While heavy winds and 25-mile long tailbacks on the M4 bring traffic to a standstill into Wales, fans are still pouring into Cardiff for the first ever opening Six Nations match to be held on a Friday
England manager Martin Johnson agrees to opposite number Warren Gatland's request to close the Millennium Stadium roof - although a sell-out 73,000 crowd will be attemptimg to lift it off its hinges come kick-off
England manager Martin Johnson - not renowned as a kicker during his illustrious playing days - tests the closed roof atmosphere with a punt. Not bad technique...
Meanwhile, his opposite number Warren Gatland offers a wry smile when pressed on whether he would apologise to England hooker Dylan Hartley, who he labelled a "choker" in the build-up to the match. Probably a "no" then
The mist swirls inside the stadium as both teams belt out rousing renditions of their respective anthems, sung with gusto by the capacity crowd, growing ever more impatient for referee's Allan Rolland's kick-off whistle
Andy Powell makes a muscular run as Wales camp themselves deep inside England's half inside the first 10 minutes, but James Hook and Stephen Jones squander the opportunity to put six points on the board
But despite their early dominance, Wales find themselves 7-0 down in the 14th minute when Toby Flood cuts through a huge defensive hole on the 22m line before offloading to Chris Ashton to touch down under the posts
A Toby Flood penalty increases England's lead to 10-0 before Stephen Jones kicks a simple penalty in front of the posts for Wales' first points of the match when flanker James Haskell is pinged for an infringement
A typically jinking run from Wales winger Shane Williams leaves England skipper Mike Tindall in his wake, but the hosts' lack of composure inside England's 22m line sees them trail the visitors 13-6 at half-time
The start of the second half is a feisty affair - and England hooker Dylan Hartley feels the full effects of a double-team tackle by Welsh forwards Craig Mitchell (left) and Alun Wyn Jones
But yet again England extend their lead, this time to 23-9, when Mark Cueto's miss-pass finds Ashton on the right wing to touch down his second try in the 56th minute, superbly converted by Flood from the touchline
But four minutes later Wales hit back when centre Jon Davies bursts through a gap before feeding a dodgy pass out to Morgan Stoddart to slide over for a much-needed try, converted on the touchline by Jones
And a James Hook penalty on 70 minutes sees Wales reduce the deficit to just four points at 23-19, setting up an enthralling final 10 minutes with the crowd at full voice
But Jonny Wilkinson, on as a 66th-minute substitute for Toby Flood, calms England's nerves with a confident kick straight through the posts to seal a 26-19 victory
The victory is England's first at the Millennium Stadium in eight years - and Flood's superb performance at fly-half is rewarded with the man of the match award, although second row Tom Palmer runs him close for the medal
Debutant Tom Wood (second from right) makes a superb start to his England career and will celebrate with something a little more refreshing than an energy drink with his team-mates after leaving the stadium
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