Cohen goes over for England early on (Getty Images)

By Andrew Baldock, PA Sport Rugby Union Correspondent

Two tries from Ben Cohen finally anchored the shakiest of victories for England on an afternoon when a howling gale played blow football with everything not nailed down at Twickenham.

But the size of the rebuilding job required by England head coach Sir Clive Woodward was plain to see for a full house at Twickenham as the world champions snatched a scrappy victory from what at times looked likely defeat.

Fly-half Olly Barkley was one of England's few successes, scoring 16 points on his first start for his country with six successful kicks from seven attempts.

Flanker Joe Worsley scored a late third try but, coming just a fortnight after the defeat by Ireland, this unconvincing performance proved just how far backwards England have travelled since that heady night at the Telstra stadium in Sydney when Martin Johnson lifted the World Cup.

Johnson has gone, Neil Back and Jason Leonard are going and the invincible reputation which England garnered on the way to that Webb Ellis triumph is now no more than a fleeting memory.

They can still win the RBS 6 Nations championship against France in Paris next weekend but no-one, other than the most committed of optimists, would back them at the Stade de France.

In saying that we should salute a Welsh performance which threatened to bring their first victory at Twickenham since 1988. It was full of Welsh flair with fly-half Stephen Jones superb and wing Shane Williams always a threat.

The Welsh pack even held the mightier white shirts for much of a match which only showed that nothing stays the same in top class sport. The cycle, it seems, is turning against England.

The fact that somehow they still won says much for their grit and determination.

The truth is, however, that after a fortnight of introspection, Woodward's men were desperate for a performance to consign the disappointing defeat against Ireland to history.

The huge cheer which greeted Richard Hill's catch at England's first line-out of the afternoon was a measure of the nerves in the crowd as well as on the pitch.

But the determination was also apparent in the demeanour of Cohen who went over for the first England try in the fifth minute with Welsh tacklers Gareth Thomas and Jonathan Thomas clinging to his powerful frame.

It was Cohen's 27th try for his country and the conversion was just as important, bringing the first points in an England shirt for Barkley - and there is no better way to ease the tension on your first international start.

Wales might have had two touchdowns of their own in that first quarter if a Tom Shanklin surge and a period of intense pressure had borne fruit. They had to be content with two Stephen Jones penalties but they had shown enough to prove they could be a danger to an England side which, with retirements and injuries, has gone backwards since the World Cup.

It was a game with too many stoppages, no pattern and little rhythm, the capricious wind tugging at the confidence of the players.

And while Barkley, with a left-foot curler in off the post, and Jones slotted over further penalties, Wales were lucky to escape when Gareth Thomas dawdled to a kick deep into the Welsh half. The full-back's clearing kick was charged down by the rampaging Cohen and Matt Dawson was unlucky to see the ball run dead before he could complete the touchdown.

Barkley slotted over another penalty on the stroke of half-time, again courtesy of a bounce off the upright, but the 16-9 interval lead somewhat flattered England.

Wales, whose pack had been shunted around Lansdowne Road and then the Millennium Stadium by France, were determined to give coach Steve Hansen everything in his penultimate match in charge.

And they were level within two minutes of the restart. A typically adventurous Welsh surge saw the ball fly along the line, Stephen Jones spreading the long pass, Shanklin finding Duncan Jones and the prop's final pass saw Gareth Thomas dive over in the corner for his 33rd try for Wales - a touchdown which equalled the record of the great Ieuan Evans.

It was no more than Wales deserved and when Stephen Jones slotted over the conversion from way out wide and into the teeth of the gale England were staring at a second successive defeat at the once-invincible Twickenham.

It needed cool heads but there was panic in the England ranks, hooker Steve Thompson for example kicking the ball blindly to Shane Williams, who just happens to be Wales' most dangerous player.

Again the ball sped across the line and this time it was Mark Taylor who raced in at the corner for a superb try which was a testament to Welsh daring and an indictment of the aimless nature of England's display.

The scoreboard read 21-16 to Wales and Twickenham was silent bar for a gathering murmur of disbelief.

The face of Woodward matched the brooding skies but at last in the 63rd minute there was some relief. It was not exactly convincing, two England surges being repelled by the Welsh defence before Cohen picked up the ball at the base of a ruck a couple of yards out and dived over to touch down one-handed.

Barkley slotted the conversion to put England back in front and swiftly followed that up with his fourth penalty.

Predictably England piled on the pressure in the final 10 minutes and they were relieved when Cohen sent replacement Worsley in at the corner with just two minutes remaining.

The crowd burst into a rendition of 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot.' It seemed somehow inappropriate.

The fact is this was an afternoon when the chariot's wheels almost came off for a second successive match.

Teams:

England: Robinson, Lewsey, Greenwood, Tindall, Cohen, Barkley, Dawson, Woodman, Thompson, Vickery, Grewcock, Kay, Jones, Hill, Dallaglio.

Replacements: Catt for Greenwood (73), White for Vickery (69), Worsley for Jones (41).

Not Used: Regan, Borthwick, Gomarsall, Simpson-Daniel.

Tries: Cohen 2, Worsley.

Cons: Barkley 2.

Pens: Barkley 4.

Wales: G. Thomas, R. Williams, Taylor, Shanklin, S. Williams, S. Jones, Cooper, D. Jones, McBryde, Jenkins, Cockbain, Owen, J. Thomas, Charvis, D. Jones.

Replacements: Sweeney for Taylor (60), Peel for Cooper (60), B. Evans for Jenkins (63), Llewellyn for Cockbain (26), M. Williams for J. Thomas (55).

Tries: G. Thomas, Taylor.

Cons: S. Jones.

Pens: S. Jones 3.

Not Used: Davies, Robinson.

Att: 72,200

Ref: Andrew Cole (Australia).