Nostradamus is back in the building, folks.
Never one to gloat, I will only redirect you to the prediction I made in the previous entry and then send you here for the actual result. Any outpouring of joy that I may have felt in being right was, however, slightly tempered by not putting my money where my mouth is and swiping a cheeky tenner from Ladbrokes.
So, moving onto the game itself.
ENGLAND 26 - 19 WALES
While England may well have got off to a flying start in their Six Nations campaign, the Welsh are once again left trying to figure out where it all went wrong. For the first time in eight years, England went to Cardiff and came away with the victory to dash Welsh hopes of a revival.
There had been a lot of pre-match horseplay and levels of hostility during the game were plain to see. Dan Cole and Paul James certainly got to know each other quite well, and the usual hand-baggery ensued on more than one occasion between the front row opponents. Paul James may well be the scariest looking man in professional sport, and Dan Cole only needs one eye to beat up Australians, so it was hardly going to be a tickling contest at the best of times.
In the battle of the half-backs, it was England who proved the more clinical and imaginative. Stephen Jones' suffered a stinger within the first minute after colliding with Ben Foden, and the Welsh 10 didnt look right for large portions of the game, but was still to get points on the board.
Man of the Match Toby Flood looks like he has finally shaken off the shackles of being the "other English fly-half" and while the calibre of Wilkinson is undeniable, Flood is in such imperious form that you would not bet against him starting for England in the World Cup later this year.
Wales played some wonderful rugby, and if they play this way against Scotland, Italy (even Ireland, given recent performances) then they are likely to get a couple of wins under the belt, but England were able to win the battle upfront and despite assured performances from the pack, England were able to hold them even when Louis Deacon was sent to the sin-bin.
Further injuries to Andy Powell (shoulder) and Stoddart (hand) will be providing further headaches for Gatland ahead of the next game against Scotland.
Now for the X-factor style ruthless rating of game performance.
Player Ratings.
Wales
15: James Hook : 6
One of the brighter lights in the Welsh team. Although he was inconsistent with the boot, his handling, carrying and distribution are still excellent. Would have been higher but for his Campese-esque meltdown on his own line which fortunately England were unable to convert.
12: Jamie Roberts: 3
Silent. It would be hard to comment too harshly on Roberts performance, as for much of the game, it was unclear whether he had even made it out from the changing room. The terror of defenders and attackers alike seemed unable to get into the game. No storming runs through midfield, no huge tackles. Perhaps the rating is harsh on the Cardiff Blues powerhouse, but we are used to so much more
11: Shane Williams: 5
So often the man to create something from nothing, Williams seemed to be doing the opposite against England. Kicking the ball away when the chance was on towards the end of the first half was uncharacteristic, and was almost a barometer for the lack of confidence in the Welsh set-up. Williams, perhaps in his last Six Nations is is dire need of a score.
9: Mike Phillips: 4
Despite being used to handling small, irritating creatures on a daily basis, Phillips seemed out of sorts against Youngs. His abilities at physically dominating his opposite number appeared to have deserted him and even his distribution was off-colour.
4: Bradley Davies: 7
The best of the Welsh forwards. His work with the ball in hand was excellent, and did well in a lineout that has been so inconsistent of late. Solid candidate for Welsh man-of -the- match
2: Matthew Rees : 4
Failed to really impose himself on Dylan Hartley. Hookers love a good rivalry and given the pre-match comments, one would have expected slightly more Brian Moore and slightly less Demi Moore. Rees does have his supporters, but he can go quiet in the loose and seemed to be losing the battle at scrum time.
England
14: Chris Ashton: 7
Took his tries well, and even had time for a lovely bit of show-boating. He may not be there yet, but Ashton has the potential to be truly world class.
12: Shontayne Hape: 5
Has never looked especially comfortable in the England squad, and one does wonder what an in-form Roberts could have done against the former New Zealand RL man. Can offload nicely, but still struggles to pass off his left.
10: Toby Flood: 8
Man of the Match. Not to be one to rock the boat, this blog will go with every other and hail Flood as the finest performer of the match. He finally looks assured in an England shirt. His line breaks, kicking from hand and placidity in the bear-pit of the Millennium stadium were excellent. The little shimmy to take him through the gap, and the soft hands to put Ashton away for the try summed up his performance. Seems a long time since this....
6: Tom Wood: 6
Didn't set the world alight on his debut, but can be happy with his first performance in an England shirt. Croft is a loss to the England side, and against the world class back rows of Ireland and France, Wood is going to have to prove he can compete at this level.
4: Louis Deacon: 3
Deacon is something of an enigma for England. While Palmer was dynamic and powerful in the loose, Deacon still seems to disappear for larger portions of the game. Was his sin-binning a case of taking on for the team near the try-line, or was it losing his cool on the international stage? Johnson persists with Deacon, while Nick Kennedy must wonder what he must do to make it into the England squad. Attwood's may well be serving a well-deserved ban, but England looked better with him.
2: Dylan Hartley: 8
This may be seen as an overestimation, but Hartley was the player given the most pressure pre-game. He has been know for his unsavoury actions before, but he has matured massively and is quickly becoming one of the best hookers around. His Northampton Saints side are competing with the best in Europe, and his Brian Moore-esq temperament will lift any side he is a part of. Always a handful.
As first games go, it contained flashes of quality that are not often seen. England are the team on the up and went into the tournament as favourites. Wales are improved, but are still struggling to convert aggression and possession into victories. Warren Gatland must be wondered what could have been, if he had Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones in his side.
Thats all, folks!
