Head-to-heads... how the two sides stack up in the big game
IT’S the Six Nations game like no other... even if Covid has adds an unpleasant twist to this year’s edition.
MARK ORDERS assesses how the two teams compare...
Liam Williams 7 v 7 Elliot Daly
Two broken-field adventurers here.
Williams can sometimes appear as if he’s having a Sunday morning chuckaround with his mates down the local park, but don’t be deceived, with the Scarlet having pace, an eye for a gap and the ability to drill holes in an opposition defence.
He is also a fearless defender. Another plus is that he responds well to adversity: if his team are in a tight corner, he’s the first to come out swinging a metaphorical chair above his head.
That said, and despite an encouraging effort against Scotland, he’s still working his way towards peak form after spending much time sidelined before the Six Nations.
Daly hasn’t been quite at his best, either, but he’s quick enough to punish Wales if they kick loosely. Louis Rees-Zammit 8 v 8 Jonny May
Two of rugby’s fastest players here. Each can make defensive errors. But in attack they can score from anywhere. Their head-to-head has been built up largely around who is the quickest, but it is so much more. Rees-Zammit has shown he has footballing skills as well as vision and awareness, while May has vast experience and a try record that’s seen him score against all England’s main rivals. The challenge for the wings will be to stay alert.
Blink and either of them could be exposed.
George North 8 v 7 Henry Slade
North’s resurgence has been once of the pluses of the season for Wales. They now have a rapid and powerful outside centre who’s scoring tries, playing with confidence and working hard. If he’s not careful, he may yet play himself into contention for a Lions tour place this summer. Slade is a classy performer. Not only does he have pace and passing ability, he can also break defences. Wales will need to watch him closely.
Jonathan Davies 7 v 7 Owen Farrell
Davies has been hit by a lack of rugby brought on by injuries, while his opposite number has been Owen Farrell in name only.
Hence the England captain is down at least one mark, given his current performance levels.
Each are capable of banging in big performances in the right mood, however. Wales want Davies to add to their kicking options and he has the experience to feel he’ll do a job.
Farrell is the better kicker and a fierce competitor but his tackling technique is suspect and he isn’t the most creative. He won’t offer anything Davies hasn’t seen before. Josh Adams 7 v 8 Anthony Watson
What a game for Adams to come back in after his suspension for breaching Covid regulations.
As with Davies, his A game hasn’t been noticeably to the fore for Wales in recent times. He’s failed to score in his last seven Tests and he’ll be desperate to put that right. If he does click the strong-running Cardiff Blue is a handful to contain.
Watson was the real English man of the match against Italy.
He caused the Azzurri big problems and will do the same to Wales if they give him space.
Dan Biggar 7 v 7 George Ford Biggar found himself subbed after just 49 minutes last time out, but he’s a resilient sort who can put setbacks behind him. What he needs to do is bring his club form for Northampton to the international table.
When he’s playing with confidence and has his eye in as a goal-kicker, he can be a match-winner.
Ford is a clever player who can run a game with the right platform.
Mind, sending Jonathan Davies thundering down his channel wouldn’t be the worst idea for Wales. Kieran Hardy 6 v 7 Ben Youngs Hardy gets a fairly modest mark because he’s shown little at Test level yet. True, there were a couple of nice box kicks against Scotland and an accurate pass to Willis Halaholo in the build-up to Liam Williams’ try, but we need to see more.
His priority will be to stay on top of the basics because game-control for a scrum-half should come first. But if the opportunity comes along it would be nice to see him use his pace because he can move from 0 to 60 quicker than some wide players.
Behind a dominant pack the experienced Youngs can call the shots impressively. At others times he can fail to impose himself.
Wyn Jones 8 v 8 Kyle Sinckler
There’s a fascinating duel in prospect here.
When the stars align, Sinckler can be an outstanding prop, one who can not only scrummage and carry but also bang in 20 tackles a game.
He imploded in Cardiff two years ago, though, allowing an outstanding performance to degenerate into a temperamental mess which saw him taken off before he was sent off.
Many will feel he could have the edge against Jones, but the Welshman has been in career-best form in this campaign. How he performs in the set-pieces will be crucial to the outcome of this one. Ken Owens 7 v 7 Jamie George
A score draw at hooker.
