Wales learned from losses

Wales went into the game fearing a second whitewash in four years but instead produced a performance full of energy to secure a deserved victory that hauled them above Scotland into fifth place.

"We are a work in progress, it's our fist Six Nations together and it's a tough tournament," Jenkins told a news conference.

"We've been on the wrong end in four games but we've learned lessons and brought them all to this game today. We are delighted to end the season with a win. It was a special place here today, that support there helped us to a great result."

Jenkins said that the criticism he had received during the tournament was only to be expected in such a rugby-mad country.

"It means so much in Wales, we've been under pressure and rightly so but that win is going to do us a lot of good," he said.

"The forwards have been growing through the tournament, I really felt they came of age today and that will be a major boost to their self-confidence. The result shows that team has great potential, we can look forward to Australia in May and the build-up to the World Cup."

Stand-in flyhalf James Hook was the Welsh hero with 22 points and Jenkins said of the 21-year-old: "He's proved to everyone again what a talent he is - he switched jerseys today and put in a huge contribution to getting that result for us."

Hook, moved from centre after the withdrawal of captain Stephen Jones, said he had been dreaming the day would go as it did but played down his own role. "It's always easier behind a pack like that," he said.

"I missed a couple of kicks and I was a bit disappointed - but I was chuffed to put us two scores clear."

As the Millennium Stadium throng set off to into the night to celebrate the win, captain for the day Gareth Thomas sounded a note of caution. "We need to be realistic," he said.

"As a nation we'll go crazy after that but as a team and management we need to look back and realise that there have been some really bad times too.

"It's great to finish on a high but we have to look at the negatives and analyse them."

England coach Brian Ashton said his team had been expecting the Welsh onslaught in the opening 20 minutes but said he had hoped his players would manage it better.

"We were almost blown away but I thought the players showed a lot of resilience to get back into it," he said.

"But they (Wales) managed the game better than we did, you can't deny that.

"It's a fair old cauldron out there, it will serve the young players well for the future."

Asked to explain how his forwards had failed to gain control having performed so well a week ago, he said: "We dominated a French pack last week but to back up after six days is pretty difficult.

"You have to give credit to the Welsh pack but we didn't get it right up front so we were playing on the back foot."