England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, is expressing confidence in the team that triumphed over Italy as they prepare for a crucial Six Nations clash against Wales at Twickenham this weekend.
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Under Borthwick’s leadership, England has faced setbacks, including a record home defeat by France and a historic loss to Fiji in their last Twickenham outing. Despite a challenging home record, England managed to secure a third-place finish at the World Cup in October.
In an effort to reverse the team’s poor home form, according to RUCK sources, Borthwick has chosen to maintain consistency.
This weekend, England is expected to field an unchanged lineup from the win against Italy, aiming to capitalise on the positive combinations that improved throughout the game in Rome.
Wales, led by Warren Gatland, displayed resilience in the second half of their opening defeat to Scotland in Cardiff last weekend. However, they face the challenge of not having won at Twickenham in the Six Nations since 2012.
“They have some young lads full of talent coming to Twickenham to play their first game,” Care told the RBBC Rugby Union Daily podcast.
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“They are a young team with nothing to lose or nothing to fear. We respect them.
“Some of my best and worst memories have been playing against Wales
“You try to embrace it. We talked about it a bit last night, about being back in Twickenham and facing one of your fearsome longest rivals that we have massive amounts of respect for.
“This is the game you want to play in and you want your friends and family there to make them proud.
“Every time you play against Wales it is an incredible Test match and really physical and feisty.”
Expected England team to play Wales:
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 32 caps)
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 4 caps)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 58 caps)
12. Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
11. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 65 caps)
10. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 92 caps) – vice captain
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 12 caps)
1. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 89 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 86 caps) – captain
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 34 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 77 caps) – vice captain
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 19 caps)
6. Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs, 1 cap)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 31 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 26 caps)
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Sir Ian McGeechan Asked To Name His All-Time XV, He Said Only One ‘Unbelievable’ Player Is Guaranteed A Spot
Sir Ian McGeechan has unveiled his ultimate XV, omitting Paul O’Connell, David Campese, and Jonny Wilkinson from his lineup.
In his article for The Telegraph, the 74-year-old has chosen six New Zealanders, three Englishmen, two Welsh players, and one each from France, Scotland, and Ireland in his all-time greatest team.
BACK-THREE
Fullback: JPR Williams (Wales) – “Not a staggeringly original choice, I’ll admit. But to my mind the only one. If I’m going to be picking a dream XV then I want JPR at the back. No question, guarenteed starter.”
Left-wing: Jonah Lomu (New Zealand) – “Illness and injury ultimately slowed him down. But his performances at the 1995 World Cup, just as the game was turning professional, will never be forgotten. The game needed a superstar, and it got one in Lomu. He was brilliant for rugby.”
Right-wing: John Kirwan (New Zealand) – “He had an all round game; he could carry the ball through heavy traffic, he could offload, he was like an extra back-rower at times. Plus, he had natural effortless pace. He ended up scoring 35 tries for the All Blacks and was instrumental as they went through their unbeaten spell of games between 1987 and 1990.”
CENTRES
Outside-centre: Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland) – “His ability to get back on his feet after tackling to compete for the ball was extraordinary, and ensured he always had an impact on the game, whatever type of game it was. He was such a natural talent.”
Inside-centre: Philippe Sella (France) – “Sella and O’Driscoll were powerful men. They could stop a forward in his tracks. I think as a pair they would dominate any midfield and I like the thought of them together.”