Wales 30 England 3
From Carmarthen to Colwyn Bay there has not been a better week to be Welsh since the seventies.
Even when the national team sneaked up on England at Wembley in 1999 there was no championship title to toast as well.
The combined genius of JPR, Gerald, Phil and Barry never inflicted this much neighbourly pain. Mention 2013 to elderly Welsh folk in 50 years’ time and, pound to a Halfpenny, they will recall precisely where they stuck the stricken visiting chariot.
Rarely, too, has a title been won from such unpromising beginnings. From 30-3 down after 43 minutes against Ireland to a 30-3 final weekend bashing of the English is no ordinary sporting resurrection. No wonder Shaun Edwards could be seen punching the air with delight as he headed out alone into the raucous, heel-tottering streets of Cardiff on Saturday evening.
What no one saw coming, distinguished former Welsh internationals included, was an opposing team scarcely recognisable as the same crew who recently went eight Tests in a row without a win.
The Six Nations is traditionally a game of snakes and ladders and England slithered all the way back down to square one.
It is a long time since an English tight five suffered so badly in the scrums and playing three sixes in the backrow against two specialist sevens in Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric added up to breakdown suicide.
If it is harsh to criticise backs operating behind a beaten pack, there was no escaping the unflattering contrast between the sharp, alert Welsh three-quarters and their toiling opposite numbers.
As for the theory that this contest would have played out differently had Manu Tuilagi clung on to Owen Farrell’s pass in the first quarter, that conveniently glosses over England’s recurring attacking uncertainty since their opening win over Scotland. A total of one slightly fortunate try in four subsequent games is not a healthy return, bad weather or not.
The sight of Alex Cuthbert and George North roaring past flailing English tacklers was to wonder again if the jinking days of Shane Williams are over at the highest level. Cuthbert and North, ironically both born in England, looked a class above their opposite numbers, with Leigh Halfpenny giving Alex Goode a masterclass in footballing certainty.
By the end, as Tom Croft booted the ball high into the stands in frustration and some of his team-mates appeared numb, it was hard to believe England had begun the second half only 40 minutes away from securing the title.
Wales’s 9-3 interval lead meant they still needed to chase the game but the marauding Cuthbert’s two tries inside 10 minutes changed everything. Mike Brown was left flat-footed on the outside for the first before the skilful Tipuric sealed a fine performance by creating the second.
English disappointment, though, has to be a secondary emotion. This was the first time Wales have retained the championship title since 1979.
Saturday’s result was not just a record win over England in Cardiff, beating the 25-0 thrashing in 1905, but equals England’s second worst championship defeat by any home union.
Guardian Service
WALES: L Halfpenny; A Cuthbert , J Davies, J Roberts (S Williams 76), A North ; D Biggar (J Hook 76), M Phillips ( L Williams 76); G Jenkins (capt; P James 62), R Hibbard ( K Owens 53), A Jones (J Andrews 74), AW Jones, I Evans ( A Coombs 70), S Warburton (A Shingler 76), J Tipuric, T Faletau.
ENGLAND: A Goode (B Twelvetrees 65); C Ashton, M Tuilagi, B Barritt, M Brown; O Farrell (T Flood 68), B Youngs (D Care 69); J Marler (M Vunipola 45), T Youngs (D Hartley 52), D Cole (D Wilson 73), J Launchbury (C Lawes 53), G Parling, T Croft, C Robshaw (capt), T Wood (J Haskell 68).
Referee: S Walsh (NZ).
Att: 74,104.
