Wales and England’s preparations for next month’s Rugby World Cup move up a gear with Saturday’s warm-up clash in Cardiff with both nations in need of a pick-me-up.
The Six Nations proved a rough tournament for both teams as England finished fourth, one place above Wales, and expectations for the World Cup have taken a hit as a result.
Head coaches Steve Borthwick and Warren Gatland are adamant improvements have been made since the Six Nations, and Saturday’s outing at the Principality Stadium is a chance for both sides to show they’ve taken steps in the right direction.
Wales vs England Prediction
Team news
Both Borthwick and Gatland have named experimental line-ups as they look to run the rule over their squads in a competitive environment after several weeks in training camps.
Gatland has named three debutants in his starting XV with Cardiff props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti and Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn getting the nod, while uncapped pair Taine Plumtree and ex-England prop Henry Thomas are on the bench.
Full-back Leigh Halfpenny wins his 100th cap in a side captained by Jac Morgan in the absence of regular skipper Ken Owens.
England’s team shows 10 changes from the loss to Ireland at the end of the Six Nations with Northampton flanker Tom Pearson handed his first start. Uncapped Saracens pair Theo Dan and Tom Willis are among the replacements.
Marcus Smith is back at fly-half and paired with Harlequins team mate Danny Care in the half-back, while Ellis Genge captains the team.
England to win by one to 12 points @ 7/4
One of England’s two Six Nations wins this year came in Cardiff, a gritty 20-10 victory in a game short on quality.
That was England’s fourth win in the last five meetings with Wales and the seventh time in the last 10 games between the rivals that a contest has been decided by 10 points or fewer.
Another narrow England win is a strong option with Borthwick’s experimental side looking better on paper than Gatland’s own inexperienced line-up.
The Harlequins combination of Smith, Care and Joe Marchant in the backs should give England’s attack a bit of fluidity, while up front, the Red Rose boast the better pack.
Props Will Stuart and Genge worked well together in England’s tour of Australia last summer and should prove too much for Wales’ front-row debutants, even if the pair performed well for Cardiff together last year.
Wales lacked cutting edge during the Six Nations and it’s tough to see how they’ll get decent, clean ball to their potent backline of Halfpenny, Louis Rees-Zammit and George North.
With Borthwick naming his final 33-man squad next Monday, there’s also more impetus on England to produce a strong showing and they should justify their odds-on status for the win.
Jamie Blamire anytime tryscorer @ 9/4
With Jamie George rested, Newcastle hooker Jamie Blamire wins his seventh England cap and will be hopeful of adding to his haul of six international tries.
The Red Rose should have the edge up front over Wales, who have had a torrid time with their lineout of late, and Blamire may get a couple of looks at the home side’s tryline.
Blamire bagged eight tries in 24 appearances for Newcastle last season and looks the best bet in the tryscorer markets.
Share Article
