Quite unusually, there was a distinct lack of spice in the way this England v Wales game played out, so let's hope it's all secured by match day at Twickenham.
Warren Gatland has referenced Immanuel Fay-Waboso's defection to the Red Rose, effectively telling all unpatriotic Welshmen to “piss off” if they don't want to play for them. He tried to stir up the situation, but that was all.
Gatland, of course, does not have the motormouth Eddie Jones, who has performed well in his last two campaigns, with the mild-mannered Steve Borthwick now England's rising star. In fact, Borthwick is going to be a great cricketer considering how straight his bat is against all the reports from the media.
This England side have tended to save everything they say on the pitch these days, but they will need to add quite a bit of text to their speeches if they are to achieve their goal of becoming the best team in the world.
The victory over Italy was a reasonable opening game, given the new manager, new players, and new styles in both defense and attack. They will also be greeted by a much-improved Azzurri side and they will build on that evidence to test the resolve of some more teams in the 2024 Six Nations.
Gatland has selected a young squad for the tournament, led by 21-year-old Dafydd Jenkins, but it showed last week that they were wilting in the international cauldron. But while the first half against Scotland was abysmal, the Welsh side can gain a lot from their response in the final 35 minutes.
Wales will look to capitalize on the momentum generated from that effort and take it to the 'home of rugby'. They love nothing more than winning against their fiercest rivals, and the visitors come into this game in a much more positive mood than they were when they lost 27-0 in the first round.
The question is whether they can, or indeed want to, recreate that style. In effect, given the situation they were in, they threw their game plan out the window and ran the ball from anywhere.
It's unlikely Gatland's players will do it again this weekend, but the head coach has sorted out what went wrong with Elliott Dee starting at hooker and Tomos Williams at scrum-half. Appropriate changes were made to do so.
They should be better prepared than they were last week, but there's no doubt England would have benefited from another week together as well. The quality of the game may not be high, but the clash between two rivals always brings heat and intensity, so expect some fascinating duels.
What will happen in the battle?
Wales had a lot of problems in the first half against Scotland, unable to get a foothold as their kicking game was completely failing. They changed tack in the second period when it looked like the game would be decided, usually running from deep, but that likely won't work at Twickenham.
Gatland knows he needs to use his structure and boots effectively to get into enemy territory. Scrum-half Williams, who impressed last week, has the task and Wales will be hoping his good form continues against the hosts on Saturday. He will face a tough challenge against England, who have excellent game controllers in Alex Mitchell and George Ford, and also offer good kicking options in Henry Slade, Elliot Daly and Freddie Steward.
The Red Rose will no doubt be putting a lot of the ball on the sideline in hopes of attacking Wales' lineout, which was erratic last weekend. It's another area the visitors need to improve on and is absolutely critical to have any chance of claiming a win.
If Wales' set-pieces work, they could help Williams at scrum-half and allow openside Tommy Leffell to have more of an impact. Leffel was excellent in the first half of the first round, but his good breakdown work was often undone by poor lineouts. But he could face Borthwick's men this week, who lack a true contact area specialist.
Similarly, in Rome, England have indicated they intend to expand a bit more this year, which could play into the hands of the Welsh jackal. The home team's cleaners need to be accurate to stop the visiting fetchers from reaching the top of the breakdown.
The last time we met
what they said
England manager Borthwick wants to build on last weekend's “promising start” as his side aim to move two places from their 2024 Six Nations appearance.
“Last weekend's performance was far from perfect, but it was a promising start.”
“It was a really promising start for the inexperienced players and the young players.
“Leadership and experience are blending. It's important to maintain that blend and build cohesion and continuity.
“The more the players play together, the better they get.”
Wales head coach Gatland is not worried about the Twickenham factor and insists he has no “apprehensions” about the London visit.
“The first four times I went there, we won three Premiership finals and one Heineken Cup final. I don't think it's scary at all!” he said.
“It's great to come through the gate and see everyone out and have fans there. It's a great stadium to get into.
“I love this atmosphere, but it's even more special if we can come home with a win. That's not easy.
“It's a stadium I've always wanted to go to. For me, it's no worry.
“For us, it's about starting well and stopping the crowd from singing 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' too early.” Shut them up a bit – that’s the key factor. ”
Featured players
England will be targeting Wales' front five this weekend, particularly their lineout. Maro Itoje Could be a real threat.with him Ollie Chetham In the first match against Italy, he had a fun day, often interfering with the Azzurri's ball. They will aim to repeat that effort when facing Gatland's team.
