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Record breaker Biggar tops the lot

Record breaker Biggar tops the lot

Ospreys outside half Dan Biggar didn’t just pick up the Mastercard Man of the Match award for his 23 point contribution to Wales’ magnificent 28-25 triumph over England at Twickenham, but notched three Welsh records as well.

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His seven penalties and conversion ensured he overtook Neil Jenkins’s record of 22 points in a Rugby World Cup match against Japan in 1995. His seven penalties were also a Welsh record for Wales at the World Cup and one short of the tournament record.

Biggar also beat Jenkins’ previous best for the number of points in a game against England. The Welsh assistant coach kicked six penalties and two conversions for a match tally of 22 points in the 32-31 victory at Wembley in 1999 that denied England the Grand Slam.

It was the 50th game between England and Wales at Twickenham since 1910 and the three point win was the 14th time Wales had come out on top. The 28 points they scored were the most recorded in a win at the venue, topping the in 26 scored in the 60-26 defeat in 1998 and in the 26-19 win in 2008.

Wales went into the game needing 27 points to become only the sixth side in Rugby World Cup history to reach the 1,000 barrier and Biggar’s conversion of Gareth Davies’ second half try took them into four figures.

It was the 38th time Sam Warburton had led Wales and he joined another back row forward, John Gwilliam, as the only Welsh player to have captained two teams to victory at Twickenham. Gwilliam was in charge of the 1950 and 1952 triumphs, when Wales took their first steps on the road to Grand Slams, while Warburton was captain in 2012 when Wales won the Triple Crown at the home of English rugby.

Warburton’s back row colleague, Taulupe Faletau, notched his 50th Test cap in the win at Twickenham – 49 for Wales and 1 for the British & Irish Lions. He was the eighth youngest player to reach the half-century milestone at the age of 24.

Wales became the first northern hemisphere side to beat England in a RWC match in England and joined New Zealand (1991 opening match, 1999 Pool Match) and Australia (1991 RWC Final) in beaten England on their own ground at the tournament. It was a fourth defeat in 10 games at Twickenham for England at the World Cup.

And it was only the second time in RWC history that England had lost a match in which they posted 25 or more points (45-29 against New Zealand in 1995). They have won 21 RWC matches scoring 25 or more points.

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