England will hope to build on the momentum of their win against Italy with a trip to Cardiff on Saturday to face a Welsh side who will be suffering from successive defeats to open their campaign.
Amid a series of issues plaguing the Welsh camp, talk of a players’ strike was thought to have put the match in real jeopardy, before crucial talks on Wednesday resulted in a declaration that the match would take place as the planned. However, with the distractions in the preparation, it is not an ideal preparation for what is a great game.
With a fervent atmosphere expected in Cardiff, it could be the perfect motivation for Wales to turn their form around, but with England building under Steve Borthwick, it will be a fascinating test. A win at Twickenham against Italy last time out will have provided a welcome boost, but the Cardiff atmosphere is a unique challenge for any visiting team.
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Wales have conceded 69 points in two matches so far, and having scored just 17, it looks bad at the moment for a team that was ranked number one in the world and won Grand Slams just a few years ago. Plunging to ninth in the world, they are at their lowest point for a long time, but with England in town there will surely be added motivation.
This is how you can watch the match:
When is Wales vs England:
The match takes place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and kicks off at 4:45pm on Saturday 25th February.
How to watch Wales vs England:
The game will be broadcast live on the BBC, with coverage from Cardiff from 4:00pm. Welsh-language viewers can watch the game on S4C.
England vs Wales Team News:
Welsh: 15. Leigh Halfpenny, 14. Josh Adams, 13. Mason Grady, 12. Joe Hawkins, 11. Louis Rees-Zammit, 10. Owen Williams, 9. Tomos Williams, 1. Gareth Thomas, 2. Ken Owens, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Adam Beard, 5. Alun Wyn Jones, 6. Christ Tshiunza, 7. Justin Tipuric, 8. Taulupe Faletau
Replacements: 16. Bradley Roberts, 17. Rhys Carre, 18. Dillon Lewis, 19. Dafydd Jenkins, 20. Tommy Refell, 21. Kieran Hardy, 22. Dan Biggar, 23. Nick Tompkins
England: 15. Freddie Steward, 14. Max Malins, 13. Henry Slade, 12. Ollie Lawrence, 11. Anthony Watson, 10. Owen Farrell, 9. Jack van Poortvliet, 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Jamie George, 3. Kyle Sinckler , 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Ollie Chessum, 6. Lewis Ludlam, 7. Jack Willis, 8. Alex Dombrandt.
Replacements: 16. Jack Walker, 17. Mako Vunipola, 18. Dan Cole, 19. Courtney Lawes, 20. Ben Curry, 21. Alex Mitchell, 22. Marcus Smith, 23. Henry Arundell