting with Uruguay, though, as the injury problems continued to mount up for
Warren Gatland's side. If losing Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb on the eve of the tournament was not bad enough, on top of Eli Walker himself being struck down by injury, Cory Allen became the fourth man to be sent home from the Welsh camp after picking up a problem of his own in Cardiff.
It was all the more difficult to take considering that the Cardiff Blues centre had run in the tournament's opening hat-trick in that 54-9 win at the Millennium Stadium, only to limp off in the second half. Gatland was actually upbeat in his press conference immediately after the game, although that was before the full injury news had been confirmed. Nevertheless, Wales were able to rest some key men last weekend, each of whom are likely to play a key part this evening.
Rhys Priestland converted seven out of eight tries against Uruguay, but Wales have
Dan Biggar among their ranks this evening to take over kicking duties. There is no denying that losing a player of Leigh Halfpenny's calibre so close to the tournament was a major setback for Wales, yet they also have the players to accommodate his loss.
In terms of England, the big talking point this week has centred around the loss of Jonathan Joseph - another key player who has faired well in previous meetings with Wales. Perhaps surprisingly, it was rugby league convert Sam Burgess who was given the nod to start in that position by head coach
Stuart Lancaster.
A lot of questions have been asked of Burgess in the days building up to this key fixture, while some have suggested that this big call could effectively decide whether Lancaster stays on as England boss. It really is a big call by the Red Rose chief, which could go either way against a physical Wales side.
The other big decision concerns
Owen Farrell, who has been selected ahead of George Ford at fly-half. Again, Lancaster had to fend off many questions during his press duties this week, claiming that bringing in an in-form Farrell is hardly a "big call" to make.
Elsewhere, Hallam Amos is selected on the wing for Wales ahead of Alex Cuthbert, while Tomas Francis and Gethin Jenkins come in at prop. Billy Vunipola will also run out for the hosts this evening, replacing the injured Ben Morgan at number eight.
Let's take a look at that team news in full:
England XV: Mike Brown; Anthony Watson, Brad Barritt, Sam Burgess, Jonny May, Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Tom Youngs, Dan Cole, Geoff Parling, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola
Wales XV: Liam Williams; George North, Scott Williams, Jamie Roberts, Hallam Amos; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Gethin Jenkins, Scott Baldwin, Tomas Francis, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton, Taulupe Faletau
Incidentally, Chris Robshaw will captain England for the 40th time tonight, seeing him overtake Martin Johnson in the illustrious list. Will Carling, in fact, is the only player who is now in front of him in terms of the 'most capped captains'.
The coaching staff of both sides are likely to earn their money this evening, with key selection decisions as the game goes on potentially deciding the way this one goes. Let's have a reminder of the back-up options available to England and Wales...
REPLACEMENTS!
England: Rob Webber, Mako Vunipola, Kieran Brookes, Joe Launchbury, James Haskell, Richard Wigglesworth, George Ford, Alex Goode
Wales: Ken Owens, Aaron Jarvis, Samson Lee, Luke Charteris, Justin Tipuric, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Priestland, Alex Cuthbert
Speaking of the benches, it was through their replacements that England managed to get over the mark in terms of a bonus-point win in last week's curtain-raising fixture against Fiji at Rugby HQ, with a late surge getting them over the four-try mark.
Back row Billy Vunipola came off the bench against Fiji to cross over late on, just when it looked as though England would have to settle for the four points
© Getty Images
Should England come out on top this evening, then it will be just the third time in their
Rugby World Cup history that they have kicked things off with two-successive wins. The Red rose achieved that feat four years ago in New Zealand, as well as in 1995 and 2003.
Well before looking at this fixture in some more depth, let's switch attention to Pool A in general. In short, this group of five teams is pretty much as tough as things get, with three side boasting realistic hopes of reaching the final four at the very least each vying for just two spots at this early stage. One of Australia, England or Wales will exit the competition in a fortnight's time.
I've already mentioned how England and Wales managed to pick up a bonus point in their opening fixtures - something which you would feel is imperative in those two winnable fixtures - but there was no such luck for Australia who were made to toil by Fiji in Cardiff.
Michael Cheika said after the game that he had little interest in that bonus point, claiming that he instead had full confidence that his side would do all that was required and beat both of England and Wales. It is certainly not a bad thing to say publicly, but could it come back to haunt Australia in 14 days' time? Who knows. Right now all those three aforementioned teams can do is pick up as many points as possible.
