From the sublime to the submerged. England, imperious in the Six Nations’ first two rounds, drowned under a tidal wave of emotion as Wales launched a second-half comeback to achieve their 12th successive victory and break a record that had stood for more than a century. It was a breathless, tactical, titanic battle that turned when Dan Biggar left the home bench on the hour.

When the Northampton fly-half replaced Gareth Anscombe, Wales were 10-9 behind and had trailed for most of the match. Within six minutes they were ahead for the first time. Two years ago here it was England’s replacements who helped swing the match, but a feature of Wales’s unbeaten run since they lost in Dublin at this stage of the tournament a year ago has been the promotion of young players who have given them strength in depth.

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The experienced Biggar is not in that category but he was what Wales needed at a point in the match when lung-bursting desire and energy gave way to mental and physical fatigue. The England coach, Eddie Jones, had said in the buildup, presumably because of the landmark his opponents were looking to establish, that it was the best Wales team ever.

If he was hoping his words would ruffle the home side and prompt them to play with hearts rather than heads, the arrival of Biggar ensured otherwise. Until then Wales had played with typical endeavour and spirit, neutralising England’s kicking game and putting pressure on their half-backs, but their best hope of victory looked to be their opponents’ indiscipline, which improved when Kyle Sinckler was replaced just before the hour.

The prop, who had been singled out before the game by the Wales coach, Warren Gatland, as an emotional timebomb, had been explosive in the first half, making 16 tackles and winning the penalty at a scrum that gave England the lead after 16 minutes. Wales had had the greater possession and territory but were at times in too much of a hurry. England held them at arm’s length, running from their own half only after a turnover and kicking if nothing materialised after three or four phases, waiting for mistakes.

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England sabotaged Wales’s lineout and were a threat at the breakdown through Tom Curry, who scored their try after 25 minutes when, after Ken Owens had lost possession in his own half as Wales tried to drive a maul, he spotted his opposite number, Justin Tipuric, looking the wrong way at a ruck near Wales’s line and picked up for a soft score given the thunderous challenges that had preceded it.

England had used their big ball-carriers, Billy Vunipola, Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes, to storm the gainline and make dents in defenders, but Wales held firm, forcing Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell to kick. Wales picked Gareth Davies at scrum-half for the first time this tournament and part of his brief was to put pressure on Farrell as a way of neutralising the threat of Jonny May on the wing and it largely worked.

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Wales switched wings, putting Josh Adams, with his quicker acceleration and narrower turning circle, against May rather than George North. A year ago at Twickenham, Adams, in his second Test, was exposed positionally as May scored two early tries, but here he was astute and alert, reacting quickly to one kick in the opening half when Elliot Daly would have had a run to the line.

Wales gnawed away at England’s 10-3 interval lead in the third quarter when two Anscombe penalties reduced the visitors’ lead to a point – the second after Sinckler, having just given away a penalty for obstruction, involved himself in a touchline dispute that had nothing to do with him.

And the certainty that had sustained England dissolved. They had been content to keep Wales at a distance but could not respond when they needed to be more inventive. One Tuilagi run apart, they barely mustered a threat in the second period, when their only points came from a penalty secured by the excellent Curry, who forced Hadleigh Parkes to hold on after a tackle.

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Wales were unflinching, which galvanised the crowd – but they needed someone to create a spark. Enter Biggar. He played scrum-half after a 34-phase move and a North run that took out three defenders, flicking a short pass to the second-row Cory Hill, who had the strength to break two tackles and the reach to make the line, just.

Wales were in the lead for the first time with 13 minutes to go. England needed to find a response but their chief tactic had been thwarted by Wales’s back three, led by Liam Williams, one of two who earn their livings in the Premiership, and also the first full-back with experience in the position that England had faced this season.

The other Premiership player was Adams who, with three minutes to go and Wales looking to deliver a knockout blow and leave England without a bonus point, positioned himself on the right-hand touchline, exhorting Biggar to deliver a cross-kick – which the fly-half did with such precision that Adams was able to get above Daly, gather the ball at the second attempt and, summing up his team, make the line through sheer willpower. The score ensured the end of a run of five successive championship defeats against England.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cory Hill goes over for Wales’s first try, which swung the match in their favour. Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty Images