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England's rugby players quarreled against Wales with the referee - and themselves
Photo: David Davies / AP
The Welsh national rugby team also beat England at the Six Nations and won the so-called Triple Crown.
With the 40:24 (17:14) Wales succeeded after the successes against Ireland and Scotland also the victory against the third rival from the British Isles.
England struggled with controversial referee decisions after the game.
The annual Six Nations is the unofficial European championship in rugby, in which the largest rugby nations in Europe take part.
France and Italy are also at the start.
In addition to winning the tournament, the four teams from the British Isles play for the optional “Triple Crown”, which is available for three wins against the respective competitors.
Even British Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated him.
The English practically beat themselves against Wales with a multitude of penalties. At first they slept through the Welsh's first attempt: After a scrum, Wales was awarded a penalty kick.
And while the English players had made themselves comfortable under the penalty bars, Wales' Dan Biggar quickly got the ball back into play and kicked it on the left wing to Josh Adams, who ran into the in-goal (16th minute)
Disputed decisions
England's liaison Owen Farrell protested angrily to the umpire: "You have to give us time to get in shape," he said.
However, the French referee Pascal Gauzere waved it off.
As with the second attempt, when the Welshman Liam Williams apparently took a forward pass, which is prohibited in rugby, from Louis Rees-Zammit and carried it into the end zone (30th).
The referees recognized Rees-Zammit's foot contact, which meant the hit counted.
A controversial decision.
All dates and results of the Six Nations can be found here.
Farrell scolded again on the field.
In an interview with the BBC after the game, however, he held back.
"There's no point in talking about it now," he said.
"Others have to talk about that." For example, former England international and now television expert David Flatman: "England was not defeated by Wales," Flatman said on the BBC.
"They were defeated by some amazingly bad referee decisions and by their equally amazing inability to do stupid, unenforced and illicit things."
Vice world champions England had already lost their opening game against Scotland.
The loss to Wales was all the more bitter because it is one of the oldest duels in the history of the sport.
Both teams have met 136 times, for the first time in 1881. The duel is considered to be a meeting of two social classes.
While rugby is played by almost everyone in Wales, the sport in England lives off the wealthy middle class, as Welsh historian, Professor Martin Johnes, told SPIEGEL at the 2019 World Cup.
Johnes had said at the time that it would rather not make it to a World Cup final than lose to England there.
But it was not only an important victory for the Welshmen because of the prestige and the »Triple Crown«.
In the Six Nations table, Wales is in first place with 14 points;
France is most likely within striking distance with a game less with nine points.
After the duel against weaker Italy on March 13th (3:15 p.m.), Wales will probably play a decider against France on March 20 (9:00 p.m., stream: DAZN).
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hba / Reuters
