WALES defended their Six Nations title in thrilling fashion as they crushed England 30-3 at the Millennium Stadium, simultaneously obliterating their opponents' hopes of winning a Grand Slam.
After edging an absorbing first half 9-3, the hosts tore their fierce rivals to pieces after the interval as Alex Cuthbert scored two breathtaking tries.
If the first 40 minutes had been an enthrallingly tight encounter, the second act was an exhibition of Welsh dominance as they recorded their biggest ever Five or Six Nations triumph over England.
A win by seven points or more would have been enough for Wales to successfully defend their Six Nations crown by virtue of a superior try count.
But such a hypothetical situation was rendered irrelevant by the staggering margin of victory.
Having won three Grand Slams and reached a World Cup semi-final in the last eight years, this was a Welsh side sculpted by occasions of great magnitude.
England, conversely, travelled to the Millennium Stadium still very much in the midst of a rebuilding process overseen by their head coach Stuart Lancaster.
Only five of the visiting line-up had played at the grand Cardiff auditorium before and, with the closed roof condensing a visceral atmosphere, the match bristled with intensity in the opening moments.
Wales pounded into English tacklers with rabid intent, Jamie Roberts to the fore as the most prominent of the bludgeoning battering rams.
Ian Evans and Mike Phillips – making his 77th appearance to become Wales's most capped scrum-half of all time – were both ferociously busy as well, with the latter pummelling England lock Geoff Parling backwards at one point.
Adam Jones reigned supreme in the scrum, and Wales's set-piece dominance helped them build a 9-3 half-time lead as Leigh Halfpenny and Owen Farrell shared four penalties.
The first half was seldom anything less than pulsating, but there was a particularly explosive passage of action after half an hour when George North appeared to have a clear run to the England line, only for Mike Brown to stop the Scarlet with a brilliant ankle-tap.
Roberts prompted a Jurassic roar from the Millennium Stadium when he dumped England's powerhouse Manu Tuilagi on his back, and there was further excitement when Alex Cuthbert made a crucial intervention to knock the ball out of Brown's hands as he bore down on the Welsh 22.
The 9-3 interval scoreline might not have reflected the enthralling nature of the match, but there was no denying that this was an utterly captivating Test match.
Following a period of incessant pressure soon after the restart, Wales edged ahead 12-3 thanks to a Halfpenny penalty. For the first time, the hosts had a lead big enough to retain their Six Nations title.
Welsh hope then soared to stratospheric levels when Cuthbert scorched clear for a fine try. Substitute Ken Owens forced a turnover and, after a swift few passes from Justin Tipuric, Phillips and Jonathan Davies, Cuthbert fended off a tackle from Brown and sped to the corner.
Halfpenny missed his conversion but, when Biggar slotted over a cool drop-goal moments later, Wales breathed a little easier with a 20-3 cushion.
Sighs of relief were then swiftly, staggeringly replaced by yet more cries of joy from the home supporters as Cuthbert claimed his second try.
Sam Warburton made the initial break, popping up from the base of a ruck and cantering into the English half.
The Blues flanker was felled but, following rapid recycling of the ball, Tipuric was on hand to sear into the English 22. The Osprey could have touched down himself but, after a deft dummy, he offloaded for Cuthbert to score his second try.
With Halfpenny injured, Biggar was given the kicking duties and responded superbly to give Wales a handsome 27-3 advantage.
The Ospreys fly-half added a final gloss to the scoreline with a late penalty, and Wales were able to rejoice in their first successful defence of the Championship since 1979.
After edging an absorbing first half 9-3, the hosts tore their fierce rivals to pieces after the interval as Alex Cuthbert scored two breathtaking tries.
If the first 40 minutes had been an enthrallingly tight encounter, the second act was an exhibition of Welsh dominance as they recorded their biggest ever Five or Six Nations triumph over England.
A win by seven points or more would have been enough for Wales to successfully defend their Six Nations crown by virtue of a superior try count.
But such a hypothetical situation was rendered irrelevant by the staggering margin of victory.
Having won three Grand Slams and reached a World Cup semi-final in the last eight years, this was a Welsh side sculpted by occasions of great magnitude.
England, conversely, travelled to the Millennium Stadium still very much in the midst of a rebuilding process overseen by their head coach Stuart Lancaster.
Only five of the visiting line-up had played at the grand Cardiff auditorium before and, with the closed roof condensing a visceral atmosphere, the match bristled with intensity in the opening moments.
Wales pounded into English tacklers with rabid intent, Jamie Roberts to the fore as the most prominent of the bludgeoning battering rams.
Ian Evans and Mike Phillips – making his 77th appearance to become Wales's most capped scrum-half of all time – were both ferociously busy as well, with the latter pummelling England lock Geoff Parling backwards at one point.
Adam Jones reigned supreme in the scrum, and Wales's set-piece dominance helped them build a 9-3 half-time lead as Leigh Halfpenny and Owen Farrell shared four penalties.
The first half was seldom anything less than pulsating, but there was a particularly explosive passage of action after half an hour when George North appeared to have a clear run to the England line, only for Mike Brown to stop the Scarlet with a brilliant ankle-tap.
Roberts prompted a Jurassic roar from the Millennium Stadium when he dumped England's powerhouse Manu Tuilagi on his back, and there was further excitement when Alex Cuthbert made a crucial intervention to knock the ball out of Brown's hands as he bore down on the Welsh 22.
The 9-3 interval scoreline might not have reflected the enthralling nature of the match, but there was no denying that this was an utterly captivating Test match.
Following a period of incessant pressure soon after the restart, Wales edged ahead 12-3 thanks to a Halfpenny penalty. For the first time, the hosts had a lead big enough to retain their Six Nations title.
Welsh hope then soared to stratospheric levels when Cuthbert scorched clear for a fine try. Substitute Ken Owens forced a turnover and, after a swift few passes from Justin Tipuric, Phillips and Jonathan Davies, Cuthbert fended off a tackle from Brown and sped to the corner.
Halfpenny missed his conversion but, when Biggar slotted over a cool drop-goal moments later, Wales breathed a little easier with a 20-3 cushion.
Sighs of relief were then swiftly, staggeringly replaced by yet more cries of joy from the home supporters as Cuthbert claimed his second try.
Sam Warburton made the initial break, popping up from the base of a ruck and cantering into the English half.
The Blues flanker was felled but, following rapid recycling of the ball, Tipuric was on hand to sear into the English 22. The Osprey could have touched down himself but, after a deft dummy, he offloaded for Cuthbert to score his second try.
With Halfpenny injured, Biggar was given the kicking duties and responded superbly to give Wales a handsome 27-3 advantage.
The Ospreys fly-half added a final gloss to the scoreline with a late penalty, and Wales were able to rejoice in their first successful defence of the Championship since 1979.
