ENGLAND beat Wales in a tumultuous test match on Saturday, wrestling the Triple Crown from the current champions, only for head coach Eddie Jones to launch a post-match outburst aimed at referee Ben O’Keefe for bias.

In comments that could yet see disciplinary action taken against the outspoken Jones, the England coach hailed the win but said: “That was a good tough win against quality opposition, but at the end it was 16 against 13.”

Asked to explain who the 16th man was, Jones said: “You work it out.”

The game showed the best and worst of England as the team raced to 20 points to six in the first half, but gifted Wales a three-point penalty after the clock had stopped with 40 minutes up. The home side had a scrum and man of the match Ben Youngs surprisingly opted not to kick the ball off the park.

A high tackle by Maro Itoje was penalised and Welsh fly-half Dan Biggar stroked the ball over to reduce the deficit to 11 points.

Within seconds of the second-half, Wales scored the try of this Six Nations’ championship as Josh Navidi, Nick Tompkins and Tomos Williams combined sublimely to give forward Justin Tipuric a run to the line. 

Despite the evident superiority England had shown in the first half, Wales were now just four points behind and it was game on.

But the English line speed and rampaging forwards gained two penalties and splintered the Welsh scrum to add six points to the scoreboard.

Crashing waves of attacking possession by England stretched the Welsh defence and allowed fly-half George Ford to offer a pass to Manu Tuilagi to crash over for the big midfielder’s first try since the Rugby World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

But despite two losses on the trot Wales were a tough nut to crack and the visitors won a succession of penalties with just 13 minutes to go.

Referee O’Keefe warned England that the next penalty would see the transgressor sent to the sin-bin and he duly showed a yellow card to Ellis Genge, who had only just entered the fray.

Two minutes later and England were down to 13 men as Tuilagi was shown a red card for a tackle after his shoulder hit George North’s head.

An incandescent Jones raged against the referee’s decision to red card his burly centre. “It was bizarre, I do not see how you tackle the guy. This bit about where the arms are, what a load of rubbish.” 

In a further outburst Jones added that there was no common sense shown.

The English defence still managed to hold out as Wales pressed for some 15 minutes for a score. Eventually with three minutes left to play Biggar scored a try. With the final move of the game the visitors scored again to reduce the winning margin to just three points.

But that really did not reflect the dominance of England’s game and how the Welsh were nonplussed by the line speed and dominant tacking of Tom Curry, Itoje and the returning Mark Wilson.

Welsh coach Wayne Pivac conceded as much after the game and said: “Our game management was not at its best in the first half. We scored a try at the opening of the second half and should have managed the game better but we gave them a couple of penalties.”

Pivac also admitted that his side’s scrum was a “work in progress.”

England again showed that when they play with intensity and physicality they can be world beaters, but their continued indiscipline meant they concede penalties when they should make their dominance felt.

Jones could be joined by forward Joe Marler in the dock of World Rugby’s post-match ire after the burly forward was shown on screen grabbling Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones’s crotch, after a player melee in the first half was provoked by foul play from England captain Owen Farrell.

A further talking point from Jones was his admission that he still has not decided whether to remain with England next year when his contract is up.

With the Six Nations hit by the coronavirus which could lead the outcome at the top unresolved for months, Pivac has to inspire his side to beat Scotland in next week’s final game in Cardiff to avoid the ignominy of four losses on the trot.