England 23-19 Wales: Eddie Jones' side remain in 2022 Six Nations title hunt with Twickenham victory

Alex Dombrandt was England's only try scorer, as they registered Six Nations victory at Twickenham

England ensured they remain in the 2022 Six Nations title hunt as a 23-19 victory over Wales at Twickenham diminished further the defending champions' hopes of a championship challenge.

Eddie Jones' hosts, far from fluid and accurate on the day, scored their points through six Marcus Smith penalties and a gift of a try for No 8 Alex Dombrandt, after Wales hooker Ryan Elias overthrew a lineout within his own 22.

Wales, Six Nations title winners in 2021, responded through wing Josh Adams and centre Nick Tompkins tries, with fly-half Dan Biggar landing one conversion as they battled back from 17-0 down to 17-12, but could not kick on again.

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Indeed, having fallen 23-12 behind, their final-minute try through replacement scrum-half Kieran Hardy proved nothing more than a consolation, despite some frantic late drama after a penalty against Courtney Lawes for a deliberate knock on.

Having now lost two of their three fixtures in the championship this year to date, Wales' hopes of defending their title are all but over.

Wales made a terrible start to the Test as they spilled the kick-off to put themselves under enormous early pressure, but were fortunate as a penalty against England for obstruction deep in the 22 quelled the attack.

Having got away with their first major error, however, Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams chose to take an ill-advised quick-tap penalty, and with not even three minutes on the clock Smith kicked the opening points when Maro Itoje got over the ball to win a breakdown penalty.

In almost identical fashion, Dombrandt jackalled at a breakdown three minutes later in virtually the same part of the pitch, handing Smith a simple chance to make things 6-0, which he duly took off the tee.

Marcus Smith kicked England into an early 6-0 lead and registered six penalties in the victory

Wales fashioned a five-metre attacking scrum in response, when England centre Elliot Daly was forced to carry back over his own try-line, before a scrum penalty saw Biggar kick to the corner.

England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie was pinged for collapsing a Wales rolling maul, but when the visitors kicked to the corner for a second time, a lineout malfunction saw the ball coughed up and England able to clear.

A marauding run by Alex Cuthbert saw the Wales wing then break into the England 22, but Cowan-Dickie replied with a phenomenal breakdown penalty after resisting huge pressure.

A ding-dong opening quarter continued at a quick pace, with possession turning over frequently between the sides, as England's next entry into the Wales 22 was ended by the visitors crucially stealing a lineout.

A lovely Smith step and offload should have seen England move into a 9-0 advantage, as a stretched Wales were penalised for failing to roll away in the middle of the park, but the Harlequins playmaker struck wide from directly in front with a poor miss.

Smith missed one penalty and a conversion, but was bright throughout

England were within inches of a try in the 21st minute when lock Charlie Ewels fell just short of the line, but a TMO review soon showed Liam Williams had played the ball off feet in the subsequent phase, and referee Mike Adamson was left with a simple decision to sin-bin the Wales full-back for cynical play.

England called a five-metre scrum to attack from, but Wales - with tighthead Tomas Francis off for a HIA - improbably forced a penalty against the head, with Kyle Sinckler picked out for an early drive.

A trio of stunning offloads from Adams, scrum-half Williams and Cuthbert brought Wales up the pitch in swashbuckling fashion for the next chance of note, but England just managed to turnover the ball on the deck.

Wales soon blundered another lineout chance by the England 22 - Itoje disrupting well - and just past the half-hour mark the away side fell 9-0 behind when Smith punished lock Will Rowlands sealing off at a ruck to strike through the uprights.

Williams returned from his yellow card following that successful kick, but Wales' fairly chaotic nature of offloading failed to get them back into the key parts of the pitch.

England centre Henry Slade produced an exquisite 50:22 effort with five minutes remaining of the first half, but a huge chance for the hosts came to nothing as Wales No 8 Taulupe Faletau produced a brilliant breakdown steal on top of his own line.

Smith notched his fourth penalty with the final kick of the opening period when Wales flanker Ross Moriarty was penalised for failing to roll away, leaving the hosts 12-0 up and in a commanding position going in at the break, despite the lack of a real clinical edge.

England dominated the ball at the beginning of the second half, but the try that eventually came their way was as much a gift as a side is ever likely to receive at Test level: Elias overthrowing a lineout straight into the hands of Dombrandt within the 22, who had no-one around him and a run-up to force his way past Cuthbert to ground the ball.

Dombrandt reaches out to score England's only try of the Test early in the second half

Wales passed up a clear overlap down the left wing at the other end soon after, and the error was then compounded by England turning over the ball to exit and clear the danger.

On 54 minutes, Wales were finally on the scoreboard when pressure told into a try for Adams down the same left wing he had been ignored on moments before after a lovely Tomos Williams miss-pass.

Wales wing Josh Adams scored their first points of the Test in the 54th minute

Biggar missed the conversion to leave the deficit a 12-point one, but an offside against England saw Wales back into the 22 before long, and a sustained period of attack eventually told for a Tompkins try from close range to bring the visitors right back into things.

A critically important Jack Nowell breakdown penalty allowed Smith to restore the England lead to a two-score one with 14 minutes left on the clock, dispatching his fifth penalty with a crisp strike for 20-12.

Wales' Nick Tompkins reaches out to score his side's second try in the contest

A penalty against second row Adam Beard for playing the arm of Nick Isiekwe handed Smith a further chance, which the 23-year-old drove through the posts for an 11-point lead.

Thereafter, the Wales challenge appeared to wilt entirely, as their lineout continued to falter and their scrum faded badly. Yet, with 30 seconds left on the match clock Hardy sprung over, and when Biggar took a drop-goal conversion, they would have one last chance.

A frenetic final passage saw England skipper Lawes penalised for reaching out with one hand to tap at a Wales pass intended for hooker Dewi Lake - avoiding a yellow card - but the Wales kick to touch was poor, and Itoje ended the Test with a fantastic breakdown steal.

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Wales head coach Wayne Pivac said their Six Nations defeat to England was a tale of two halves but added he thought England's try should not have stood

Stats of the match

What's Next?

After next weekend's fallow week, England host Ireland in Round 4 in a huge championship encounter at Twickenham on Saturday, March 12 (4.45pm kick off GMT).

Wales are next in action on Friday, March 11 (8pm kick off GMT) when they welcome unbeaten France to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff for their Round 4 fixture. France dispatched of Scotland 36-17 in Edinburgh earlier on Saturday to remain on course for a Grand Slam.