DAVIES READY TO REPEAT HIS GREATEST DAY
SIX NATIONS: ENGLAND v WALES COUNTDOWN
GARETH Davies hopes to repeat his greatest moment in the game when he returns to his happy Twickenham hunting ground with Wales on Saturday.
The scrum-half put a giant spanner in England’s bid to lift the 2015 World Cup with a stunning strike as Warren Gatland’s gutsy squad mounted an incredible comeback to mug the tournament hosts.
And Davies craves another famous win to add to his Test CV as Wales bid to become the first country to triumph at one of union’s toughest venues in the Six Nations since 2012.
Centre Scott Williams, who with Davies and Alun Wyn Jones are the only three survivors from the World Cup clash, was the hero six years ago as he ripped the ball away from England forward Courtney Lawes and raced away for the decisive score enroute to a Grand Slam.
“We’ve had a few famous wins there, especially the one in the World Cup. That’s what springs to my mind when someone mentions Twickenham,” said Davies.
“It’s one of the favourite moments in my career so far. There are others, but that try in the World Cup is up there.
“The atmosphere was amazing, 80,000 or so people, a packed stadium with a lot of Welsh there. That helped us a lot towards the end as we had to grind out the win.
“We had a few injuries. It was a bit daunting at times. Liam Williams went off injured, Scott went off injured. At times I was thinking ‘we could be struggling here’.
“But we all dug deep. There was a time, round about the 60-minute mark when I remember walking to a lineout and looking at the English forwards and thinking ‘they seem to be struggling’. I remember telling our forwards: ‘If we go up a couple of gears here, we could really put some pressure on them’.
“That’s exactly what we did and we came away with a famous victory.”
Davies will watch a replay of that game in the build-up to Saturday’s Battle of Britain, with England ahead of Wales at the top of the Six Nations table on points difference.
“It’s just a reminder and a little confidence boost. It’s good to look back at when we were successful. It’s a big part of my homework; to look back on previous games against them,” he explained.
“I’ll look back at that game in the World Cup, and other games in the Six Nations, to see if I can pick up anything.” But the 27-year-old Scarlets star, who is the leading scrum-half tryscorer in Test rugby with 10 since the start of the 2015 World Cup, is expecting a ferocious encounter as England bid to become the first country to win three consecutive European titles.
“England are one of the form teams in the world and we’re expecting a massive challenge,” said 28-times capped Davies.
“Eddie Jones has taken over and he’s doing a fantastic job with them as coach.
“I don’t think they’ve lost at Twickenham in a couple of years (England’s last defeat there was against Australia in the 2015 World Cup), but we’re excited and pretty confident.”
ENGLAND coach Eddie Jones was playing his cards close to his chest about the make-up of his team to face Wales at Twickenham on Saturday in a Six Nations blockbuster.
Wales boss Warren Gatland has named an unchanged starting lineup, but what would a composite XV look like if every fit player in the respective squads was considered for selection?
Rugby Correspondent ANDY HOWELL picks a combined team from the players who are available to Gatland and Jones after narrowing the list down to real options in their positions... FULL-BACK Contenders: Mike Brown, Leigh Halfpenny, Anthony Watson
■ Hot-head Brown has caused Wales problems with his counter-attacking, while Watson is an option, but Halfpenny has a pedigree with the Lions and his top-notch goal-kicking. Andy Howell’s verdict: Halfpenny (Wales) RIGHT-WING Contenders: Anthony Watson, Josh Adams, Jack Nowell, George North, Hallam Amos
■ Adams impressed on his Wales debut versus Scotland, North has had a long lay-off, Liam Williams didn’t feel ready to face England while Watson is a class act and Nowell a proven operator. Andy Howell’s verdict: Watson (England) OUTSIDE-CENTRE Contenders: Ben Te’o, Jonathan Joseph, Scott Williams
■ The elusive Joseph came off the bench in Italy and has an enviable record against Wales, with four wins in as many outings. Te’o is strong while centre Williams was Wales’ hero at Twickenham in 2012. Andy Howell’s verdict: Joseph (England) INSIDE-CENTRE Contenders: Owen Farrell, Hadleigh Parkes, Owen Williams
■ Welsh-qualified Kiwi Parkes hasn’t had any problems stepping up to the international stage, Williams is a ball-player while Farrell is England’s key man and organiser in midfield. Andy Howell’s verdict: Farrell (England) LEFT-WING Contenders: Jack Nowell, Jonny May, Steff Evans, Hallam Amos, George North ■ Wing Evans fizzed on the ball versus Scotland but can have defensive issues, North hasn’t played enough for me since being injured, Nowell is a handful, May sharp and Amos creative. Andy Howell’s verdict: Nowell (England) OUTSIDE-HALF Contenders: George Ford, Rhys Patchell, Gareth Anscombe
■ Ford can blow hot and cold and be barged out of the way in defence. The confident Patchell freshened up the Wales attack against Scotland and looks at ease on the international stage. Andy Howell’s verdict: Patchell (Wales) SCRUM-HALF Contenders: Danny Care, Richard Wigglesworth, Gareth Davies
■ Care can be an asset off the substitutes’ bench but he is no Ben Youngs. Sniper Davies has scored more tries than any other scrum-half at Test level with 10 since the start of the 2015 World Cup. Andy Howell’s verdict: Davies (Wales) LOOSEHEAD PROP Contenders: Mako Vunipola, Rob Evans
■ There’s not much to choose between this pair of loosehead props
with both being skilled, mobile and powerful. Vunipola was a Lions Test starter and is smart at the breakdown. Andy Howell’s verdict: Vunipola (England) HOOKER Contenders: Dylan Hartley, Jamie George, Ken Owens
■ Thank you Eddie Jones for continuing to select Dylan Hartley at captain when you have got a better hooker in George, who kept Owens out of the Lions Test jersey against the All Blacks. Andy Howell’s verdict: George (England) TIGHTHEAD PROP Contenders: Dan Cole, Samson Lee, Tomas Francis
■ Lee has shown his best form in years at the scrum. Cole, twice a Lion, is vastly experienced and is one of England’s main men as a scavenger over the ball at breakdowns. Andy Howell’s verdict: Cole (England)
LOCKS Contenders: Joe Launchbury, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Courtney Lawes, Alun Wyn Jones, Cory Hill, Bradley Davies.
■ Who do you pick as your two second-rows with four of them being Lions Test players and Launchbury a proven operator for England? Andy Howell’s verdict: Itoje (England), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales). BLINDSIDE FLANKER Contenders: Courtney Lawes, Maro Itoje, Chris Robshaw, Aaron Shingler.
■ Lawes and Itoje are locks who can figure at No.6 while Robshaw is happy at blindside or openside. Athlete Shingler is a specialist in the form of his life. Andy Howell’s verdict: Shingler (Wales) OPENSIDE FLANKER Contenders: Chris Robshaw, Sam Underhill, Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric ■ England have got a problem at openside and Tipuric would walk into
their team despite being behind Navidi in the Wales pecking order. Andy Howell’s verdict: Tipuric (Wales) NUMBER EIGHT Contenders: Sam Simmonds, Nathan Hughes, Zach Mercer, Ross Moriarty, Josh Navidi
■ Hughes and Moriarty have both had injury lay-offs, Simmonds has burst on to the international arena but is a rookie while Navidi can play anywhere in the back-row. Andy Howell’s verdict: Moriarty (Wales)