Two-try hero: Alex Cuthbert
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Wales claimed the Six Nations title on Saturday as they emphatically shut out rivals England 30-3 at the Millennium Stadium in a humdinger of a match.
Two tries from Alex Cuthbert, who ends with four scores to his name, proved to be the turning point in the game after a first-half that ended try-less.
It was a performance that brought back memories of their 2011 World Cup form and showed the potential this Welsh team has going into 2015.
Put simply, England were outplayed and could not cross the whitewash - now having done so just once in their last four games - as the Six Nations and Grand Slam both disappeared into the night.
As it was the defending Grand Slam champions that bettered a 108-year-old record to clinch their biggest ever win over England, surpassing the 25-point margin recorded in a 25-0 win in 1905.
The first-half was a rip-roaring affair in Cardiff as both teams went at each other hammer and tongs in an entertaining spectacle that had both fans in the stadium and viewers watching at home on the edge of their seats.
After building a 12-3 lead early in the second-half, through four penalties by full-back Leigh Halfpenny to one from England ten Owen Farrell, Wales surged ahead through Cuthbert.
That Welsh try - like in 2012 for Scott Williams - was one that came from the English losing possession in contact and when the ball found its way to Cuthbert on the right wing, the finisher fended off England back Mike Brown en route to a 35-metre run in.
That put them 17-3 in front and minutes later Farrell missed his second shot out of three.
Dan Biggar added a drop before Cuthbert stormed in for another try after good work from Sam Warburton and then Justin Tipuric, with Biggar completing the rout with a penalty.
This was Wales's second victory in a row over England, with the Welsh the only side to defeat the English in Six Nations action since Stuart Lancaster became coach in 2012.
Man of the match: So many Welsh players put their hands up as the pack as a whole, Dan Biggar, Jamie Roberts et al all stood tall in Cardiff. But we go for Justin Tipuric, whose fine showing on the openside flank was capped off by a superb assist for Alex Cuthbert.
Moment of the match: At 12-3 with over 50 minutes gone, the ball squirting out of a ruck and eventually finding Alex Cuthbert was the last thing England needed. The Cardiff Blues wing showed great pace to go around Mike Brown for a massive score in the context of the game.
Villain of the match: Nothing nasty to report.
The scorers:
For Wales:
Tries: Cuthbert 2
Con: Biggar
Pen: Halfpenny 5, Biggar
For England:
Pen: Farrell
Wales: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 George North, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Toby Faletau, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Sam Warburton, 5 Ian Evans, 4 Alun-Wyn Jones, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Paul James, 18 Scott Andrews, 19 Andrew Coombs, 20 Aaron Shingler, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22 James Hook, 23 Scott Williams.
England: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Mike Brown, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Tom Wood, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 6 Tom Croft, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 David Wilson, 18 Mako Vunipola, 19 Courtney Lawes, 20 James Haskell, 21 Danny Care, 22 Toby Flood, 23 Billy Twelvetrees.
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), John Lacey (Ireland)
Television match official: Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)
Comments
1st58 says...
Despite a v fine performance by Wales yesterday - the tourny has imo been very average overall, and picking a lions squad from the mediocrity isnt that easy - I have selected a squad with either 2 or 3 players for each position, would be interested to hear some feedback (by all means criticise, but lets try and avoid childish slanging matches)
Props, LH: Jenkins, Sheridan, Healy, T/H: Jones, Cole
Hookers: Best, Hibbard
Locks: AWJ, Evans, Parling, Gray (injury allowing)
Openside: Tipuric, Armitage
B/Side: Warburton, Robshaw (bar injury, first choices would have been Ferris and Lydiate)
8: Faletau, Heaslip, Beattie
9: Phillips, Youngs
10: Sexton, Burns (controversial, but think he's the only other decent 10 around)
centres: BOD, Roberts, Davies, Tuilagi
Wings: Cuthbert, North, Visser (and Bowe if available)
F/B: H'penny, Hogg, Brown
Captain: Either Adam Jones or BOD.
I'd like to have seen Foden and Wade considered, but that's unlikely, see you in OZ folks!
Posted 14:53 17th March 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
@armchairgeneral - I wouldn't worry too much about the front row. Still properly young and with a lot of experience to gain.
I would add that scrums this term have been an absolute abortion and I'm not convinced that its anything to do with the players.
Since the France game, England seem to have been scared to engage with any force (a fact that Brian Moore alluded to in the match commentary) and with the disgrace that has been Cardiff, Dublin and Paris in terms of pitch its all become a lottery.
The refs seem to only penalize the defending scrum and, in the first scrum on saturday, the ground just disintegrated under England and the tone then appeared set for the rest of the game.
Posted 14:20 17th March 2013
carpelone says...
As a neutral, let me comment on Steve Walsh. Wales would have won this, no doubt.
We all need consistency in refereeing, he simply applied double standards, especially at scrum time.