It is also worth pointing out that, as much as there is on the line this evening, it will not decide which side goes through - far from it, in fact. Wales take on Fiji in their next outing on Thursday, while England meet Australia in another of those mammoth clashes two days later. The Wallabies then face Wales at Twickenham on Sat 10, before the Red Rose end their campaign with a nice fixture against Uruguay.
As the Six Nations went a long way to showing earlier this year, playing in that final slot can play a huge advantage. England will head into their clash against the weakest of the Pool A sides, Uruguay, potentially level on points with one or more of their rivals. If points comes in to it, you would fancy them to do exactly what was required in that final 80-minute affair.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Anyway, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves - one game at a time, as they say. England vs. Wales is very much synonymous with this sport, having been played 126 times in all. The overall total remains incredibly tight, with the Red Rose claiming 58 wins to Wales' 56. For the non-mathematicians among us this evening, that means 12 of those games have been drawn.
These two sides have also met twice before in the Rugby World Cup, with each of those encounters coming in the quarter-final stage. As if to prove how close to call these fixtures often are, Wales won the first meeting 16-3 in Brisbane 28 years ago, while England gained revenge with a 28-17 victory in 2003.
And this is what they are playing for. Not this evening, of course - there is a long way to go before either can even contemplate lifting the Webb Ellis Cup. Before then, getting out of Pool A remains the only target; victory tonight will be key to those aspirations.
© Getty Images
It could very well be a cagey affair this evening, settled by the precision of Farrell and Biggar's boots. If the stats are anything to go by, then Wales certainly won't cross over more than once. Only one side has managed that - France in 2011 - in England's last nine Rugby World Cup outings.
DID YOU KNOW? England have never lost a Rugby World Cup match against northern hemisphere opposition on home soil. That is a rather ominous fact for Wales, while it should also be pointed out that the Red Rose have won their last eight fixtures at Twickenham.
If you have been following our coverage on Sports Mole over the past eight days, you will know that we have every fixture covered in depth. That means reporters on the ground to bring you all the latest before, during and after games, and tonight is no different. Barney Corkhill is the unfortunate member of the team who has been selected to watch this run-of-the-mill fixture.
The views of Barney Corkhill, who is at a packed Twickenham for us this evening:
"There is a fantastic atmosphere in and around Twickenham tonight, as you would expect ahead of such a huge match. The importance of this tie cannot be overstated and it should be a magnificent spectacle. I for one can't wait for it to get started."
I mentioned a little earlier that England have won their opening couple of fixtures at a World Cup on three occasions, well Wales have done likewise, getting off to a perfect start in 1987, 1999 and 2003. Something will have to give this evening one way or another, in what should - hopefully - be a real classic.
Because everyone loves a good stat, here is another one for you. Wales have included seven English-born players among their 23-man squad for this match. Tomas Francis, Dan Lydiate, Hallam Amos, George North, Aaron Jarvis, Luke Charteris and Alex Cuthbert all qualify to play for the opposition side this evening.
Okay, breaking away from all things Twickenham for the time being, there is time to bring you news on a great competition we are running in which one lucky reader can win a signed England shirt.
It has been the centre of attention all day - all week (month?) even - but this is not the only fixture taking part on this glorious Saturday. Italy have already got the better of Canada in a scrappy affair at Elland Road, while South Africa recovered from their Japan humiliation to stuff Samoa at Villa Park. Reports and exclusive reaction from those games is filtering through by the minute, so
click here to check it all out.
Also, if you're trying to impress your mates and have little time for some last-minute revision, why not check out our handy preview ahead of tonight's match which can be found by
clicking here.
Not long to go until the sides emerge down the tunnel and we get another rendition of that Paloma Faith-destroyed World Cup anthem. Despite the issues in the build-up to this one, both sides will be feeling quietly confident that they can get the job done tonight - always a good ingredient for a classic encounter.
Both England and Wales missed out on the Six Nations crown earlier this year, of course, yet only Japan (8) have won more games than the British duo this calendar year. On the subject of the Six Nations, it was the Red Rose's victory in Cardiff seven months ago which really provided supporters with hope that their side can go all the way and lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
Right, I've rambled on for long enough now so it seems like a good time to offer a prediction. Home advantage plays a huge part in any match - whether a friendly or a World Cup showdown - but it is hard to see Wales being fazed by the Twickenham atmosphere. Sam Warburton said as much when speaking to the press last week, claiming that he and his teammates relish the noise generated from the stands.
This one will instead come down to the pure ability of the players, or more specifically, how they perform on the night. A tight game is inevitable, and I'm not expecting too many tries, so I'll go with England to edge it 22-16 in front of their home supporters.
