|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Grand Slam try Greenwood, Dawson star as England beats Wales 44-15
Updated: Monday February 05, 2001 7:31 AM
CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- Will Greenwood scored three tries and Matt Dawson two as England started its defense of the Six Nations title and its latest Grand Slam quest with an impressive 44-15 victory over Wales on Saturday. Strongly tipped to win the Grand Slam after two near misses, the English celebrated their first appearance in the 75,000 capacity Millennium Stadium with an efficient, six-try performance. Winger Ben Cohen also crossed the Welsh line and fly half Jonny Wilkinson kicked 14 points with two penalties and four conversions. Apart from tries by Rob Howley and Scott Quinnell, the only high point for Wales was Neil Jenkins becoming the first player to reach 1,000 points in international rugby. A penalty and a conversion took him to 1,001. The Welsh pinned England back in the early staged and a kick ahead by Scott Gibbs almost created a try after just two minutes. Winger Daffyd James chased after it along with England's Iain Balshaw and Ben Cohen and French referee Joel Dume had to call on the fourth official to decide who had touched down before disallowing the score.
After Jenkins had missed a 49-meter penalty, Greenwood scored two tries in two minutes. A long pass from Dawson enabled Wilkinson to break through a gap and the fly half, with a suspiciously forward pass, fed the ball inside to the center who ran unchallenged behind the posts for the score. Wilkinson kicked the conversion. Two minutes later Balshaw broke clear down the right and, in the tackle, slipped the ball inside to the supporting Greenwood who shrugged off Gibbs' tackle to cross again. This time Wilkinson missed the conversion but England led 12-0 after 15 minutes. Jenkins, the world record points scorer in international rugby for Wales and the British Lions, kicked the first Welsh points with a penalty to take his tally 999 but Wilkinson, who had already reached 329 at age 20 from 24 matches, kicked one for England a minute later to make it 15-3. Howley then scored an amazing try to put the Welsh back in the game, collecting the ball from a ruck, pretending to make a pass outside and instead darting through a gap in the English defense and racing diagonally 35 meters for a try. Jenkins slid the conversion attempt wide but the lead was cut to 15-8. England began to apply more pressure and a series of attacking plays created a try for Dawson in the 31st minute. After Wilkinson had been stopped six meters short, the Welsh conceded a penalty which the England scrum half took quickly to dart over the line for the score. Wilkinson's conversion made it 22-8. Jenkins missed a 39-meter penalty to stay on 999 points before Dawson scored a second opportunist try two minutes before half time. He collected the ball from a maul, charged through a gap and then weaved past Welsh fullback Stephen Jones on his run to the line. Wilkinson's fourth successful kick made it 29-8. Greenwood scored his third try only a minute into the second half when he swapped passes with Austin Healey, replacement for injured winger Dan Luger, and outpaced the defense to go over in the corner. Wilkinson missed the conversion. Balshaw knocked on when he went over for what should have been a sixth English try and the next score for Clive Woodward's team was a 40-meter penalty by Wilkinson to stretch the lead to 29 points. Cohen became the next England try scorer when he received the ball from Northampton club-mate Matt Dawson and accelerated through a gap in the Welsh defense to go over. Wilkinson's conversion made it 44-8 with 20 minutes still to go. Scorer of the first Welsh try, Howley then became provider of the second with a swift break from a scrum and slick, back-hand pass to back row Quinnell, who raced away from the England defense for his seventh try in Welsh colors. Jenkins' conversion took him past 1,000 points. Lineups: Wales -- Stephen Jones; Gareth Thomas, Mark Taylor, Scott Gibbs, Daffyd James; Neil Jenkins, Rob Howley; Darren Morris, Robin McBryde, David Young (captain), Ian Gough, Chris Wyatt, Colin Charvis, Martyn Williams, Scott Quinnell. England -- Iain Balshaw; Ben Cohen, Will Greenwood, Mike Catt, Dan Luger; Jonny Wilkinson, Matt Dawson; Jason Leonard, Dorian West, Phil Vickery, Martin Johnson (captain), Danny Grewcock, Richard Hill, Neil Back, Lawrence Dallaglio. Referee -- Joel Dume, France.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
