BIGGAR SHRUGS OFF TAUNT OVER WELSH ‘SELF-DOUBT’

THE cage has been rattled ahead of tonight’s World Cup showdown by claims from the England camp that Wales will arrive at Twickenham full of self-doubt. Red Rose coach Graham Rowntree aimed the 11th-hour barb at their Pool A rivals, pointing out that Wales will be low on confidence having not beaten England since 2013. With fighting talk usually coming from the Welsh camp, it is a stark change in approach as Stuart Lancaster’s side look to move a step closer to a World Cup quarter-final. ‘They’ll be coming with some doubts in their minds, especially when they reflect on their last two performances against us,’ said Rowntree. ‘But they have a coaching team who have them wound up and they’ll have a few tricks up their sleeves.’ But Wales No 10 Dan Biggar dismissed Rowntree’s claims, adding that his underdog teammates are determined to silence ‘everyone that’s written them off’. The build-up to tonight’s clash has been dominated by Lancaster’s selections, notably the inclusion of Owen Farrell, who lines up opposite Biggar. Lancaster has been criticised for dropping fly-half George Ford but Farrell scoffed at suggestions that any negative reaction to his inclusion has been a distraction. ‘What reaction?’ said Farrell. ‘Whose reaction? I don’t read newspapers. People can say what they want. It’s the people inside the camp that count for me. External factors don’t matter to us. All I want to do is my job for this team.’