Six Nations 2018: Sam Underhill relives match-saving tackle on Scott Williams that saved England's Grand Slam hopes

Underhill's tackle in the 61st minute of Saturday's 12-6 victory over Wales proved to be a match-deciding moment

Sam Underhill applauds fans after England's Twickenham win over Wales (Rex Shuttershock)

“I think they were on our 22 and I remember slipping over, and then I remember sheer panic. Then I remember just pegging it to the corner because I’ve slipped over and they had an overlap, so glad I made it in time.

“I wish it was more than that but it honestly wasn’t.”

By all accounts, Sam Underhill is a modest man. His last-gasp tackle on Scott Williams to drag the Wales centre into touch – one-handed – as he dived for the try line will be forever remembered as the defining moment of England’s 12-6 victory over Wales on Saturday. For a player who had to wait eight weeks before he was allowed to play again after suffering a concussion while playing for England last November, that tackle almost felt like an outpouring of frustration to save the game for his country.

“The first Six Nations home game for me was a very proud moment. I was glad I got some decent time out there and very much enjoyed it.”

Underhill was making just his fifth appearance for England, and despite the Bath flanker being available for Wales up until his debut, he never even considered it as he’s categorically “not Welsh”. As impacts go, it was up there with the very best. The 21-year-old was needed earlier than planned when Sam Simmonds departed at half-time with a shoulder injury that Eddie Jones hopes will not be that serious.

In the 60th minute, Gareth Anscombe breaks from his own half straight through the English defence in the middle of the park. Anscombe offloads the ball to Tomas Francis, he passes to Hadleigh Parkes, and he exchanges the ball with Aaron Shingler before looking up and seeing space outside him. Parkes does the right thing, straightens the line and sends the ball through the hands – Ken Owen, George North and finally Scott Williams. The outside centre also does the right thing – he sees Danny Care coming across-field from the right so he dives early in the hope that the wet surface will help him slide over the line.

But having been on the turf after slipping just seconds before, Underhill comes from nowhere to tackle Williams into touch and save the day for England. His teammates knew straight away exactly how important the moment was.

“That tackle by Sam Underhill was unbelievable, one of the best you'll see,” said Owen Farrell. “It shows our attitude when it comes to it. [Williams] dove early! It was slippy, though, so he might have got there. But it was a proper contact by Sam. Normally people get there and try get them into touch. He's got in close, got his shoulder on him, flipped him over and not even given him the chance to place the ball. He's a tackling machine. You don't expect anything less.”

The praise was not just contained to his teammates, either. “You'll see he comes from the right side of the screen here...is that him on the floor? Crikey,” said Sam Warburton, the injured Wales international who knows a thing or two about the art of playing openside flanker.

Underhill has now given Jones a problem though. Does he start the next game against Scotland, and if so, how does he fit in? The obvious answer would be to move Chris Robshaw to No 8 if Simmonds doesn’t recover in time. But what if he does? Jones would then have to either move Robshaw back to the blindside and drop one of Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury, or even leave out Mr Dependable Robshaw himself. To further muddy the waters, Nathan Hughes completed 25 minutes for Wasps on Sunday and could well be back in the mix on 24 February at Murrayfield. It is, of course, a welcome selection headache to have such options in the back-row, but it’s a headache nonetheless.