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Wales 19 v 9 England

WALES got their World Cup warm-up campaign back on track after stunning England with a display of heoric defence and clinical execution at the Millennium Stadium.

The home side were battered and beaten up for more than 50 minutes of this encounter but James Hook’s try was enough to punish England’s lack of cutting edge.

Hook’s second-half score came during Wales’ only spell of sustained pressure, as Martin Johnson’s side once again starved the Welsh of possession.

Gavin Henson’s big World Cup audition lasted just half-an-hour as he left the field nursing a suspected broken arm. Henson was sent for a scan straight after the match and his fate is expected to be revealed tomorrow.

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Until then, Henson had been one of Wales’ best performers - running, passing and tackling superbly in his second comeback Test for his country.

Coach Warren Gatland got the result he wanted just a few weeks ahead of the World Cup kick-off, and there can be no doubt a gruelling summer training regime has made this team one of the fittest and strongest on the Test stage.

Wales had promised to burst out of the blocks this time around after last week’s lacklustre first-half showing, and, in fairness, they were true to their word.

Priestland’s clever switched kick-off was gathered by the rampaging George North who immediately won a penalty for the home side as England’s defenders infringed at the tackle.

Scarlets man Priestland slotted home the resulting kick to give Gatland’s side the perfect start.

England, though, had a swift reposte from their own re-start as Easter collected Flood’s kick and the Welsh defenders found themselves offside, allowing Flood to tie the scores up with the boot.

The Welsh crowd didn’t have to wait long for Henson to get his hands on the ball, the 29-year-old running strongly in the midfield to set up a Welsh attack.

And there was even a some textbook Henson tackles to admire as the former Osprey first wrapped up Matt Banahan before making another telling hit on Shontayne Hape.

Wales edged ahead once again after the English pack collapsed their own scrum in front of the posts but it was the visitors who were in almost complete control of possession.

Unsurprisingly, it was England who threatened to cross the line first as captain Mike Tindall put the giant Banahan into acres of space.

Only the diminutive Shane Williams stood between the 17st 9lb Bath man and the try line but the veteran Osprey produced a brave last-ditch tackle that saw Banahan fumble the ball over the line.

Flood soon brought things level with another penalty, before both sides were forced to make changes.

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First, Richard Wigglesworth was replaced by Danny Care after taking a knock, and then it was time for Henson’s afternoon to come to a disappointing end as he trudged off injured to be replaced by Scott Williams.

England were now camped inside the Welsh 22, and it was only heroic last-ditch defence and a lack of English killer instinct that saw them go into the break all square.

Gatland made the strange decision to replace the impressive Priestland with Dragons winger Aled Brew at the break, James Hook shifting to 10 and Shane Williams moving to the unfamiliar position of full-back.

Wales needed a strong start to the second-half but, in fact, it could not have begun in worse fashion.

Jamie Roberts found himself in the sin bin from the opening minute after he was harshly adjudged to have held on to Tindall in the tackle straight from the kick-off.

The 14-men of Wales were once again under the pump as the English forward domination continued and the prospect of any Welsh possession seeming a distant dream.

Fortunately for Wales, England’s attacking ideas wavered between the basic and the shambolic, and it wasn’t long before Roberts returned to the fray with minimal damage done.

If Wales’ inability to escape from their own 22 was disheartening, their courage and commitment in defence was, at times, inspirational.

With 55 minutes on the clock, finally it was Wales’ turn to attack and, unlike England, they were not found wanting.

The home side launched wave after wave of attack as Scott Williams, George North and Mike Phillips all forced their way over the gain line before Hook danced his way past the sprawling Dan Cole to cross near the posts.

Hook added the extras and, somewhat remarkably, Wales found themselves 13-9 ahead.

Wales looked by far the fitter and more dynamic side now, with the Welsh back row unit dominating the vital battle of the breakdown.

Mike Phillips’ sin binning with 10 minutes on the clock looked like it might threaten hopes of a Welsh victory, but, in the end, England had nothing to offer and another two Hook penalties sealed the win.

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