Six Nations rugby: England Swing Low

Wales have just upset England at Twickenham 26-19 in first-round action of this years' Six Nations.

England gagged.

Unbelievably, Wales trailed 19-6 at the half -- were actually down 19-3 earlier in the first spell -- and after three-quarters England looked home-and-hosed up by a comfortable ten points, and playing at Fortress Twickenham -- where Wales had not won in twenty years.

What a collapse!

What a plucky comeback!!

Total disbelief.

Paul Ackford, in the Telegraph:

An aberration for England, completely unacceptable as well as entirely incomprehensible. [...]

The inquest will be long and cruel for England. How, with all their experience and power, did they lose a match they were comfortably in command of?

Even a stunned Mustache could barely string a coherent sentence together, sputtering in The Times:

"[T]here is no excuse for the lack of composure shown by Englandthe home side towards the end or andthe lack of leadership as Wales came steaming back."

Nice start for coach Warren Gatland's career as Welsh coach.

Ackford, again:

It was a magnificent result for Wales and their new coaching team of Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards. Some coaches are "lucky" and this pair seems destined to be especially lucky for Wales. I've no idea what was said at half-time to turn around a game which was fast becoming a nightmare for them but, whatever it was, it will surely attract legendary status in the weeks to come.

More here.

Earlier, Ireland struggled past Italy to win 16-11 at famous Croke Park.