As Wales' World Cup preparations got underway, Samoa drew their Pacific Nations Cup campaign to a close with three Cardiff Blues stars in international action over the weekend.
England 33 Wales 19
Following a gruesome few weeks of pre-season training, Wales finally got into on-the-pitch action at Twickenham on Sunday, as Warren Gatland named a strong side to take on their fierce rivals, England.
Josh Adams featured on the wing, as Gatland kept faith with his Grand Slam heroes, with Dillon Lewis named on the bench. Scrum half, Tomos Williams, was a late absentee, having been ruled out at the eleventh hour with a shoulder injury suffered in training.
Eddie Jones' side flew out of the starting blocks, crossing for early tries through Billy Vunipola and Joe Cokanasiga, but Gareth Davies got the visitors back into the contest with a sensational individual effort down the right hand side.
Luke Cowan-Dickie struck a devastating blow before the interval to restore the hosts' 14-point lead, while the boot of George Ford proved a reliable source for England's scoreboard.
Lewis was introduced in the early stages of the second half, and immediately forced a trademark turnover at the breakdown.
George North and replacement Wyn Jones crossed in the second half, but England continued a step ahead, with Elliot Daly slotting a clever drop goal to stretch the lead further and ensure Wales' 14-match winning streak came to an end.
The sides will meet once again on Saturday as the World Cup warm-ups head to the Welsh capital and Principality Stadium.
Fiji 10 Samoa 3
Rey Lee-Lo was back in the Samoan midfield, alongside Scarlets' Kieron Fonotia, for their final Pacific Nations Cup clash against Fiji.
Former Cardiff Blues Teofilo Paulo and Pele Cowley also featured in Samoa's matchday 23, while Campese Ma'afu was given the nod for Fiji on the loosehead.
It was a scrappy affair at Suva, lightened up by the only try of the game, which saw a wonderful 80 meter move from Fijians, finished off by the deadly Vereniki Gonova.
Lee-Lo battled hard for his side's cause, beating six defenders in the process, but it wasn't enough. Japan's victory over USA saw the World Cup hosts lift the Pacific Nations Cup for the third time in their history.