England vs Wales LIVE! Rugby World Cup warm-up match stream, latest score and rugby updates today
Just a week on from their last clash, England and Wales renew hostilities at Twickenham today as they continue their build-up to the Rugby World Cup. Last week, Warren Gatland’s side ran out surprise 20-9 winners in Cardiff, raising concern for Steve Borthwick and his coaching staff. Despite dominating the opening 40 minutes, the manner in which they gave the game away was worrying.
After three defeats in a row, England are at risk of falling to a record low world ranking of ninth. Though Summer Nations Series games aren’t going to go down in history, another defeat would be a major blow for Borthwick, who would be left having to raise morale with the tournament in France only a month away now and a trip to Ireland up next.
12 Premiership winners including captain Owen Farrell make up their starting XV today as England, almost at full strength, look to turn things around. Follow the action live with Standard Sport’s blog below, featuring expert analysis from Nick Purewal at Twickenham.
Live updates
Nick Purewal at Twickenham
England’s 12 men leak an immediate try, with Tomos Williams coasting home unopposed from Joe Roberts’ pass. The Twickenham crowd is stunned, and this is little short of embarrassing. Dan Biggar’s conversion puts Wales into a 17-9 lead with 15 minutes to play.
TRY! England 9-17 Wales
65 mins: Tommos Williams scores for Wales.
Lovely work from Bigar frees Roberts, who hands it to Williams to put Wales well into the lead.
Bigar then converts.
Farrell red card review
63 mins: Farrell binned as we await a review to see if its going to be upgraded to a red…
Nick Purewal at Twickenham
No sooner had Genge gone to the bin, than Freddie Steward joined him. Steward tackled Josh Adams in the air as the Wales wing collected a high ball, and was fortunate not to see red in some respects. Liam Williams knocked on trying to score, but Steward’s aerial challenge earned him a yellow card – and handed Wales a penalty try to give the hosts the 10-9 lead.
TRY! England 9-10 Wales
59 mins: Bigar with a stunning cross-field ball to Adams, who is brought down by Steward, allowing Williams to score.
Steward and Genge binned, not a good few minutes for England.
Nick Purewal at Twickenham
England have hardly improved after the break, and the scrum has started to splinter just as it did in Cardiff last weekend. Ollie Lawrence finally had chance to hit a hard line however, to show his brute force at least the once.
PENALTY! England 9-3 Wales
45 mins: England 9-3 Wales
Wales on the board as Owen Williams coverts with the help of the post.
PENATLY! England 9-0 Wales
41 mins: Reffell penalised for not releasing his player on the turnover and Farrell converts .
Two hours and seven minutes since England last scored a try…
Back underway!
Here we go for the second-half!
Nick Purewal at Twickenham
Well, England take a 6-0 lead into the break, but that’s where the positives pretty much begin and end. The hosts only found a multi-phase sequence for the first time with the final play of the half. The latitude afforded to an England side still building under a new coach is diminishing by the minute. Exit this match without any tangible evidence they can compose and then finish an attacking move, and serious questions about this regime’s direction of travel will be wholly justified.
