Red Rose boss piles the pressure on Patchell

Eddie Jones has ignited the buildup to England’s NatWest 6 Nations clash with Wales by thrusting Rhys Patchell under the spotlight.

Jones has piled the pressure on to the inexperienced 24-year-old Welsh fly-half, who will be winning his seventh cap in the absence of injured playmakers Dan Biggar and Rhys Priestland.

Patchell was influential in last weekend’s 34-7 rout of Scotland in Cardiff, but injury-hit Wales were widely written off leading into that match and Jones insists England at Twickenham are a different proposition.

“Every time Rhys Patchell looks up, he’s going to see Jonathan Joseph in his vision – it’s not a great sight,” Jones said.

“Wales have to get the ball wide and Patchell hasn’t played much Test match rugby. He’s a young guy, he’s inexperienced and is their third-choice 10.

“He’s got to get the ball wide and that’s going to be a big job. It will be different to playing against Scotland. Scotland couldn’t cope with the expectation and now he’s got to cope with the expectation of playing well.

“Patchell will have to find guys around him to help because he’ll be under some heat.

“Wales played really well against Scotland but it’s going to be different on Saturday – they had no expectation on them last Saturday but this week they come full of expectation.”

England have made two changes to their starting XV against Wales, with Jonathan Joseph replacing Ben Te’o at outside centre and Danny Care coming in for the injured Ben Youngs at scrum-half.

Eddie Jones has warned Wales that England will be a ‘different proposition.’