It is time to check in on Barney Corkhill once again, this time to provide us with his prediction and overall outlook from Twickenham:
"Interestingly, when the teams were read out to the crowd the biggest cheer was reserved for Sam Burgess. That battle between him and Jamie Roberts is just one of a number of crucial battles this evening, and it really should be a mouth-watering tussle in midfield.
"Wales will no doubt look to test out what has been a shaky England scrum, particularly as the referee Jerome Garces is one of the strictest officials in the world when it comes to that area of the game. Still, England, and more specifically Owen Farrell, can punish Wales if they give too many penalties away. I'm predicting England to win this one 24-20."
Not long to go now... just six minutes in fact. Anyone else feeling nervous?
The players slowly emerge down the tunnel area; some nervous, others simply focused. Warburton on one side, Robshaw on the other. Red or white, England or Wales, this is the fixture of the pool stage. The wait is over.
It's anthems time. God Save the queen, followed by Land of My Fathers - one belted out with slightly more gusto around this famous venue.
Prince William proudly joins in with the Welsh national anthem, while Prince Harry - an ambassador for England - stares on. Seven members of this squad are English-born, but you wouldn't know it.
Are we all ready? Good. All the talk, nearly three years' worth, is now over. England vs. Wales is just seconds away at Rugby HQ.
KICKOFF! We are up and running in London, and there is an early lineout for Wales who are looking to attack early on.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 0-3 WALES (BIGGAR)
Wales had so much success with the driving maul against Uruguay, which has been carried into this game. England punished, penalty awarded, Dan Biggar off the mark at this year's Rugby World Cup.
England make some ground through Wood and May, but the move comes to an abrupt end when Biggar plucks the ball out of the air. The kicking-machine went long in an attempt to get England under some pressure at the back, but Sam Burgess was quick to the danger.
England are put under pressure from a Wales scrum, yet the Red Dragons fails to make the most of it. Decibels rising around Twickenham now as the hosts take their turn to drive forward through Robshaw.
Real danger for Wales for the first time this evening. Watson was the key, being fed the ball on the right and kicking into space when in striking distance of the try-line, but Davies was across to help the ball into touch.
Wales defend the subsequent lineout very well to ease the pressure that had been building. England growing in confidence, perhaps, yet it is the visitors who sit on a three-point lead at this stage.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 3-3 WALES (FARRELL)
We are all square at Twickenham, as Farrell keeps his cool to boot over from range. It came at the end of another good drive from England, which saw Wales penalised for wheeling illegally.
Drop goals have been a rarity at the World Cup so far, but that does not put Biggar off. The outside half felt it was on, yet his contact was all wrong and it fell wide of the target.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 3-6 WALES (BIGGAR)
Cole flops over the ball to gift Biggar a second penalty attempt. Thank you very much, he says, and kicks perfectly right between the sticks to regain Wales's advantage on enemy territory.
DROP GOAL! ENGLAND 6-6 WALES (FARRELL)
No messing around from Farrell, who takes matters into his own hands and successfully finds the target from his drop goal attempt. That was a common sense approach from the fly-half.
Biggar is clearly in the mood. He takes Youngs' kick superbly out on the right. It is England who are looking better at getting forward, but Wales are also very dangerous.
Still awaiting that first try, which comes as little surprise. Kicking was always going to be key this evening, and it is so far so good from both sides. Youngs has just chipped into touch on the Welsh 22, so England have a chance to regroup in a good area.
Handbags alert! Things have boiled over for the first time following Lydiate's mistimed tackle. Nothing much in that, though, despite the referee going to TMO for the first time.
A little more from Barney Corkhill, who is sitting in prime position inside Rugby HQ:
"There have been too many penalties given away in these opening stages, and that could prove to be costly in the end. England have been particularly guilty, missing a scoring chance in the Wales 22 as well as those two within kicking range for Biggar. Not the most convincing start from the hosts."
PENALTY! ENGLAND 9-6 WALES (FARRELL)
The Red Rose edge ahead for the first time thanks to another successful Farrell penalty right down the middle. It came after a decent England scrum caught Wales off guard, with the visitors penalised and paying the cost.
Barney Corkhill provides us with his views on what we have witnessed over the past few minutes:
"Tempers are beginning to flare here, and that Lydiate tackle has really got the Twickenham crowd in good voice once again. England back it up with a huge scrum and it is the hosts who are in the ascendency at the moment."
The Wales scrum is still not quite right, and once more a move breaks down when they fail to release. England will be happy enough with the way that things are going.