George found himself dropped for the Italy match after a less-thaninspiring effort against Scotland. He’s a force when on his game, mind.
Lineout gremlins spoiled an otherwise excellent show from Owens against Ireland, but he sorted those out at Murrayfield. While he’s still returning to his very best after recovering from injury, he’s an emotional touchstone for Wales, a player who doesn’t often come up short if the challenge is to seize the day. He needs to find his targets with his lineout darts.
Tomas Francis 7 v 8 Mako Vunipola
Another key match-up, seeing the unsung Francis face one of the stars of the English pack.
Vunipola can be an extraordinary player, a prop who has banged in 27 tackles in a single match before now and not at the expense of his carrying and work in the scrums. But, by his standards, he didn’t play the house down against Italy.
Without too many broadcasting it, Francis has been quietly effective in this tournament, anchoring the Welsh scrum and working tirelessly in defence. If he can beat off Vunipola’s scrum attacks, it’ll be a major plus for Wales.
Adam Beard 7 v 9 Maro Itoje
If there’s a feeling that Itoje has yet to engage full throttle in this tournament so far, he’s still a player pretty much any side in the world would like to have in their ranks with his ability to combine the solidity of a second row with the mobility and athleticism of a flanker.
He may not be England’s captain, but he’s their leader, the player others look to in times of crisis.
This will be a good yardstick for Beard to measure himself by, then.
He’s one of the most improved players in Welsh rugby and is coming off a big game against Scotland. Wales can’t afford him to be subdued this weekend. They need him to contest everything against Itoje. Alun Wyn Jones 8 v 7 Johnny Hill It’s a thing of wonder how Jones keeps banging in big performances at the age of 35.
England targeted him at Twickenham last year, recognising his importance to Wales, but he’s a player who responds to a challenge and he has the ability to impose himself. When he plays well, his team tend to follow his lead. Hill is being touted as a potential Lion this summer, possessing an edge and a good work ethic.
Josh Navidi 8 v 7 Mark Wilson How do you stop Billy Vunipola?
It’s a question not many would be able to answer.
Navidi can, though, because he’s managed the feat in the past. Wales will need Big Billy to be blotted out of the game. Scotland managed it at Twickenham and Navidi is likely to lead the effort in that respect this weekend. It’s one of a thousand and one jobs the Cardiff Blue can be expected to wade through on the day.
Wilson is the hard man of the England pack. He will never take a step back.
Justin Tipuric 9 v 8 Tom Curry
Form sways this one to Wales.
Curry is a player who’ll tour South Africa with the Lions if the trip goes ahead, but Tipuric has been performing at a level apart.
He never runs out of gas, offers himself in attack and will be there at the end, putting in the tackles and doing all he can to move Wales closer to victory.
When he’s on his feet in the defensive line, there’s always a hope that Wales will keep the opposition at bay. When he’s not, there’s usually trouble.
Taulupe Faletau 9 v 7 Billy Vunipola
Where’s Mr Motivator when you need him most?
It’s a question for England after their ball-carrying talisman called himself a “coward” and said he’d been playing “rubbish” in this Six Nations. The assumption is Vunipola will come good again at some stage.
He doesn’t have the all-round game of Faletau, though.
Magical, Ugo Monye called the Wales No.8 in TV commentary last week. It’s not far from the truth.
In his recent outings, Faletau has raised the bar in pretty much every respect.
WALES boss Wayne Pivac addressed a range of issues as he named his team to face England in their hunt for the Triple Crown this weekend.
This is what Pivac had to say ahead of the Principality Stadium clash with the old enemy...
Question: You had six options at centre, why did you go for Jon Davies and George North? Wayne Pivac: We think George has played well for us when available at
13. He brings a lot of excitement to the position, he’s got that outside break, he’s big and strong.
He can do the donkey work in the middle of the park if he needs to.
Jonathan brings a wealth of experience and we look at him as a 12, not as a 13. The last time he played for us was at 12 against Italy and I thought he did a good job in attack and defence on that day.
In terms of preparation that day, it was just homework on the computer and the matchday warm-up. Johnny [Williams] was down to start in that game and we weren’t going to use Jonathan at all. He’s had a good week of preparation under his belt in combination with George, and also how players have looked in training is important as well. Foxy is looking very good from our point of view and when he pulls that Welsh jersey on, he never lets the team down.
