Turning a 16-6 half time deficit into a 26-19 win was testament to the fitness in the Wales squad, according to Edwards.Â
“The way we held on in the first half having played quite poorly was a credit to the fitness staff. By the end there was only one team in it,” he said.
Wales won the second half well. The home side were shaken and Wales found themselves winning the 50/50s they were losing before the break. A succession of turnovers after contact and lost line-outs meant Wales were unable to build on the often good work of the front eight.
“We didn’t do the things we had been working on in the first half. We were playing too conservatively and we weren’t kicking well,” Edwards said.
But tries from Lee Byrne and Mike Phillips came as play became broken in the second half and Edwards was simply satisfied with the win.
“Away wins are very hard to come by in international rugby and because it came against England, given all the history, is great. The most important thing is that we are off to a winning start in the championship, which is what everyone wanted.
“From a defensive point of view I was pretty pleased, but we weren’t giving our best in attack. This win will give us a bit of confidence about the systems we’re trying to put in place.”
