Ashton: We handed Wales win
Brian Ashton has to pick his players for the Italy game
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Saturday, 02, Feb 2008 08:45
England coach Brian Ashton felt his side helped Wales to their 26-19 victory in the RBS Six Nations at Twickenham today.
Ashton's men let slip a 19-6 lead as they capitulated in the second-half and allowed Wales to claim their first win at Twickenham in 20 years.
The England coach admitted he found it "difficult to get my head around exactly what went on in the second half" but thought his side were partly to blame for their downfall.
"They [Wales] didn't have to work particularly hard for their points," said Ashton, who cut a miserable figure at the end of the game.
"We said at half-time 'don't feed them the ball' and we fed them big-time. You don't just throw the ball around like that in international rugby."
England played exciting rugby in the first-half and Ashton added that he thought his players "played some of the best rugby England has played in years".
But his words will not comfort England fans who expected their team to build on their heroic performances which saw them reach the World Cup final.
Captain Phil Vickery urged his players to now try and turn their attention to the game against Italy in Rome next week. Vickery was impressed with the rugby England played in the first-half and assured fans that there will always be "rocky roads along the way".