It’s a big game and he’s got plenty of experience.
Q: Jonathan Davies hasn’t really looked himself and is a bit short of game time recently – what gives you the confidence that he’s ready?
WP: Because we’ve picked him at 12, not 13. We think, at the moment, Jonathan will do a very good job at
12. He’s got that left foot, it gives us a kicking option. Otherwise, we would have probably gone into the game without a genuine kicking option in the midfield.
It just gives us more strings to our bow. Look, we all know that when Jonathan puts on the Welsh jersey, he doesn’t let his country down.
We’re expecting another one of those performances from him. He knows that he’s been given a good opportunity here. He’s fought really hard since the World Cup to come back from some unfortunate injuries but he’s remained a true professional, worked very hard to maintain the condition he gets himself into, which is exceptional.
What the public and you guys unfortunately don’t see is the work that goes on behind the scenes in the gym, the running outside and the training sessions. He’s been excellent.
This morning he looked sharp and I expect him to be the same this afternoon.
He’s very keen and sometimes, when you move guys in one - like George - then it’s a new lease of life. It can extend a player’s career.
I don’t think Jonathan is any different.
Q: What are the attributes that make you think Jonathan’s future lies at 12 rather than 13, where he’s played the bulk of his career? WP: As you get a little bit older, sometimes a half-yard of pace might go. We’re not suggesting that he’s lost a half yard of pace but there have been plenty of other players that have gone down that route and moved in.
He’s got the experience. Don’t forget, he started his Test career at 12 with Jamie Roberts at 13. So it’s not foreign to him.
His last Test match for us was at 12 and he did a very good job in partnership with George. It’s a position that I’m personally very comfortable with.
Q: Give us a sense of how long you agonised over the big calls in the backline?
WP:
It’s a position we’re happy to be in. A couple of weeks ago, we were scratching our heads as to how to go about the make-up of the midfield.
But the medical team do such a good job in getting guys back available for selection and it made it a bit of a headache.
It’s a good headache to have. We think we’ve got the three guys that will get the performance we need in that area of the field.
Q: George North will be the youngest person to win 100 caps – that’s some feat?
WP: A lot of that was done under Warren [Gatland] and what he has done in the past has been well documented. Certainly with this group, he seems to have a new lease.
The challenge of moving into the centre has also excited him. He had a couple of weeks in the autumn when we sent him back to play club footy and he’s responded really well to all the challenges we’ve put in front of him. It speaks volumes of the player.
He’s still highly motivated and wants to play for Wales well past 100 games. I’m sure he’s going to do that with the attitude he’s showing at the moment and the form he’ll bring to the 13 jersey.
Q: Do you think he can go on and surpass Alun Wyn Jones’ record? WP: He’s certainly the one that’s going to challenge that number if he stays fit and his form continues to hold.
With the challenge of going into 13 and the way he’s taken that on in our environment has just been sublime.
The big fella is very keen to keep pulling the jersey on. He’s still got that appetite that he had as a youngster. I think it’s probably turning the clock back a little bit, with this new challenge, as is Jonathan Davies.
Q: Kieran Hardy gets in ahead of Gareth Davies – what’s the thinking?
WP: There are two thoughts. One is form. He did everything that we wanted him to do when he went on under pressure against Scotland. He ticked the box in terms of being a young man under pressure.
With Gareth, it’s well known what he can do off the bench, when defences start to tire. On this occasion, we’ve turned things around the other way.
It’s going to be a big occasion for Kieran, obviously, and he’s excited. We’ll learn a lot from it, as will he.
Q: What have you made of England and their form?
WP:
As this competition goes on, they’re going to grow like all sides. Having dropped the first game, that makes them even more dangerous because the pressure comes on in this particular match.
They won the Autumn Nations Cup, they have a proven history in recent Six Nations. From our point of view, they’re the team to beat.
They pose a very big challenge.
Q: Is this a free hit because you’ve won a couple or have expectations gone up?
WP: Within the camp – we’re spending a lot more time together at the moment – a couple of wins gives you confidence. We’re wanting to build on each performance and we realise internally that we’re not the finished article and there is plenty of work to be done. This game, for us, will be a very good test to see that rate of improvement.
