Team news for Wales sees good and bad news. Inspirational skipper Ryan Jones returns but they'll be missing the world's best player in Shane Williams, ruled out with an ankle injury. For England, Joe Worsley comes in at flanker, and Mike Tindall returns into the centre. That's out the away, so on with the game with England to start.
1 min: Delon Armitage takes a clearance and tries an outrageous drop goal from near the half way line. He gets in badly wrong and it doesn't even reach the goal line. First penalty given away from England. So much for working on their discipline this week!
3 mins: Great start from Wales, they've started like a train. Stephen Jones bursts through a Andy Goode tackle to set up good attacking position. England spoil the ball in front of the sticks and it's the easiest penalty for Jones. Wales 3 - England 0.
5 mins: Looks like Wales are intent are putting a marker down for the rest of the game. Every opportunity they're looking wide, with gaps already appearing in the England midfield. England's indiscipline lets them down (again), and referee Kaplin issues them with their first, and last, warning. Leigh Halfpenny takes the penalty shot from 45-metres but pushes it just wide. Let off that for England.
8 mins: This is looking ominous for England. So far they've barely got out their own half. Only fantastic covering work from Armitage foils Halfpenny after good work from Mike Philips. England need to get a few phases going. Very hard to do when their giving away away as many penalties as minutes we've played. An exaggeration, I know, but only just - 4 pens, 8 minutes.
10 mins: What's happening here? England are showing some enterprise and flair. The ball goes down the line with some good work from Flutey and Tindall. It comes to nothing, but at least shows their intent.
13 mins: Can already see Johnno's thinking behind starting with Joe Worsley. He's been everywhere so far, but most noticeably has so far nullified the buccaneering threat of Andy Powell,
16 mins: I did say that Kaplin had given England their last warning, and that's definitely the case. Mike Tindall, aka Mr Zara Phillips, makes a good tackle but handles on the floor and sees yellow. Jones makes England pay with another easy penalty. Wales 6 - England 0. As if playing Wales isn't hard enough already, England will have to do it with 14 men for the next ten minutes!
17 mins: Goode slips an inside ball back to Paul Sackey. he runs straight into a Welsh red wall, and is driven back metres. Great defence. Everything is going right for the men from the valleys so far.
20 mins: Another minute goes by, another penalty to Wales. This time it's Phil Vickery pinned for problems in the scrum. Not excuse really, as ref Kaplin had warned him only seconds earlier. Halfpenny finds his range, and makes England pay. Wales 9 - England 0.
23 mins: It's try time. But would you believe it, it's to the men in white! Riki F
lutey makes the initial break with some beautiful footwork in midfield to beat a couple of defenders. The ball's recycled wide to Goode, who chips through for Sackey to beat Mark Jones and Lee Bryne to touch down. Great try England. Goode makes a hash of the extra points, but we've got a game on here. Wales 9 - England 5.26 mins: Tindall returns, but who needs him? England having outscored Wales five to three in those ten minutes. The tide seems to have turned a bit, with England coming more into the game. They need to improve their kicking game, wastefully kicking away possession time and again. The Welsh backs are too good to do that, and will eventually make them pay. England you've been warned.
29 mins: England playing on the front foot and suddenly we've got a game on big time. Ref Kaplin plays the advantage with Wales offside and Goode wobbles a drop goal over. Wales 9 -England 8.
32 mins; Wales turn over the ball deep in England territory, not releasing the ball in the tackle. Shame that, as they had the numbers and we're looking good there. It looks like they've got the ability to switch through the gears at will on offence. Credit to Worsley again, he's always the first man in contact, and doing more than anything to stop the Welsh dragon. Inspired selection so far from Johnno.
35 mins: Byrne is a tad lucky to stay on the field there. He takes Armitage out in the air, with no attempt to play the ball, and could well have seen yellow there. Ref Kaplin showing extreme leniency there. If that had been the other way the Welsh crowd would have been baying for blood there, and England's reputation would have preceded them.
40 mins: HALF TIME. Wales 9 - England 8. Concerted Welsh pressure in the final minutes, but England survive with a combination of sound defence and managing to slow the ball down.
This game is tantalisingly poised with a just a point in the game. And what a game it's been so far. England, or more accurately Worsley, have managed to stop the go-forward of the Welsh, but indiscipline has been their undoing. For Wales they may be leading, but they'll be looking to step their game up. Whatever rate, more of the same..
