England 30 Wales 17

The Six Nations game between England and Wales at Twickenham, London, on Saturday Feb 6 2010.

England kicked off their Six Nations Championship campaign with a welcome win over Wales at Twickenham.

However, they did their best to throw it away once again as Wales fought back from 20-3 down to 20-17 with 10 minutes remaining on referee Allain Rolland's timepiece.

Fortunately, for Martin Johnson, Wales, - who conceded 17 points while Alun Wyn Jones was serving 10 minutes - for a deliberate first half trip on Dylan Hartley, forced the issue once too often and gifted England victory with James Haskell making sure of victory in the closing minutes.

Having enjoyed an early foothold in the England half, Wales committed the cardinal sin after 11 minutes when Andy Powell was caught off his feet at a ruck in front of their own posts.

Wilkinson, whose kicking from hand had been exemplary in the early minutes, duly converted and with James Hook twice spurning opportunities to put Wales on the board, it was left to Stephen Jones to level matters after 28 minutes.

Unfortunately, for those who had paid decent money to watch this opening day contest between two sides with grand designs on this season's title, it was nothing short of a tedious kicking duel lacking in genuine quality.

Jones, Gareth Cooper and Lee Byrne kicked with little accuracy, whilst England, who started with a decent degree of ambition, slipped back into their shell and played straight into the hands of a Wales side who could scarcely believe their good fortune.

However, when Wyn Jones was rightly sent to the bin, Wilkinson edged England back in front with a penalty from 40 metres.

Buoyed by their numerical advantage, England compounded the lock's misery when Haskell picked up at a ruck on the Wales line and nipped over for Wilkinson to convert.

Before Wyn Jones had returned, Danny Care pinched a yard of space around the blindside before stepping inside Shane Williams for his side's second try, two minutes into the second half.

Wilkinson's conversion put England 17 points to the good, but a converted try from Adam Jones on the overlap after 49 minutes, suggested that Wales might have discovered a way back into the contest.

They certainly started to believe with 10 minutes remaining - Hook side-stepping through a collection of static English jerseys for a try Jones once again improved.

However, when Wales tried to force the final pass, Delon Armitage intercepted, Matthew Tait and Toby Flood took it on and Haskell bagged his second to seal the day.