England stick as Wales twist
First unchanged side for FOUR YEARS bidding to crush Gatland’s new-look XV
ENGLAND are set to field an unchanged team for the first time in more than four years against Wales on Saturday, while the visitors have gone the other way by revamping nearly half their line-up.
While England’s Steve Borthwick is expected to stick, Warren Gatland has opted to twist. The Wales head coach revealed his Twickenham selection a day early and it featured seven starting changes, whereas his England counterpart is poised to name the same XV which began the win over Italy in Rome on the opening weekend of the Six Nations.
That team will be confirmed at 1pm today. If, as expected, it is the starters that beat Italy, it will be the first time England have gone unchanged since the World Cup final in 2019. Such rare stability would be partly by Borthwick’s choice and partly due to the delayed return of casualties.
Leicester lock George Martin was called into camp this week as he continued injury rehab but he was never likely to return this Saturday. Meanwhile, Bath centre Ollie Lawrence is still on the mend after a hip injury and Manu Tuilagi is recovering from a groin issue sustained last month. Others on the casualty list are still some way off a comeback.
Vice- captain Ellis Genge was ruled out of the fixture in Rome after suffering a foot injury. The Bristol prop is understood to be in contention for a position among the replacements but he must prove his fitness in a training session this morning before his selection is ratified. If fit, he would be reinstated in place of Bath’s Beno Obano.
Gatland insisted Wales are full of belief, despite ripping up his side. The Welsh delivered an abject first-half display to fall 27-0 behind to Scotland in their Six Nations opener, before scoring 26 unanswered points as they nearly produced a miracle comeback.
Gatland made a host of early changes in Cardiff as Wales restored pride in the second half. Scrum- half Tomos Williams replaced Gareth Davies just after half-time, while Ioan Lloyd came on for fly-half Sam Costelow on 35 minutes. Williams and utility back Lloyd have been rewarded with starts at nine and 10 at Twickenham. Davies has been dropped from the matchday 23, while Costelow misses out after failing a head injury assessment.
George North returns in midfield, as Wales head to the English capital with an all-new front row and without a specialist 10.
‘ That first half ( against Scotland) was nowhere near the standards we expect,’ said Gatland. ‘We cannot start the same way this Saturday. We showed in the second half what we are capable of. Now it’s about building on that performance and playing with some tempo from the off.
‘This is a massive game, not only because of the history and what it means to everyone in Wales. It’s an opportunity to get things on track a bit more. England are in a rebuilding phase. We’ll go there with a lot of confidence.’
Test centurion North wasn’t quite fit to face Scotland due to a shoulder injury but is back to make his 50th Six Nations appearance alongside Nick Tompkins in midfield.
Rookie flanker Alex Mann, who made his debut against Scotland, replaces James Botham — who suffered a knee injury last week, while Gareth Thomas, Elliot Dee and Keiron Assiratti start together in the front row.
Will Rowlands has been added to the bench along with prop Archie Griffin, who is yet to start a game for Bath.
ENGLAND (probable): Steward; Freeman, Slade, Dingwall, Daly; Ford, Mitchell; Marler, George (capt), Stuart; Itoje, Chessum; Roots, Earl, Underhill.
WALES: Winnett; Adams, North, Tompkins, Dyer; Lloyd, Williams; G Thomas, Dee, Assiratti; Jenkins (capt), Beard; Mann, Wainwright, Reffell.