41 mins: Maybe the pace of that half has caught up with both teams, as that interval was about five minutes longer than normal! We're off, and Wales have again come out the trap fast. Jamie Roberts make the initial break through midfield, the ball spun wide to Halfpenny who's stopped just short of the line. Goode with the last ditch tackle, but he seals the ball up on the floor. He's in trouble here. Yellow card. Stephen Jones adds salt in the England wound with the penalty. Wales 12 - England 8. Can Wales make England pay this time with the extra man?
44 mins: That's an emphatic yes. The Welsh forwards secure turn-over ball on the half way line. Roberts and Byrne take the ball on, and with leave Leigh Halfpenny with a clear run to the line. Whatever Warren Gatland said in the dressing room at half time has worked a treat. They are on fire. This time it's looking a costly sin binning for England. Jones misses the conversion. Wales 17 - England 8.
46 mins: Wales seem intent on winning this game while playing with the extra numbers. Every opportunity they look wide, normally with success. The attacks breaks down as they're penalised on the half way line for coming in from the side. It's a long kick but Armitage is going to have a shot. The result is as dismal as his attempted drop goal in the first minute - short, and wide.
50 mins: Terrible choice by Jamie Roberts. Wales must have had a four man over-lap there, but Worsley, need I say it, brings him down and stops a certain Welsh try. If England are to get back in this game, that could prove crucial.
52 mins: Looks like Andy Goode won't be coming back after his spell in the bin. Toby Flood coming on to replace him, and will look to unleash the England back line.
53 mins: Stephen Jones make a great break through three tackles to set up another Welsh attack. The whole of the England back line defence is deemed offside by ref Kaplin, but I'm at a lose to see it myself. Stephen Jones profits from the penalty. Wales 20 - England 8.
56 mins: England aren't going quietly here. Delon Armitage picks the ball up just inside the Welsh 22, he throws an outrageous dummy to Stephen Jones, and scoots over to touch down under the posts. Great work there from Armitage. Flood can't miss the conversion, and suddenly they're back within five points. Wales 20 - England 15.
60 mins: The bounce of the ball favours the men in red. Harry Ellis catches the Welsh napping, with a kick through. It's a straight foot race between Sackey and Jones again, and there's only one winner there. Sadly for Sackey he's got the touch of a rapist on his grubber kick through and the chance goes begging.
64 mins: Well into the last quarter of the game, and this could go either way. England look to freshen the pack up with a couple of changes. This really has been a fantastic game with both sets of players playing their part. Is there a twist in the tail of his bad-boy?
68 mins: The last few minutes has developed into a bit of kicking tennis. Both teams looking to force the other deep in defence on the back of some prodigiously long kicking. This will suit Wales better as they look to defend their lead.
70 mins: Indiscipline is killing England. This time it's hand on the floor in the ruck, and Jones has a straight forward penalty kick, which he makes no mistake of. Wales 23 - England 15. And now i know why the Millenium Stadium roof is opened for today's game. The noise would have lifted it clear off. Crucial kick that for Wales, England now need more than a converted try.
72 mins: Penalty England. Ryan Jones is pinned for killing the goal, giving Toby Flood a crucial kick at goal. Without putting too much pressure on the lad, but England need this one. But they don't get it. He misses to the near side, and the whole of Wales breath a sign of relief. Where's Johnny Wilkinson when you need him?
75 mins: Monster hit there from Ian Gough on Dylan Hartley. He stopped him dead in his tracks there. That typifies the Welsh forward, and the Welsh crowd respond with the noise level going up a further few decibels.
77 mins: England have got the ball in hands, and going through the phases, but not really going anywhere with all the work being done in their own half. The Welsh defence holds, and pressure on the ball carrier results in a red put-in at the scrum. This game belongs to Wales.
FULL TIME. Wales 23 - England 15.
And it's all over. The Welsh dream of back-to-back Grand Slam is kept alive, but my word, they were made to work for that victory. It wasn't a Welsh performance that we've grown accustomed to seeing lately but a brave, and just deserved, victory.
For England it's a performance full of heart but sadly lacking in discipline with 18 points gifted from penalties. England will take heart from outscoring their hosts two-to-one in the try count, but ultimately that counts for nothing as it's Wales that secure the two points in the championship.Man-of-the-match was undoubtedly Joe Worsley. Colossal performance from the flanker, and he certainly didn't deserve to lose.
For Wales, they're off to gay Paris in the quest for the Grand Slam in a fortnights time. For England it doesn't get any easier, Ireland away at Croke Park.
Picture Credits: Zimbio.co.uk, http://www.belchfire.net/, Getty images
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