| No. | Name | |
|---|---|---|
15Mike Brown, FB | ||
14Anthony Watson, W | ||
13Brad Barritt, C | ||
12Sam Burgess, C | ||
11Jonny May, W | ||
10Owen Farrell, FH 5 | ||
9Ben Youngs, SH | ||
1Joe Marler, P | ||
2Tom Youngs, H | ||
3Dan Cole, P | ||
4Geoff Parling, L | ||
5Courtney Lawes, L | ||
6Tom Wood, FL | ||
7Chris Robshaw, FL | ||
8Billy Vunipola, N8 | ||
| Replacements | ||
16Rob Webber, R | ||
17Mako Vunipola, R | ||
18Kieran Brookes, R | ||
19Joe Launchbury, R | ||
20James Haskell, R | ||
21Richard Wigglesworth, R | ||
22George Ford, R | ||
23Alex Goode, R | ||
ENG
WALES*Players currently on the pitch are shown in bold
Match Commentary
"Rarely has Twickenham seemed so tense as during the final 10 minutes of what was a frenetic Rugby World Cup match. Stuart Lancaster will wonder how exactly his side lost it, but in truth they only have themselves to blame. Lancaster's selections were vindicated yet his side were unable to make their first-half pressure count while careless penalties kept Wales in it for large spells. But credit Warren Gatland's men as red bodies lay strewn around the famous turf they raised themselves for a huge 10 minutes in which they left England shell-shocked. Owen Farrell was superb for England, as was Sam Burgess, but Dan Biggar came of age. Whether Wales have enough backs left to beat Australia and Fiji only time will tell but they've given themselves a chance."
Wales scrum!!
Huge call as Ford kicks it out in the corner for a lineout!
Wales push England out from the subsequent lineout. Great defence from Wales there, brute force. Impressive stuff from Gatland's men.
Biggar's set a record with 23 points for a Welshman against England, too.
Wales have an injury. Yes, another injury. Scott Williams is on the deck after a heavy collision with Brad Barritt and is stretched off. Vunipola has gone off with a knock, too. Strength in depth proving to be key here, especially with such a strong pool.
Massive kick from Biggar as he kicks their penalty from Wales' five metre line five metres in the England half.
Solid passage of play from the Welsh men here. With Tipuric and Charteris to come on, you can help but feel there's a twist to come here.
Tom Youngs is the first to fall to the floor with cramp.
And that penalty kick is a start. Great kick from Biggar from a pretty tricky angle and distance. Both capitalising on these penalties.
Will either side make a break through or is this a battle of kickers?
Nails it! Flawless kicking from Farrell, not missed a kick all night.
Wood wins the lineout along the half way.
Better from Wales and they receive a reward for their work in the form of a penalty. Biggar to take.
...and the ball is kicked back by Wales.
"England did not start well amid a raucous Twickenham atmosphere, and a nervy opening saw them gift Wales six points. However, that was before the calm head of Owen Farrell took over and the Saracens man showed exactly why he was selected for such a crucial contest. His kicking not only settled English nerves but got them going on the scoreboard and set the platform from which they ultimately struck. Wales are by no means beaten and Dan Biggar's third penalty keeps them in striking distance. They just need to cut out the errors that have crept into their own game."
Gatland's men have undoubtedly looked a threat throughout, most notably through Faletau's brute strength at barging through the English line but still Lancaster's men stand strong and look the safer bet of the two.
England's back three are putting in a great shift. Farrell's kicking proving vital, too.
Big, big jump and catch from Farrell as he clatters into his opposing Welsh number at high speed. Not sure how either of them are still standing but they are.
Wales having real problems with their set piece. They fail to find their intended jumper and Courtney Lawes collects and collapses down, gaining an England scrum.
May collects the ball deep in the England 22 unaware that the Welsh forwards are hot on his tail and tries to run it on his own. Fortunately Mike Brown is nearby and May eventually offloads. Brown then kicks high and long.
Ben Youngs offloads to May on his left who has a quick direct 10 metre run to the try line. Easy little try for May. Pat on the back to Mike Brown there with some relentless running. England's fullback picked the ball up well off the deck before going into contact. Watson also involved - some nice interchanging from England's back three.
Faletau drives head first into the English line and is looking like one of main Welsh outlets at the moment. Little head-to-head contact from Burgess and Roberts there, too. Some tasty hits going in from both sides.
Farrell eventually boots up field to release some of the pressure being mounted on them by their Welsh opponents.
Farrell sneaks one just over the bar form a fair way out - the second drop goal of the tournament so far. Very impressive stuff from the fly-half as he once agains proves his ability to handle the pressure of big games. England are now level.
The game appears to be settling now and the initial energy is fizzling out slightly as the nerves start to calm.
First penalty to Wales already along the half way. Tom Youngs concedes for England.
Wales kick out and they have the lineout substantially inside the England 22 already.
England fail to deal with the lineout effectively and Wales have a penalty, with Biggar lining it up...
Click here for ESPN's match preview
This match has long been billed as the ''decider'' and the victor here at Twickenham will undoubtedly gain a crucial advantage in the race to qualify for the last eight.
Wales have their injury concerns and selection dilemmas which have arguably given the hosts the edge. But, will Stuart Lancaster's selection gamble backfire? There's only one way to find...
Follow ESPN's men on the ground, Tom Hamilton (@tomESPNscrum) and Martyn Thomas (@MCThomasSport), who'll be providing us with insight on the game directly from Twickenham.