Wales snatched a dramatic 19-12 win over England to win the Triple Crown and keep its hopes of a Six Nations Grand Slam alive at Twickenham.
The match was all square at 12-12 with five minutes left when Wales replacement Scott Williams stole the ball in the tackle from Courtney Lawes from some 50 metres out and hacked downfield before regathering for the only try of the match.
Leigh Halfpenny converted and Wales, which had been down to 14 men after five-eighth Rhys Priestland was sin-binned, was seven points clear.
England, though, hit back with virtually the last move of the match as wing David Strettle went over in the corner, but he was held up in the tackle by Wales centre Jonathan Davies.
Scottish video referee Iain Ramage prolonged the agony of a crowd of more than 81,000 with several minutes' study before deciding no try had been scored and Wales had just its second win at Twickenham since 1988.
And it meant England, which like Wales came into this match on the back of two wins, had suffered its first defeat under acting coach Stuart Lancaster.
The English had been six points in front early in the second half on the back of four penalties from Owen Farrell, but Wales kept pace with four of its own from full-back Halfpenny.
Lancaster made the bold decision to start 20-year-old Farrell, playing only his third Test, at number 10 in an international for the first time after Charlie Hodgson was ruled out with a finger injury.
Wales nearly had a try as early as the second minute when, after winning clean line-out ball, half-back Mike Phillips' inside pass sent George North clear.
But the teenage flyer's surge to the line was halted by a last-ditch tap-tackle from Strettle.
Farrell gave England the lead with a 23rd-minute penalty.
But from the ensuing kick-off, England infringed and Halfpenny, having missed first time, was on target to make it 3-3.
Fit-again Manu Tuilagi, filling the hole left by Farrell's move from centre to five-eighth, gave England a physical presence in midfield it had so far lacked this tournament.
It needed a brilliant tackle from Wales captain Sam Warburton to deny the Samoa-born powerhouse a try.
Wales was offside though and Farrell knocked over a simple penalty to make it 6-3 before Halfpenny levelled the match at 6-6.
Farrell then made light of a tricky penalty from wide on the left to give England a 9-6 half-time lead.
England's two previous tries this tournament, one each in wins over Scotland and Italy, had been scored by Hodgson charging down.
And it nearly had a third when Mouritz Botha blocked Priestland's kick early in the second half.
No try resulted this time but Priestland then went offside and was yellow-carded by referee Steve Walsh.
Farrell made it four penalties out of four and England was six points up at 12-6 with Wales a man down.
But a huge hit by Wales centre Jonathan Davies on Farrell turned an England attack into defence and Halfpenny's third penalty cut the lead to 12-9.
Farrell then missed his first penalty from five attempts and, with 17 minutes left, England was still just three points in front.
Lancaster took off Farrell with 14 minutes and brought on the experienced Toby Flood, as England looked to close out the match.
Wales then missed a great try-scoring chance when Scott Williams did not pass with two men outside him.
But Halfpenny tied the match with 10 minutes left and Williams then atoned in dramatic fashion.
Wales: 19 (S Williams try; L Halfpenny con, 4 pens)
England: 12 (O Farrell 4 pens)
AFP
Tags: rugby-union, sport, england, wales, united-kingdom First posted February 26, 2012 15:06:41
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