Warren Gatland is of the opinion that under Steve Borthwick’s leadership, England is determined to adopt a “Warrenball” style of play and has already ruled out starting with both Marcus Smith and Owen Farrell.
These provocative remarks by Gatland are likely to add fuel to the fire ahead of England’s upcoming trip to Cardiff on Saturday.
“They may have come to the conclusion that the Smith-Farrell axis hasn’t worked as well as they would have liked,” said Gatland.
“Going forwards I think it will be one of those at 10 and they’re using Ollie Lawrence [at inside centre] to play Warrenball, aren’t they?
“We had Jamie Roberts doing it. Why do you get criticised for using big men to get you across the gain line, on the front foot and able to play some positive rugby?”
The Wales head coach also reaffirmed his stance that the game would go ahead despite strike action from his players.
“I expect the game’s going to be played,” said Gatland.
“I’ve seen these sort of things happen in the past and I’m confident the game will go ahead.
“The boys have been great in training. I’ve just got to put all that sort of stuff aside and make sure we focus on the game.”
Should the England match not go ahead, Welsh rugby would miss out on close to £10m of income from the fixture.
Six Players Who Have Played For Both England And Wales
A rivalry as old as the game itself – but a few players have crossed the divide down the years.
1. Ross Moriarty
The hulking back-rower, whose father is former Wales international Paul Moriarty, initially played for England at both U18 and U20 level, winning the IRB Junior World Championship in 2014. However, he has since made his full international debut for Wales and has since won 25 caps while also representing the British & Irish Lions during their tour of New Zealand in 2017.
