Having renewed their old rivalry with such vigour, it is a strange and cruel twist of fate which means Wales might have to rely on England to do them a favour in order to reach the last 16 of the European Championship.
After the two sides goaded each other in a spiky preamble to Thursday's derby, Wales looked like they would back up their mischief with a memorable result, only to be denied by Daniel Sturridge's injury-time winner. At the final whistle, Wales' players were drained, their 90 minutes of toil in vain. Yet despite the late heartbreak, Chris Coleman's side still have their destiny in their own hands.
Victory against Russia on Monday would guarantee their passage to the last 16, while a draw is likely to be enough. Lose and they could still get through - but with their aspirations dependent on England beating Slovakia.
At their first major tournament since 1958 and hoping to end a 32-year winless streak against England, Wales had history on their minds in Lens. Coleman said beforehand his team would approach this game like any other, unaffected by the hyperbole surrounding such an eagerly anticipated fixture. But that calm veneer should not obscure what was a fierce determination to win. Victory would have taken Wales through to the second round and, had it come at England's success, their success would have been all the sweeter. As it was, Sturridge's late winner delivered defeat in the most morale-sapping manner.
