Steve Borthwick's England weathered a Welsh storm to emerge as 20-10 winners in Cardiff and come away with their second straight win in the 2023 Six Nations.
Tries from Anthony Watson, Kyle Sinckler and Ollie Lawrence helped overcome Owen Farrell's shortcoming from the tee as England's skipper endured a forgettable afternoon with the boot. Louis Rees-Zammit's intercept try after the restart inspired hope for a Wales team that made nine changes following defeat to Scotland, but a lack of finishing firepower saw them fail to convert.
The hosts' hearts leapt a minute into the match when Taulupe Faletau's charge-down on an English clearance forced Freddie Steward to scramble (and hoist his shorts back up) from next to his own line. Sadly for Wales, that was as far as Warren Gatland's side ventured inside the English 22' for an opening half in which they struggled to threaten with ball in hand.
The guests looked more potent with ball in hand despite seeing less possession in the first 40 minutes, and Farrell took his first penalty with aplomb to eke open a narrow lead. England's captain couldn't keep up that accuracy from the tee, however, as he missed two more opportunities his side could ill afford before the interval.
Watson's score on the quarter mark would produce the first of those as the Leicester star was found in plenty of space on the left to dot down on his first England start in almost two years. Leigh Halfpenny was helpless to prevent the Tigers talisman leapfrogging the visitors into a more comfortable lead, though Farrell's missed conversion left enough room for Wales' veteran full-back to close the gap back to five minutes later.
The Red Rose raised its game at the right moments to dominate the aerial battle, while Wales' poor rucking saw England also clear up at ground level. Gatland's frustrations were summed up when scrum-half Tomos Williams' quick penalty close to the break came to nothing, with too few of the home forwards able to keep up with the pace.
If there were complaints over Wales' pace in the first half, Rees-Zammit served to answer those critics with a run-in score intercepting Max Malins' poor pass on halfway. No sooner was the Cardiff crowd celebrating its first lead before Sinckler's score under the posts restored a five-point cushion in England's favour, however.
Referee Mathieu Raynal might have some questions to answer after failing to consult his TMO for such a crucial score, which was given despite Sinckler diving in under the posts among a pile of bodies. Replays of the score appeared inconclusive as to whether Wales might have had a hand under the ball, though one could forgive the home contingent for protesting.
Farrell's failures from the tee were highlighted once more on the hour mark when a very kickable penalty veered right, and the home fans were boosted further when Alun Wyn Jones won a key penalty in the aftermath. For all their fervour in attack, however, Welsh oversights in the clutch moments wrecked any chance of the upset.
Lawrence highlighted that contrast between the two teams when he went over in the corner to drive a nail in the Welsh coffin, England stretching the field and using their numbers well for the centre to score. All but ruling out any chance of a late comeback, England's third try of the day also spoiled the hosts' hopes of a losing bonus point.
Farrell reflected on the result as a "step forward for us" and hailed Cardiff as a difficult place to come, even with Welsh rugby in its current state. The Saracens star acknowledged his poor performance from the tee but credited his side, who host France in two weeks' time.
"It was a good test for us and we took control in the last 20," he continued. "We've got another big team next time and got a lot of work to do, we're laying foundations."
Wales captain Ken Owens praised his team for 'fronting up' and showing some improvements against big oppositions but rued missed opportunities. Gatland's skipper went on to say he and his team-mates had "drawn a line in the sand" after a difficult few weeks jousting with the WRU over player salaries, calling on Welsh rugby to unite with a Rugby World Cup to come later this year.
Ireland kept their Grand Slam dream alive in Rome earlier on Saturday, staving off an admirable Italian effort to secure a 34-20 win at the Stadio Olimpico. Connacht winger Mack Hansen scored a try at the end of each half to prove the difference in a surprisingly tense showdown as Italy continue to show signs of improvement.
Scotland remain the only other unbeaten outfit in this year's Six Nations, though that record will be put to the sword when Gregor Townsend's men visit France in Paris on Sunday. Wales, meanwhile, head into another rest week sat bottom of the table and without a point to their name, facing a crunch encounter away to Italy in a fortnight.
