GARETH Cooper against Australia in 2007, Rhys Priestland against the Wallabies in 2012 and now Jonathan Davies against England in 2017. Kicks that have cost Wales dear.

Rob Howley's side produced their best performance for years on Saturday to be within four and a half minutes of being Six Nations title favourites but came up agonisingly short at Principality Stadium.

While it's valid to state that England are a confident side on a hot winning streak that means they find a way to get over the line, it was an opportunity missed by Wales.

As ever after a defeat, there are several key moments that would will be keeping players and coaches awake at their Vale of Glamorgan headquarters.

A tactic throughout the Warren Gatland-Howley era has been Wales banging the ball long and not going for touch and that was the case on Saturday.

With influential lineout lock Luke Charteris injured and England possessing a pretty impressive maul, perhaps that was a wise approach.

But there's a time and a place for 'getting it off the island'.

The winner was frighteningly similar to that Kurtley Beale one from just over four years ago in Cardiff. A turnover had been won and Wales had a chance to relieve the pressure.

This time the field location, five metres from their line, was more challenging but Davies' execution, his usual rather agricultural slap of the left boot, was far worse than Priestland's to leave the defence horribly exposed.

George Ford fielded on the 10-metre line, Owen Farrell threw a peach of a pass and Elliot Daly finished.

Perhaps if Davies had found touch we would have been just talking about a different method of winner as England would have been 20 to 30 metres out with their aforementioned powerful lineout drive and the need to just win a penalty to take the lead.

But that kick ended up as one of the moments that led to one that got away for Wales, an opportunity missed to give a reminder to those that dismissed their title credentials that they are fifth in the world rankings.

That England are being talked of as challengers to New Zealand's position as the best yet were made to scramble for victory shows that it was a strong Welsh display.

However, the champions weren't at their very best – how they miss Chris Robshaw and the Vunipolas – but were given the opportunity to use, as Eddie Jones said, their "get out of jail cards".

There was the decision by the Wales management to remove Ross Moriarty on 52 minutes when he was having a stormer, a call that was influenced by the presence of world class number eight Taulupe Faletau on the bench.

The former Dragon is just working his way back to fitness and is a certain starter when 90 per cent but, unless Moriarty had been told beforehand to empty the tank for an hour, the wrong man headed for the dugout.

Justin Tipuric was very good but I'd have waited another 10 minutes then brought off the openside, but the decision was a tricky one because of the excellence of the man with 20 on his back.

"I don't think you can have a guy of that quality on the bench and not bring him on," said his Lions teammate Paul O'Connell, the Ireland and Munster legend, to television afterwards.

"Ross Moriarty had a great game and worked himself to a standstill but if I had someone like Taulupe Faletau on the bench I'd be wanting to bring him on, especially when guys are tired."

Faletau didn't quite have the impact that he did against South Africa last autumn while two other replacements were to the fore in key moments.

Referee Jerome Garces had an excellent game to let the action flow but England's James Haskell was fortunate not to see yellow for cynically killing the ball under the posts with the score at 13-11 approaching the hour.

And Wales replacement hooker Scott Baldwin will be regretting the awful throw just entering the final quarter that allowed momentum to shift back to England just seconds after Dan Biggar had intercepted on his line.

With the score at 16-11 and the clock on 64 minutes, a penalty could have cracked it for Wales. But rather than press inside the 22, there was miscommunication and a skewwhiff throw, then an English scrum penalty, another drive, pressure and a Farrell three-pointer.

They were 'if-only' moments that played their part in ensuring Wales were the plucky losers in a truly great Six Nations game.

This was no tedious European affair, it was a Test to rival the intensity of the very best tussles with the southern hemisphere big guns.

England made a fine start to lead 8-3 courtesy of scrum-half Ben Youngs' try from close range after impressive ball retention in the 22.

Wales came storming back to lead 13-8 at the break after a cunning set piece move from a scrum fooled the visitors to allow Liam Williams to go over near the posts after a cutting a lovely line.

The boots of Leigh Halfpenny and Farrell provided the points in the second half but it was gripping throughout before the Daly drama.

There was never more than a score between the sides and Wales must now get over their disappointment to repeat the performance at Murrayfield in round three, for that would be enough to overcome a resurgent Scotland.

"You've got to give a lot of credit to Wales, that's the best I've seen them play," said Eddie Jones afterwards. Nice words but no consolation.

Wales: L Halfpenny, A Cuthbert, J Davies, S Williams (J Roberts 71), L Williams, D Biggar, R Webb (G Davies 64), R Evans (N Smith 52), K Owens ( S Baldwin 60), T Francis (S Lee 52), J Ball, A W Jones (captain), S Warburton (C Hill 77), J Tipuric, R Moriarty (T Faletau 52).

Scorers: try – L Williams; conversion – L Halfpenny; penalties – L Halfpenny (3)

England: M Brown, J Nowell (J May 71), J Joseph (B Te'o 64), O Farrell, E Daly, G Ford, B Youngs (D Care 64), J Marler (M Mullan 71), D Hartley (captain, J George 46), D Cole (K Sinckler 71), J Launchbury, C Lawes, M Itoje, J Clifford (J Haskell 48), N Hughes.

Scorers: tries – B Youngs, E Daly; conversion – O Farrell; penalties – O Farrell (3)

Referee: Jerome Garces