The Welshman managed to set up a set-piece in the second period thanks to hooker. Elliot Dee His throwing is much more accurate than Ryan Elias. After all, visitors are not lacking in options for a good jump; Adam Beard and Dafydd JenkinsAlongside the lifters, they will need a better game at Twickenham.
If so, it is Yoan Roys At flyhalf, your job is much easier. Replacing Sam Costelow, the speedy playmaker played the role in a stunning comeback and gained notoriety. Lloyd has incredible speed and enjoys being given the freedom to play out wide, which was perfect for the situation last week, but he'll probably have to control that on Saturday.
it is @ScarletsRugby Llanelli try to take the lead! 🔴
Yoan Lloyd cuts through the defense and Tom Rodgers goes over! 💥#BKTURC #URC | #SCAVLIO pic.twitter.com/18SPi7NUV8
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) November 11, 2023
The kicking game is very important, especially in Tests, and there are concerns that he still doesn't have the control to dictate matches at this level. Although he has a wealth of experience with him at Williams, there are not too many options for kicking in the outside channels and only Cameron Wynnett can help the fly-half out in that regard.
Borthwick's side look set to be more aggressive this year if Wales make it easier for England to counterattack. tommy freeman They were very impressive last week and will be a threat again, but it's an even bigger game for them. Elliot DalyAlthough they scored a try, they lacked strength against Italy.
Without the likes of Olly Lawrence, Manu Tuilagi and Henry Arundel, the backline lacks pace and power. Daly was once one of the fastest players in the Premiership, but he looked surprisingly lethargic at Roma and the team needs him to step up. Otherwise, a Welsh fetcher will appear. tommy reffellwill hold a field day.
main match
Kicks are always the deciding factor in matches between England and Wales, so the battle at scrum half is important. To be honest, we always suspected: alex mitchell He may be able to control the game at international level, but he proved us wrong. Our accusations that he was a highlight reel player rather than a true Test match animal have been neatly dispelled.
He was always going to be strong on the fringe, but his box kicks were a real surprise, both in length and accuracy.Mitchell will receive an experienced challenge tomos williams, it's been a great 12 months. Like his opponent on Saturday, Williams' strength lies in his running game, but he also has a good all-around skill set, including a great kicking game.
However, the difference could be in the pressure felt during the match, which means the number of different options each team has. Williams will have to do a lot of the work given Lloyd and Wynnett's inexperience, while the Red Rose have Steward, Slade, Daley and obviously Ford.
prediction
Elements of England's performance against Italy were excellent and, despite some flops, there were signs of progress in terms of game planning. That wasn't the case in the first half against Wales, but they should be praised for their mental fortitude and ability to rectify those issues in almost snatching victory against Scotland.
In the end, the Red Roses have better quality, but I'm not sure if they have the ability to run away from their opponents yet. So it's going to be a close battle. Matches between these teams have been close lately, particularly at Twickenham, and Saturday is expected to be no different. England 5 points behind.
past results
2023: England won 19-17 in London.
2023: Wales beat Cardiff 20-9
2023: England beat Cardiff 20-10
2022: England won 23-19 in London
2021: Wales win 40-24 at Cardiff
2020: England won 24-13 against Llanelli.
2020: England won 33-30 in London.
2019: Wales beat Cardiff 13-6
2019: England won 33-19 in London
2019: Wales win 21-13 at Cardiff
2018: England win 12-6 in London
team
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Ethan Daley. Roots, 5 Ollie Chetham, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Jamie George (c), 1 Joe Marler
Replacement: 16 Theo Dunn, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Alex Coles, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Danny Care, 22 Finn Smith, 23 Immanuel Fay-Waboso
Wales: 15 Cameron Wynnett, 14 Josh Adams, 13 George North, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Yoan Lloyd, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Tommy Leffell, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Dafydd Jenkins (c), 3 Keiron Assilatti, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Gareth Thomas
Replacement: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Corey Domakowski, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Will Rowlands, 20 Taine Basham, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Kai Evans, 23 Mason Grady
date: Saturday, February 10th
venue: twickenham stadium
kick off: 16:45 GMT
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
Assistant referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand), Holly Davidson (Scotland)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
read more: Expert witness: Adam Jones highlights areas where Wales 'can't beat England', makes bold predictions for Scotland
