To avenge a last weekend
six to nine points to Wales, but they can’t over-rely on it.
They need to generate more fire up front and they will look to Jake Ball to help on that front.
The incentive of a World Cup place should focus his mind and sharpen his efforts.
England didn’t score a try in the second half last Sunday and Warren Gatland will be heartened by that, while Dan Biggar’s introduction will hardly weaken the team’s collective will to win.
Maybe the hosts will just edge it. But it probably won’t be pretty.
Wales 24-18 England BEN JAMES - Benches will settle this one
LET’S get this out of the way now. I was wrong with my call last week. Emphatically so.
It wasn’t that I underestimated that England side, but more the fact that I didn’t take into account how each side would play.
Both coaches admitted to not spending any time analysing the other prior – a marked contrast to how Wales out-thought Eddie Jones’ men with their tactics in the Six Nations.
Gatland’s charges focused on themselves and their attack last Sunday and, while the result didn’t show it, they will be better for it.
The attack looked fluid and dangerous at times, barring the final pass, and the problems that arose were fixable.
Again, I expect Wales to make progress this week – both in terms of their fitness levels and patterns of play – but that might not see them come out on the right side of the result.
England are similar to last week and have a strong bench.
Yet there’s more intrigue in Wales’ bench for me - with Saturday now being a chance to see how Jarrod Evans pushes his World Cup credentials in the aftermath of Gareth Anscombe’s injury.
If the young Cardiff Blues playmaker impresses off the bench – and Wales avoid any more serious injuries – then win, lose or draw, there’s your result.
Wales 24-26 England