England pack primed for Welsh challenge – Matt
England forwards coach Matt Proudfoot will have his pack fired up for Saturday’s collision with Wales as he looks to settle his own score in Cardiff.
The champions face a pivotal moment in the Guinness Six Nations when they head to the Principality Stadium, knowing a second defeat of the tournament would effectively end their title defence.
Only Wales and France can still win the Grand Slam and, after a wretched 2020 when they went on a six-Test losing run, Wayne Pivac’s team have been rejuvenated by victories over Ireland and Scotland.
Proudfoot’s aim of a successful trip across the Severn Bridge is given added gravity by his poor record in Cardiff when acting as South Africa’s forwards coach from 2016-19.
“What more do you say about Alun Wyn Jones? And Justin Tipuric is an exceptional rugby player,” Proudfoot said.
“We understand the challenge. I have coached for four years against Wales and never beaten them, so I understand how tough they are up front.
“With South Africa we went there four times and lost four times, so that’ s something that sit sin the back of my head.
“I know how well our pack has got to play and how intense they have got to be in the collision area to keep our foot in the competition against Wales.”
England have adjusted their approach in training as they look to crank up the ferocity levels against Wales, knowing an improvement on the opening rounds against Scotland and Italy is essential. The plan is to dominate from the start.
“I think that is definitely the mindset we have created in training. It’s definitely the mindset the players have shown throughout the week, so I expect them to bring that ,” Proudfoot said.
“That is something English packs are known for and I’m sure that’s what we will be bringing this week.
“We improved a bit from the Scottish game to the Italian game, but our competitiveness will need to improve.
“Structurally we were better, I just think competitively we will need to improve to take on the intensity and the challenge that the Welsh side will bring us.”
Billy Vunipola admits he has been “playing rubbish” and blames the collapse in form that has endangered his England place on being a“co ward” due to fatigue.
Vunipola has been a shadow of the bulldozing number eight famed for powering Eddie Jones’ team onto the front foot, making only 10 metres in three carries in the Guinness Six Nations opener against Scotland.
“I’ve just been playing rubbish, I can’t lie. 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.
I’m ready for Wales. I haven’t been myself and I need to go out there and show what I can do.
“At the moment, I guess becauseof 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.”