I think we’re going to need to perform well over 80 minutes to have a chance to get a result. If we have a first 25 minutes like we did in Scotland, we could be out of the game. We’re well aware of the threat England pose. They’re a very good side and they’re improving over each performance like all sides. They’ve got pedigree in this competition and history behind them in recent times.
We know we’re going to have to play well over 80.
Q: Can you learn anything from Scotland’s win over them? WP:
That was continued pressure, wasn’t it? Over 80 minutes, in pretty tough conditions for both sides.
Scotland played very well, they defended very well and, obviously, we’re going to have to defend well throughout the 80 minutes.
There are going to be times when we’re going to be under pressure. We can learn a lot from what Scotland did in terms of their application to their defence.
Q: Which team has more pressure on them?
WP:
There is pressure on every match for different reasons. There is pressure on us to back up two wins with a solid performance. There has been talk about 14 men v 15 men.
Hopefully there will be 15 v 15 and we’ll be under pressure at times – it’s how we cope with that pressure.
We welcome it. We’re wanting to improve as a side and keep building. This is the perfect opposition after a week’s rest. There’s pressure on both teams for different reasons.
Q: Eddie Jones said the pressure is on the referee?
WP:
There’s no secret that World Rugby are wanting to open the game up a bit more and create space so that we see an entertaining spectacle. I think everybody wants that heading towards the World Cup.
There is always pressure on match officials. There is pressure on everyone involved. Nothing changes really.
Q: How are you feeling? It’s been a
tough year for you, but now there’s a Triple Crown opportunity on Saturday? WP: Nothing changes, really, in terms of how we’ve prepared over the last 18 months. A lot of hard work goes in.
We harp on about what has gone on in the past, but we’ve moved well and truly on. It’s about the here and now, where we’re at with this squad at this point in time.
There’s a Triple Crown on this game for us and that’s exciting. But it’s another big step forward and if we can get that 80-minute performance then there’s a bigger prize than a Triple Crown. Q: It’s been said Wales respect winning - have we taken that for granted in the past? WP: Winning certainly helps. It breeds confidence and selfbelief. Without those two things it’s very difficult to win tournaments and individual matches within tournaments.
We’ve got the dream start with two wins under our belt, no matter how they come.
We’ve set ourselves up for a big game on Saturday.
It’s about an 80-minute performance – which you’ll hear coaches talk about all the time – and it’s a step-by-step process.
We feel we’re building and heading in the right direction.
Q: England have been accused of being predictable in attack, do you subscribe to that? WP:
People can call it what they like. They’ve been winning games of rugby. They’ve only lost one game in a long while.
You would say that they’re playing a winning style of rugby.
Q: Do you feel like you have what it takes to counter that style?
WP:
We certainly hope so. We’re working on our game and getting the balance right in our own attack. You’ve seen what we’ve been doing and, at times, it hasn’t worked for us.
It hasn’t been as polished as we would like. We’ve made too many errors and we haven’t been as clinical as we would like throughout the autumn.
We think we’re slowly improving in this competition, heading in the right direction, and it was nice to score a few good tries against Scotland, but this will be a different proposition again. It’s certainly an ongoing process to get the balance right between field position and when to strike. It’s something we’re working on.
Q: Louis Rees-Zammit has become an internet sensation - what do you make of his newfound stardom?
WP:
I’m probably going to embarrass some family members, but I’ve got twin 14-year-old step-daughters and they’re after an autograph and photograph when we get out of Covid!
He seems to be a sensation with the youngsters and a few of the grandmothers, from what I gather! Look, he’s a good-looking young man, he’s burst onto the scene and he’s fulfilling a lot of promise that he’s shown at a young age.
I’m just pleased for him because the changes we’ve seen in Louis since we first selected him during last year’s Six Nations have been phenomenal. He’s taken on board all the advice that’s been given to him from different coaches within the group. He’s worked hard at his game and he’s forced his way into this team.
We hope we’ll see many more performances like we’ve seen in the first few weeks.
I’m very pleased for him and the way he’s been operating.
Q: What is your reaction to France v Scotland being postponed?
WP:
It’s unfortunate, isn’t it? It’s the world we are in. We talk in our group about preparing for chaos.
With chaos comes change and having to adapt. The tournament organisers, the French and the Scottish are going to have to adapt to some changes.