England were desperate to entertain against Wales on their return home, but in the end the result was all that mattered.
George Ford's penalty in the 71st minute prevented Wales from winning a Six Nations away in England for the first time since 2012, forcing Wales into a tough fight, but they overturned the deficit at half-time to win 16-14.
Hooker and new captain Jamie George are the driving force behind England's ambitions to reinvigorate their London home base with an attacking brand of rugby, but so far a resounding victory over their western neighbors has been described as a 'big deal'. It is considered a step forward.
“The result was very important,” said George, who was relieved after completing his first home Test as captain.
“I loved every moment from entering the stadium to the final whistle. It seemed like the fans had a really fun day and that's what we ultimately wanted to do on the field. Did you want to show a better performance?” of course.
“But I loved every moment and I really felt that everyone in the stands did. We felt a great sense of pride coming from the stands and that's why we It’s something I love.”
“This is just the first step but it was very important to get back to winning ways at Twickenham.”
Over the past 12 months, Twickenham has felt more like a cauldron of nerves than a fortress.
The hosts suffered their first-ever defeat to Pacific island Fiji in their last home match before the World Cup, five months after a record home defeat by France.
But the mood of George and England's return was evident even before a ball was kicked.
Thousands of fans lined the aisles to greet their heroes and usher them into the home locker room, a sanctuary deep within the stadium.
The noise continued as players warmed up and took to the pitch, then culminated when they reappeared for the national anthem.
England knocked on the door early on, but their attack could not break through. Once the performance paused, the live band immediately began a gala performance of “Freed from Desire.”
The crowd responded, but the decibel remained high.
But while the attack failed to ignite the touchpaper, England's new blitz, executed by defensive coach Felix Jones, remained relatively resolute.
“I thought we were physically in control of the game,” George added.
“Wales’ attack was great but we were relieved to be able to keep going forward and put pressure on them.
“I think Felix wants us to keep 100 phases at a time.
“We would like to avoid that, but we really like it. [Previous defence coach] Kev Sinfield did a great job laying the foundation and Felix came in with incredible energy. He's infectious.
“The boys understand what he does and we have a better understanding of what he wants from us.”
Just when it looked like the game was going to take a narrow lead, England reverted to a realistic kicking game to test Wales' defence.
Pressure prevailed and the hosts opened the door to victory after Josh Adams knocked on a high ball and Fraser Dingwall then scored from a corner and Ford added the deciding penalty. Ta.
England will have a big test in their remaining three games against Scotland, Ireland and France, but the four points against Wales is a reward for their vociferous fans and will help them improve their attacking fluency. It gives you time to work on it.
“We're pretty clear about who we want to bring forward for England. The conversations we've had with coaches and players have been comprehensive,” George said.
“We want an environment where people love us, but it’s not just about laughing and joking, it’s about the process of becoming better.
“It is important for us to continue to develop it.
“It's a big step for us to be able to take a positive view of the outcome because of the fight and the character we showed.”
