By Paul Jones
Callum Sheedy says Wales knew England’s discipline would crack “if we could choke them enough” after he put the boot into Eddie Jones’ team.
England conceded a damaging 14 penalties in their 40-24 Six Nations defeat at the Principality Stadium.
They imploded during the final quarter when substitute Sheedy kicked three penalties in nine minutes during a 16-point unanswered burst by Wales that meant Triple Crown glory and left them two wins away from a second Grand Slam in three seasons.
“It’s tough to say whether you are surprised teams give away penalties,” said Bristol fly-half Sheedy.
“It is like anything – if a team is under pressure, discipline starts to get a bit wavy.
“I haven’t watched the game back and whether they were, or were not, penalties. I don’t really care, to be honest.
“We knew if we could choke them enough, they would get ill-disciplined. Thankfully, that happened.”
While England begin to pick through the pieces of a Six Nations campaign in rubble, Wales march on with 14 points from a possible 15 in this season’s competition.
Tournament no-hopers Italy are next up on March 13, before Sheedy and company head to Paris for a Saturday night appointment with France seven days later.
Victories in both games would secure a fifth Six Nations clean sweep and sixth title, but Sheedy knows how quickly things can change – for better or worse.
“I couldn’t kick snow off a rope two weeks ago (against Scotland), according to the public, and now I will probably be a decent kicker!” he said.
“The people who build you up are the same people who shoot you down. You’ve got to take it with a pinch of salt.
“I hope the Welsh people enjoy this win, as they should. In tough, testing times, it’s great to get a win over England, and they should enjoy every minute of it.”
Sheedy is just seven Tests into his international career, yet he has already proved an integral part of Wales’ armoury under head coach Wayne Pivac.
And the 25-year-old has been around long enough to understand that this season’s big Six Nations prizes are still to be achieved.
“Let’s take each game as it comes and not get carried away with Grand Slam chat,” he said.
“We will keep our feet firmly on the ground. We will enjoy the Triple Crown, and then a big week ahead of Italy.
“Grand Slam might be said in the public, but it won’t be said in the circle. (Captain) Alun Wyn Jones won’t let it.
“Al, I know for a fact, won’t let any complacency get into this squad, and rightly so. We haven’t done anything yet.”
In the year that the RFU celebrates its 150th birthday, the WRU its 140th and international between Wales and England reaches 140 years, the meeting at the Principality Stadium on Saturday was the 125th between the two nations in a championship context.
It is incredible to note that over that sequence of fixtures there is only one match between the two teams.
The Welsh win was the 56th and England have 57, with 12 matches drawn, while England lead in the 137 match series overall between the two teams 65-60.
Wales v England
40 points is the most ever scored by Wales against England in any match since 1881
6 more than in Cardiff in the 34-21 win in 1967 that stopped England winning the Triple Crown
16 point winning margin was biggest in fixture since 20013, when Wales won 30-3
4 tries is the most scored by Wales against England in the Six Nations
4 conversions is the most against England in the Six Nations by Wales and any other team
1 try bonus point against England for the first time
22 Triple Crowns for Wales now and the fourth with England as the final match
5 Triple Crowns in the Six Nations equals the record of Ireland and England
4 Grand Slams by Wales is already a Six Nations record and they could now seal a fifth
Alun Wyn Jones
4 Triple Crowns, 3 Grand Slams, 4 Six Nations titles
10 wins over England – one behind JPR Williams – from record 23 games
45 games as Wales captain, four short of Sam Warburton
38 wins from 61 games in Six Nations
George North
100 caps for Wales and 3 for British & Irish Lions
28 years, 320 days old as youngest player to reach 100 caps for one country
3 Triple Crowns, 2 Grand Slams, 3 Six Nations titles
21 Six Nations tries
42 tries for Wales
44 tries including Lions
