After week of politics, Davies insists it’s now all about playing

JONATHAN Davies says Wales’ Six Nations title-chasing players are focused on tackling Scotland at Murrayfield after a week dominated by Welsh rugby politics.

While unbeaten tournament leaders Wales target Six Nations title and Grand Slam success, off the field it is a story of domestic turmoil as debate rages about so-called ‘Project Reset’ and how Wales’ professional regional game will look from next season.

Talks now appear to be deadlocked, a proposed Scarlets-Ospreys merger is off the table and considerable uncertainty remains.

“It’s probably been a bit of a distraction at the start of the week but we’ve come in today with a focus of continuing our preparation ready for Scotland and to get on that plane and progress in the tournament like we have been,” Wales and Scarlets centre Davies said.

Asked if he had ever known a week like it, Davies added: “There’s always gossip and chat. It’s Welsh rugby at the end of the day. I think players are looking forward to a big Test match on the weekend.

“That’s what we love doing, that’s what we are here to do. The most important thing for us is to focus on that.

“Going to Murrayfield is always a difficult place to play, and that’s the focus now with us.

“Our focus is making sure our preparation has gone as well as it has over the last month or six weeks, and we’re looking to go there and get the win.”

Victory for Wales would leave them needing to beat Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday week to secure the Six Nations crown – they last won it in 2013 – and a first Grand Slam for seven years.

They have toppled Scotland in 11 of the countries’ last 12 meetings, but came unstuck at Murrayfield two years ago, losing 29-13 after leading at half-time.

“They will be looking to start well and get the crowd behind them and make sure they put us under pressure,” Davies said.

“But for us it’s making sure we build on the momentum we’ve got now, and as a unit we stay pretty tight.

“Two years ago we were well beaten there, so we can’t take them lightly. It is going to be a very tough Test match.

“The squad is very tight. We’ve got momentum, and we are making sure we keep that. The squad is reacting well to the expectancy of winning games, and that’s a good place to be.”

The forecast for Edinburgh tomorrow is for wet and windy weather, but Davies added: “We’re Welsh, so we are used to that! The big thing is make sure you play to the conditions.”

ENGLAND

EDDIE Jones will unleash a destructive centre partnership of Ben Te’o and Manu Tuilagi upon Italy in tomorrow’s Guinness Six Nations clash at Twickenham.

It is the first time the powerful carriers have started together, with Henry Slade dropping to the bench to accommodate the switch of Tuilagi (below) to 13 and the inclusion of Te’o at inside centre. The pair were deployed in tandem for five minutes of last autumn’s 37-18 victory over Australia and have run alongside each other extensively during training.

“We saw them at the end of the game against Australia. It’s always something we wanted to look at in order to develop another option,” head coach Jones said.

“We’ve been really happy with Henry Slade, but this just gives us another way of playing so we’re looking forward to it.”

Captain and fly-half Owen Farrell, however, insists there is more to their game than simple brute force.

“We got bit of a taste of it against Australia. They’re two lads who can do a lot of damage, but who also have some subtleties to their game as well,” Farrell said.

Continuing the theme of a bulldozing backline – emphatically the biggest of the Jones era – is Joe Cokanasiga’s inclusion on the right wing after Jack Nowell failed to recover from a shoulder injury. Cokanasiga will win his fourth cap after making his Six Nations debut against Wales in Cardiff, deploying his 6’4’’ and 18 stones frame outside a midfield duo that weigh in at a combined 34 stones.

“It shows the difference in the team. I remember playing Australia three years ago and we were 8kg per player lighter,” Jones said. “We’re able now to pick a big backline which can play a little bit differently. That gives us another option.”

The backline otherwise remains unchanged with Ben Youngs and Farrell continuing at half-back in a selection that sees Dan Robson and George Ford overlooked once again. In total there are five changes in personnel to the side dispatched 21-13 at the Principality Stadium on February 23, including Joe Launchbury’s elevation to the starting XV after Maro Itoje lost his battle with a knee injury.

It was hoped that Itoje would recover from his medial ligament damage to fill the void created by Courtney Lawes’ calf strain, but a setback in training means that Launchbury and George Kruis will pack down together for only the second time.

ITALY

CONOR O’Shea has picked an Italy team for tomorrow’s clash with England that he believes is capable of causing the greatest upset in Guinness Six Nations history.

The Azzurri have lost their last 20 matches in the Championship and have suffered defeat in all 24 previous meetings with England, statistics that have installed them as 60-1 underdogs to prevail this weekend. O’Shea has made three changes to his starting XV for the Twickenham showdown, headlined by captain Sergio Parisse recovering from concussion to reclaim the No.8 jersey. Sebastian Negri has recovered from illness to slot in at blindside flanker and Luca Bigi displaces the tired Leonardo Ghiraldini at hooker.

“This is an Italy team that’s preparing to win. Everybody thinks we’re delusional. But we’re sports people, we’re competitive people,” head coach O’Shea (left) said. “I’ve said to the players I don’t want them to even think about the result, their job is to deliver a performance of intensity, physicality and ambition.

“I’ll say ambition 20 times as I want them to go out and play. I’ll take the flak for any results.

“The big thing is to get the confidence to win and get the energy that comes with that.

“We have to dust ourselves