Wales & England brace for colossal clash in Cardiff
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While proceedings will, unfortunately, be devoid of the magnificent voices of the red-clad Welsh faithful, down on the pitch at the Pricipality Stadium, the exchanges will be as fiery as they have been for the past 140 years.
After winning the Six Nations last year, England marched into the 2021 tournament with high hopes, but were swiftly slammed down to earth when the brave Scots pulled off their first victory at Twickenham for 38 years in a spectacle that will live in memory for many years to come.
Shaken, but not down & out, England travelled to Rome the following weekend where they were able to pull their campaign back in line with a resounding 41-18 victory over the Italians.
After a difficult 2020, in which Wales managed only a solitary victory, Alun Wyn Jones’ men have put their best foot forward this year and managed to produced two wins from as many outings.
First up, they hosted the Irish in Cardiff and a stroke of luck for the men in red saw Peter O’Mahony given his marching orders after just 13 minutes, leaving Johnny Sexton and co. to struggle on with 14 men for the lion’s share of the match.
In round 2, Wales faced a buoyant Scottish side still flying high on the historic victory they had pulled off against Eddie Jones’ men the week before. However, the Welsh rolled up their sleeves and busied themselves with the eventual 1-point downfall of their rivals. Final score: 25-24.
As things stand, Wales enjoy a three point cushion over England, with 9 points overall for the former and 6 to the latter.
The competition between the two sides in recent times has been fierce, with only one game in the last six yielding a margin of victory greater than seven points.
England defence coach John Mitchell spoke this week ahead of what he believes will be a titanic struggle:
“They’re extremely competitive, it will require us to work really, really hard for each other as these games often go down to the wire,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to it and showing what we’re capable of for the rest of the Six Nations.
“It’s one of those occasions that means a lot to both countries and players. Both countries have had sustained success but none of that really matters when it comes to playing against each other.”
Meanwhile, Welsh boss Wayne Pivac’s latest bout of good news brings with it some difficult selections conundrums as a host of players return to eligibility for selection.
The following are now fit to take to the paddock after injury:
- Jonathan Davies
- George North
- Josh Navidi
- Johnny Williams
- Hallam Amos
“Everybody has reported back and we [almost] have a full bill of health,” said Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys.
“We’ve [almost] got a full squad to choose from, which brings a headache but is also really positive.
“Selection meetings have taken a lot longer than they did a couple of months ago. There are some really difficult discussions going on about combinations but that’s very positive.
“Right now there is a lot of competition for places.”
Among the English supporters, there have been whispers about the current form of number 8 Billy Vunipola, something the 28 year-old addressed himself this week with honesty:
“I’ve just been playing rubbish, I can’t lie,” he said. “I need to turn up this weekend and that’s what I’m planning on doing,” Vunipola said.
“It’s about helping me motivate myself to help the team. And to help the team I need to be the player that I know I can be.
“I know I haven’t been that player and it’s annoying me more than anyone else. I’m ready for Wales. I haven’t been myself and I need to go out there and show what I can do.
“There have been a lot of questions asked about my place within the team. That’s not always a bad thing because sometimes it can make or break a player and I want to show that I’m worth my place within the squad.
“I just haven’t played well at all. And I could play a hundred more games at the level I am playing at now and I’d still be rubbish, so it’s not about playing yourself into form.
“At the moment, I guess because of my lack of game time, I am trying to put myself in positions where I don’t have to run as much, so that I still get the ball and have the same effect.
“There’s a great NFL coach (Vince Lombardi) who said that fatigue makes a coward out of everyone and I guess I’ve been a bit of a coward in the last two weeks because I’ve been hiding from being fatigued.”
With the French side in a somewhat vulnerable position after Covid-19 ripped through their ranks recently, Wales will no doubt have an eye on the top spot in the overall rankings as they take the field on Saturday. Fiery passion and grit will take them so far, but they will also need to be clinical in the execution of the finer points of their game if they are to topple the English.
The most recent encounter between the two was a nail-biter at Twickenham which saw England take the honours, but only just - by a margin of three points. England just held on at the end, finishing the game with 13 men on the field as Wales used their advantage to run in two tries to bring victory within sight.
With criticism growing and calls for a changes in the coaching staff voiced from various quarters, it will be interesting to see how England respond in this period of adversity. Eddie Jones is a seasoned campaigner with more than one trick up his sleeve and will know how to pull his charges together, potentially into the marauding unit they were last year.
All in all, expect fireworks in this ever-revered encounter.
