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Six Nations: England sets up grand slam bid with Wales revenge

Asked if he had an answer as to why Wales were so off the pace, Gatland said: “No”.

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“We want the laws enforced, ” Jones says, “and if they are enforced we’ll get an advantage in that area”.

“You have to increase your intensity and it was only in the last three minutes of the game we increased the intensity and we had to”.

He has chosen the biggest game of his short tenure to bring Manu Tuilagi back into the global fold, with the strapping center on the bench and ready for his first England action in 21 months after a recurring groin injury and a pre-World Cup conviction for assaulting a taxi driver and two female police officers on a night out.

“It was a game of two halves”.

The nightmare first 40 minutes, combined with a pretty good display by the hosts, laid the foundations for England hitting back after their hurtful World Cup defeat when the sides met in September.

“At this level it is just not acceptable as far as I am concerned, it is very disappointing”.

North went over for a try after Liam Williams offloaded in the tackle to Jonathan Davies and when Faletau crossed, Wales had two and a half minutes to the rescue the game but they had run out of time.

Fly-half Farrell made it three out of three from the tee and that elusive opening try came just after the half-hour mark thanks in no small part to the outstanding Maro Itoje. We had to defend with 14 men at the end.

“I can’t see it being a problem on the day, because both teams have a positive attitude to scrummaging”.

A highly-competitive match was expected, but barring a late fightback England won with surprising ease against a Wales team that showed little hunger and was defensively poor.

“If the referee keeps penalising it, you know what happens?”

But this time England held out and Wales coach Warren Gatland said they had deserved their victory. We outscored them 3-1 in terms of tries but it was Farrell’s kicks that were the difference.

“They (England) have got the bit between their teeth, and they have obviously created quite a bit of momentum with three wins out of three”.

He’s an extremely good communicator with the players, and (Wales captain) Sam Warburton enjoys working with him.

“We need to look at potentially an opportunity for players and continuing to develop the depth of the squad as well”.

That match at the Principality Stadium on “Super Saturday” is now a dead rubber for Wales. I thought we played really well, with a lot of precision, were tactically smart, physical.

Elsewhere on Saturday in the Six Nations, Ireland reminded people of their excellence with a thumping nine-try victory over Italy in Dublin.

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England, who last won the Six Nations in 2011, will be crowned champions with a round to spare if Scotland beat France at Murrayfield on Sunday after finishing runners-up on four successive occasions under Stuart Lancaster, whose post World Cup sacking paved the way for Jones’s appointment.

Wales’ captain Sam Warburton gives a thumbs up and a pat of support from Dan Biggar as he is driven off on a stretcher with an injury during the Six Nations international rugby match between England and Wales at Twickenham stadium in London Saturday M