CONVERTED TRY! ENGLAND 16-6 (JONNY MAY)
That opening try has been coming for some time now, with May the man to finally cross over. It was a decent move from the Red Rose, which culminated in Youngs picking out Wood to work the ball out to the left. It is recycled well for May to open the try scoring for the evening, with Farrell not missing from the follow up.
So breathing space for the first time this evening, then, thanks to that May try. England now need to build on that, rather than allowing Wales to build any sort of momentum. A superb Brown kick helps to take the pressure off the Red Rose when on their own line.
Bradley Davies escapes his man superbly, allowing Wales to get bodies forward. The Red Dragons are stopped in their tracks by the referee, who wrongly adjudged that Biggar knocked the ball on.
Wales earn themselves a lineout in the England 22, coming after Biggar booted into touch, but they again fail to capitalise. Six minutes until half time, and it is the Red Rose who have a nice 10-point lead.
Speaking of ten-point leads, that is exactly the margin that Wales held over England in the last meeting if I remember correctly. Lancaster's charges, of course, went on to win that one.
Following an eight-phase period of play deep in England territory, the hosts finally clear their lines to again relieve the pressure. Decent build-up play from the Red Dragons, who have upped things considerably ever since that Davies burst five minutes ago.
Wales have a penalty in a kick-able position, but they would have wanted so much more from this latest attack. The ball is worked out wide where North was waiting, yet there is no way through for the visitors and they have to settle for a pen.
Let's here from Barney Corkhill once more:
"Wales just can't get going at the moment. They are having big trouble with their lineout, and they have by no means had things all their own way in the scrum either. Stuart Lancaster will be pretty happy with what he has seen so far."
PENALTY! ENGLAND 16-9 WALES
Biggar does indeed find the target to cut that gap back to within a converted try. Decent half of rugby, that.
HALF TIME! ENGLAND 16-9 WALES
So England have a seven-point advantage at the break, which is probably just about fair on the balance of things. If we had three or four minutes of that half still left to play, you have to wonder whether we would be all square, though.
We have heard from Barney Corkhill throughout that first half, so why not check out his half-time report from Twickenham? That can be found by
clicking here.
All very absorbing in those opening 40 minutes, which I thought absolutely flew by - always a good sign! It was, as expected, very much about the kicking ability of Messrs Biggar and Farrell for large parts, until May crossed over for the only try of the contest thus far.
MATCH ACTION! Jonny May scores the first try for England during the first half of their Pool A meeting against Wales
© Getty Images
I felt that Wales grew into things far more in the final 10 minutes or so, which appeared to be a direct result of Bradley Davies's positive burst down the right. The gap has been closed to those seven points once again, thanks to the kicking of Biggar, and I really would not want to call a result at this stage.
Right, let's see what Twickenham-based reporter Barney Corkhill has to say on the back of those opening 40 minutes:
"Seven points is the gap at half time, then, but Warren Gatland will likely be happier now than he was 10 minutes before the break. Wales started coming back into it as the interval approached, but the visitors need to perform better at the lineout and the scrum if they are to stand any chance of coming back into this one."
RESTART! The second half is upon us, with news of a change to bring you from the break. Launchburry is on in place of Lawes for England; Wales unchanged.
A word on that Lawes change - a knock picked up in the final Wales attack of the first half is likely to have been the reason behind his replacement. It has been a slow start to the half from Wales after Biggar fumbled the ball into touch.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 19-9 WALES (FARRELL)
Ten points is the margin again, thanks to the reliable Farrell. Wales caught offside which, again, proves to be costly in their attempt to claw themselves into this one.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 19-12 WALES (BIGGAR)
Alun Wyn Jones leads from the second row to win Wales a penalty which, you've guessed it, Biggar slots over. Wood the man penalised for not rolling away.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 22-12 WALES (FARRELL)
Roberts does not roll away from the tackle, meaning another England penalty which Farrell is only too happy to boot over. Some alterations to bring you now - Wigglesworth has come on for Youngs, while Lee and Owens are on for Francis and Baldwin.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 22-15 WALES (BIGGAR)
Wales desperate for some momentum, which they just cannot seem to find at the moment. Never mind, they are still within touching distance thanks to a fifth Biggar penalty. Robshaw at fault for that one, as England again see their discipline let them down.
Wales are certainly doing well to keep the scores ticking over, but they now have 25 minutes remaining to cancel out Jonny May's first-half try. There is so much drama still left in this one.
Farrell's grubber falls nicely to Biggar who clears to touch. A quiet period, perhaps, but you would not take your eyes off it for a second. Who can find momentum the quickest?