We all know that New Zealand is the homeland of poor referees, going to Australia gave him that touch of cluelessness which is unique.
Posted 13:47 17th March 2013
carpelone says...
Congratulations to Wales and to all their fans.
Great atmosphere, great support and a motivated team, playing to their strenghts.
Deserving champs.
England must take this on their chins and improve from this. Their entire backline was not up too the job and was beaten fair and square.
Time to think who ia test material and who is not.
Posted 13:43 17th March 2013
noord_transvaal says...
a good proper spanking! very few things in life so satisfying as to see england get a beating. thank you wales
Posted 13:41 17th March 2013
carpelone says...
ruckingkiwi
You are the expert in choking, aren't you?
Posted 13:39 17th March 2013
theGadflY says...
well done to wales,a well.deserved victory.it is the best match i'v seen this year thus far.top quality rugby,and the atmosphere,oh how I would like to watch a match in such an atmosphere.
I thought Eng lost the title after Fra game.some English players,Farrel,Ashton,Care,behaved like they had already won the title.Anyway Eng was lucky to be in the hunt for the grand slam this weekend since I thought they should hav lost to Italy.they were given a life-line by Clancy.
Wales played the best rugby of the 6N,they had saved the best for last.congratulations for them.
Posted 13:34 17th March 2013
Jhamer25 says...
Oh jamie the prop you've changed yor tune syaing that Egland are an avergae team. They were world beater not so long ago and now they are average.
it suprises me how quick people can chnage their tune.
Posted 13:25 17th March 2013
Lucasrg says...
Absolutely Epic. Congratulations to Weals...impressive. I never seen England being beaten so hard by 27 points!!! and for once well done Steve Walsh.
Tipuric was immense...always found of him, he is pure class.
I expected England to win this close but I was wrong. They will learn from it.
Moreover, I'm honestly happy Wales smashed England in the face of those pesky Bbc pundits that are absolutely ridicule...Brian Moore please go and sell ice creams on Mars, someone may listen to you there!
Posted 13:25 17th March 2013
makemehappy says...
@3in4 - I am amazed how anyone from Ireland can be remotely happy with anything about that tournament (other than to get rid of Kidney, I'd imagine). How many points did you score at will in the last 35 minutes against Wales?
Posted 13:02 17th March 2013
cwmgarw says...
I'm 85 and I can die happy now ! Diolch o waelod galon i'r bechgyn
Posted 12:57 17th March 2013
Iyhel says...
@ Mayhem: not to take off anything from Wales perf yesterday but France won the 6N in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007, that's 4 out of 6 with 2 GS as well... Add a third Grand Slam if you extend to nine years.
Posted 12:43 17th March 2013
LondonWasp says...
on the plus side
two years in a row we have come 2nd- which isn't to bad...
Posted 12:23 17th March 2013
Mayhem says...
@jamie the prop,
You mock are scrapped win against France, what of the ref saving you against Italy? Congrats to majority of English posters on here and at the stadium who were very gallant losers, none more so than Lancaster himself. You could learn a lot from him sir.
Posted 12:03 17th March 2013
LondonWasp says...
now im not drunk i can comment
well.... that was horrific to watch....
ashton cannot tackle to save his life- his time is well and truely up, you only hear his name when he does something wrong
wenever we got a good run we would always give the ball to welsh hands
tuilagi doesn't know how to pass or sidestep.
gave away endless penalties. ENDLESS
couldnt even get a consolation try
wouldnt have minded loosing by eight points if we played well, but the game was over by 60mins
horrific, absolutely horrific
Posted 11:57 17th March 2013
Philly says...
Just goes to show that the "victory" over the ABs last autumn would never have happened had it not been for the Novo virus...
Posted 11:56 17th March 2013
Pembs says...
Poor old TV Addict. There is nothing like a sore loser
Posted 11:48 17th March 2013
KiwiJoe says...
Only match I,ve got to watch all the way through this year but worth it.
Well done Wales for a famtastic atmosphere and outstanding recird breaking win, with commiserations to Stuart Lancaster and his team also.
They don,t deserve the bile they,re getting, but Farrell must now realise that it takes more to become a legend like Johnny than a few wins, a pot of hair gel and the odd snidey nudge here and there. You have to turn up for the ones that matter like Wales did.
Along with the Italian win, an excellent day of Six Nations rugby.
Posted 11:30 17th March 2013
Monkeyboy says...
Where're all the detractors of the Pro12 now? It's quite evident that the league can't produce players who can play aggressive, open rugby compared to the fleet footed AP lads.
Posted 11:21 17th March 2013
astrospange says...
Well played to Wales. It's a pity there are a lot of malicious comments in some of these posts. I thought Wales played with great passion and intensity. England will learn from this and come back a lot stronger. Wales have reached their max, Eng are developing. Enjoy the moment :)
Posted 10:56 17th March 2013