England vs. Wales: Winners and Losers from 2016 RBS 6 Nations Clash

A 25-21 victory over Wales saw England's dreams of a Grand Slam triumph in the 2016 RBS Six Nations endure at Twickenham on Saturday.

Warren Gatland's visitors mustered a late comeback in London but were unable to overturn the deficit despite outscoring their hosts three to one in tries.

Anthony Watson's 31st-minute try and an additional 20 points from England utility Owen Farrell helped seal a historic victory for Eddie Jones' England, one which is almost sure to bag the table leaders this year's title.

Read on for a breakdown of the biggest winners and losers to emerge from Saturday's Twickenham showdown.

The Saracens playmaker tends to split opinion among fans and pundits alike, but at Twickenham on Saturday, there was no way one could help but admire a leading display from 20-point Farrell.

With George Ford retaining his spot at fly-half, Farrell was again fielded by Coach Jones at inside centre, and his unselfish, team-centric contribution saw the English back line let rip with just about all it had.

In terms of on-the-ball impact, Farrell offered close to nothing—he carried for just three metres in total—but his forward runners benefited majorly from his catalytic performance in midfield, bringing on the talents of those around him.

Farrell's ritual of drawing a laser-like path between his tee and the posts worked to great effect, as he notched six penalties and one conversion, making the most of any sight he got at goal.

Satirical Irish Times character Ross O'Carroll Kelly commented on the love-hate stance Farrell paints among fans but admitted his talents make him difficult to dislike when playing such terrific rugby.

Piling harsh words on the form of Wales winger Alex Cuthbert only seems like flogging a dead horse at this stage, but another poor outing on Saturday can't be escaped simply because it keeps happening.

In his defence, a lack of numbers over on the right flank meant Cuthbert was somewhat helpless to prevent Watson's opening try close to half-time, but it's also little coincidence that score came from his side of the pitch.

The Cardiff Blues speedster has endured a difficult 12 months leading up this weekend, and we even saw glimpses of the player at his best, but a tally of four missed tackles—joint highest of any player on Saturday—saw that bad run continue.

Olympic skier Murray Buchan voiced his belief early in the fixture that Cuthbert should have been withdrawn if Wales were to have any hope of winning, and there's a good chance he was right.

Between missing 50 per cent of his attempted tackles, conceding possession and showing a frightening lack of positioning at times, this was another day at the office to forget for the under-pressure Cuthbert.

Monstrous. Totemic. Clutch. Use what words you may to describe the performance of England starlet Maro Itoje at Twickenham on Saturday. To say it was match-defining would be no understatement. 

No England player was as prominent in defence for the hosts as Itoje, who recorded a haul of 14 tackles at Twickenham and was deservedly handed the man-of-the-match award as a result of his heroics.

Not only that, but it was the nimble lock's run down England's left flank that set Watson up for the team's only try, a show of just how effective he can be as a carrying catalyst.

Jones was quoted comparing Itoje to a Vauxhall Viva several weeks ago, but the coach agreed after the game that his emerging superstar had now upgraded to "a BMW," per BBC Sport's Bryn Palmer.

At this rate, it won't be long until the 21-year-old is earning comparisons to even more luxurious modes of transport; perhaps something flight-worthy to match the versatile youngster's skyrocketing potential.

Five months after sprinting off the Twickenham turf following Australia's controversially decided World Cup quarter-final win over Scotland, referee Craig Joubert was back causing a stir at English headquarters on Saturday.

No official taking control of a clash between two such bitter rivals will ever please both parties, but there was once again more reason to scrutinise the South African this time around.

Rugby writer Tim O'Connor even went so far as to say Joubert should be sacked for failing to send off Tomas Francis for making "reckless" contact with the eye of England prop Dan Cole.

Some also questioned whether George North, seeking a second late try, should have been called out of touch in the 80th minute when he appeared to keep the ball in play, not to mention a long list of questionable calls at the breakdown.

In short, a difficult match to referee, but nonetheless a disappointing performance from the official entrusted with its care.

Last but not least, credit must go to Jones, whose 100 per cent record as England coach remains intact and a Grand Slam triumph falls within reach of the Australian.

It came close at the end, but his side had the quality necessary to see off Gatland's men, clinching a small personal win for Jones along with the much more obvious victory outlined in the result. 

The former Japan chief set England up to attack once more, and they were unfortunate not to land more killer blows in a controlled first period, but he'll count the win all the same, and to the victor goes the spoils.

All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.