MATCH ACTION! Dan Biggar falls just short with his drop goal attempt in the first half
© Getty Images
PENALTY! WALES 22-18 ENGLAND (BIGGAR)
Vunipola is punished for going off his feet, but there is still so much for Biggar to do from the follow-up. This is the toughest of the night. Does it matter? Nope. Four points the difference now.
An hour played and for the first time England are looking nervous. A Vunipola tackle denied North from bursting through, as the Red Dragons look to turn the screw a little more. Four points in this one as we enter the final 20 minutes.
A brief pause in play now, so let's cross over to Barney Corkhill at Twickenham:
"It's been all about the boot in this second half so far, but Wales are starting to find a bit of form. England are on the back foot at the moment and, with 20 minutes remaining, this one is perfectly poised."
Wales lineout a couple of metres outside the 22, which offers so much promise but comes to nothing. Amos then had to spring into defensive action to produce a superb tackle after Watson launched an England attack.
Vunipola and Wigglesworth receive some treatment on the field of play, while Vunipola hobbles off to be replaced by Haskell. But the biggest concern here surrounds an injury picked up by Scott Williams, who leaves the pitch on a stretcher. When will Wales's luck improve?
Another promising Wales attack comes to a disappointing end, this time after Barritt got across well to deny Williams. The visitors had advantage at one stage, but that was not brought back by the referee.
For the first time in a while England can smell the Wales try-line. Skipper Robshaw was running and running until being clattered off the ball and, when Hamos picked up a loose ball, Twickenham held its breath collectively. The whistle had already blown, though, and now four players lay down on the ground. Carnage!
We would all surely forgive Warren Gatland for breaking down in tears up in the stands. Yet. Another. Injury. Hallam Amos dislocates his shoulder to see his World Cup campaign come to an end.
Liam Williams has now left the field on a stretcher. Unbelievable. Dan Biggar, who himself was nursing a knock, is okay to continue for the remainder. Play can now resume.
Barney Corkhill on Wales's growing list of injuries:
"Wales just can't catch a break in terms of injuries. The field is littered with red shirts receiving treatment here, while they have already lost Scott Williams to what looks like a tournament-ending injury. This has been a gruelling contest."
PENALTY! ENGLAND 25-18 WALES (FARRELL)
Watson is unlucky when chasing down his own volley, which is collected by the Welsh a couple of metres from the whitewash. The play is brought back for an earlier infringement, however, and Farrell - now joined by Ford on the pitch - kicks over.
CONVERTED TRY! ENGLAND 25-25 WALES (GARETH DAVIES) One scrum half to another. My word what a turn up this is! Lloyd Williams with superb vision initially to just feed the ball into the path of Gareth Davies from the boot, who in turn pounced on the ball and crossed over. Twickenham has been silenced. Biggar adds the extras to level up.
All the momentum is with Wales, as they win themselves a penalty. This game has turned massively all of a sudden, and now you would put all your money on the visitors to take the points. Can Biggar find the sticks from range?
PENALTY! ENGLAND 25-28 WALES (BIGGAR)
The kicking performance of a lifetime from Dan Biggar. Leigh who?! From half the length of Twickenham, the fly-half makes not mistake. Wales lead for the first time in 60 minutes.
Four minutes is all that stands between Wales and one of the most famous results in their history. That is no exaggeration - they have had it all to do this evening. So much can happen in these remaining minutes, though, particularly considering the number of pens we have already seen.
Warburton is punished for not releasing Brown; England opt not to go for the sticks from the resulting pen. Instead they will go for the win, a lineout awaits. An incredible conclusion!
Bad decision, it appears, as a fine defensive maul from Wales shoves England into touch. Two minutes left. A lifetime for Welsh supporters; mere seconds for those backing the Red Rose.
Wales have held off the England onslaught. Now they must defend one final set piece. Thirty seconds on the clock. Thirty.
FULL TIME: ENGLAND 25-28 WALES
Absolutely incredible. Wales have gone to Twickenham and beaten England in the biggest meeting between the two sides in many a year. The character on show was tremendous, and Gatland lets out an almighty roar. Always the most composed person in the stadium, he knows just what his side had to overcome this evening.
Just the most absorbing game you are likely to see. It had its dull moments, in truth, but not once could you take your eyes off it. Wales trailed by seven points with 10 minutes to go, remember, but the all important try from Davies, before a whopping seventh penalty from Biggar, helped the Red Dragons to roar on enemy territory.
Right, that brings
Sports Mole's coverage of today's Rugby World Cup action to a conclusion, but I'll leave you with Barney Corkhill's
match report from Twickenham. Plenty of reaction to come over the next couple of hours, so be sure to stick with us.
