Saturday night's Rugby World Cup match between England and Wales was astonishing.
As a lonely Englishman - apart from a hugely annoying young lady in an England shirt who seemed hell-bent on blowing my cover - sat in a pub in Newport, Wales, I was content for most of the game.
The men in whitewere on top, Welshmen were being carried off the Twickenham turf at a steady rate and I'd only let slip that I was supporting England once - when a Wales wing fumbled the ball into touch and I laughed like a little girl.
Then Lloyd Williams, filling in on the left wing, produced a miraculous kick cross-field which bounced into the arms of Gareth Davies for the critical try.
This was followed by fly half Dan Biggar turning the sniggers at his bizarre kicking routine into choruses of hymns and arias as he struck the final of his sevenunblemished shots at goals through the sticks from almost halfway to complete an unlikely comeback and gives Wales the 28-25 victory.
As the final whistle blew, I was greeted by the customary slaps on the back by the locals (turns out I had been outed). It was fine, I'm used to it from my Swansea University days, and nothing will ever be worse than the feeling after that 30-3 drubbing in the 2013 Six Nations.
I've seen stirring fightbacks like that a number of times from the Dragons and no-one can fault the passion, never-say-die attitude and individual brilliance at key moments that they so often display.
But I will offer a warning to those rightly cock-a-hoop Welsh folk. Wales were second-best in most facets of the game on Saturday and would have left London with nothing more than a worrying amount of injuries had England not been so naive at the breakdown and not lost their heads when it mattered most.
Fiji are a formidable force and will see be licking their lips at the prospect of facing a battered and bruised, under-strength Wales side in their own stadium.
It would not be the upset Japan's shock win over South Africa was. The Pacific Islanders will bring an even greater level of physicality and are a much more balanced and dangerous side now with a stronger coaching regime and experienced players such as Akapusi Qera, Nikola Matawalu and Vereniki Goneva.
Wales will have just five days to recover for Thursday's clash, whereas Fiji have eight.
England's scrum struggled at times against Fiji's, but destroyed the Welsh pack. Wales will still be expected to pull away from this opposition towards the end of the match but if they don't, they then have to get a result against Australia - a side which they have a frankly awful record against.
Englandshould not be too downbeat. In the 2007 World Cup, they were blitzed 36-0 by South Africa and then somehow made their way to the final against the same opponents.
England controlled the first 70 minutes of Saturday's game. Their forwards, who failed to assert any authority over Fiji and in the warm-up matches, destroyed Wales' pack in the front five. Fly half Owen Farrell was imperious and Sam Burgess is developing at a rate which must be worrying the other nations.
England also now have one the most dangerous back-three combinations in this competition.
In contrast to Wales, England have a phenomenal record against the Wallabies, especially at Twickenham. If they play as they did for the majority of Saturday's fixture, they will starve Australia of the ball and should keep the scoreboard ticking over. Surely then, the Red Rose won't lose their heads to the disastrous level they did before.
If England do beat the Aussies, their bonus-point victory over Fiji gives them the advantage. They will go into the final group game against whipping boys Uruguay knowing exactly what they must do to qualify.
So England, be sad, and learn from your mistakes. So Wales, carry on laughing, and gloat as you deserve to.
But the gods of sport have a habit of changing who they favour. Only time will tell who will be laughing last - this World Cup is just beginning.
