England have the look of winners after epic Wales victory
Cardiff classic will go down as one of greatest-ever Six Nations games as Eddie Jones side triumphs again
England's dramatic victory over Wales in the Six Nations on Saturday has been hailed as one of the greatest games in the tournament's history, with Eddie Jones's team somehow recording their 16th consecutive win.
Nothing separated the teams until Elliot Daly, with four minutes remaining, crossed for England's second try of the afternoon to give them a five-point lead.
Even that was not the final act, however, as desperate Wales poured forward one last time.
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"Footage from the last two minutes of this thunderous classic should serve as a demonstration of what rugby commitment and courage looks like," says Chris Foy of the Daily Mail. "Both sides had countless heroes who did not deserve to lose.
"England still had to hold the line one last time, to quell the Welsh resistance. The scenes that unfolded, in attack and defence, were remarkable."
Wales did not deserve to lose, "but England won because they have become accustomed to winning - and because they have forgotten how to quit", says Foy.
Jeremy Guscott of the BBC agrees, saying: "It is powerful thing to be part of a team that has got that winning habit. You are familiar with your team-mates, but training becomes very high level. There is no sympathy for mistakes that slow up the progress of the project and you go onto the field believing that you will find a way to win.
"England are going to lose at some point and head coach Eddie Jones is right to say there are only so many times that they are going to come through these tight scrapes - but for the moment that confidence the players have is getting them over the line."
Owen Slot of The Times ranks the game as the third greatest clash in Six Nations history while others say it will take its place in the pantheon.
It was "not the game of the century; there were too many errors and too few tries for it to be that", says Brian Moore of the Daily Telegraph. "It was, however, a pulsating match in which two teams committed to attack provided sustained excitement. It was an advert for what is best in northern hemisphere international rugby."
It is clear Jones wants England to rival the might of the New Zealand All Blacks, adds Slot of the Times, and after this performance, "they have just got a little closer".
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