RBP Match Preview: England vs Wales

In a match between two of the 6 Nations biggest rivals, England and Wales go head to head in one of the most decisive matches of Pool A. Both sides have made some unorthodox changes, but this will be a fascinating battle nonetheless. Expect to see plenty of physicality as these two sides carry the hopes of their nations into their most important match to date.

Wales will need experienced Loosehead Gethin Jenkins to hold his own at the scrum time, in a relatively young front row. Scott Baldwin and Tomas Francis are relative youngsters at this level, and they must play well to avoid the same fate Wales met in the 6 Nations. England stick with their tried and true front row of Joe Marler, Tom Youngs, and Dan Cole. Marler and Cole made a mockery of their Welsh opponents last time around, and Stuart Lancaster will be looking for much more of the same.

Geoff Parling and Courtney Lawes are back in action for England, and they will look to make a major impact in all aspects of the match. Both are excellent lineout jumpers, and are more than proficient in the loose. Lawes is a real headhunter, so the Welsh backs need to stay alert for him rushing out of the line. Wales have no shortage of size in their second row, with the unstoppable Alun Wyn Jones paired up with Wasps start Bradley Davies. These two will certainly bring their own power and physicality to the table, so England will not be getting anything easily.

Tom Wood and Chris Robshaw remain the flankers for Stuart Lancaster, as they both will get through a ton of work before all is said and done. Robshaw captains the side as usual, and his leadership is totally unquestionable. Billy Vunipola moves into the team at number 8, replacing Ben Morgan, who failed to impress against Fiji. Vunipola must take this chance to secure himself as the best 8, as Morgan is a top quality player. Warren Gatland has decided against continuing with the Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric pairing, and returned to the duo of Lydiate and Warburton at flanker, and Taulupe Faletau. This is a very well rounded back row, and their denfese on the gainline is always very impressive. Warburton is a world class captain and openside, and he will give England headaches at the breakdown and in open play. His try against Italy highlighted how dangerous he is in space, while his 23 tackles against Ireland show just how committed he is in defense.

Without the devastating danger of Rhys Webb at 9, Wales have stuck with the in form Scarlets halfback Gareth Davies. Outside him will be the reliable presence of Dan Biggar. Biggar is also going to be taking the kicks at goal with Halfpenny out, but this isn’t really so much of a loss to Wales as Biggar is an outstanding kicker. Ben Youngs is safe after a slow start against Fiji, but George Ford has lost his place as Owen Farrell comes into the side. Farrell is a great defensive presence, so expect some good game management from the Saracens 10.

There will be plenty of hits when the two inside centers come together in this fixture, with Wales starting Jamie Roberts, and England going with Sam Burgess. I’m not sure if any of you have ever heard of Burgess, the media didn’t talk much about him, apparently he was pretty good at league or something. When these two meet, well it will be quite the introduction. The rock steady defensive presence of Brad Barritt at 13 for England is a stark contrast to the Welsh selection of the dynamic Scott Williams, who will look to open the game, while Barritt will do everything in his power to close it.

There are no changes in the back three for Stuart Lancaster’s side, with Jonny May, Anthony Watson, and Mike Brown forming a devastating attacking trio. May’s searing pace can create real problems for a defence (ask New Zealand last November) while Watson offers the footwork and guile to open holes for himself or others. Mike Brown is a great finisher, but he is also one of the best in the world at putting others away to score. Whether it be through the deft little kick that put Watson away last time these sides met, or through his dazzling footwork, expect to see Brown very involved in this match. 21 year old Hallam Amos starts for Wales, who have uncovered another large, fast, excellent finisher in the Scarlets wing. George North starts on the right wing for Wales, and Liam Williams slots in at fullback. People may moan about the injury to Halfpenny, but to my mind, this is the Welsh in form back three. Williams is able to offer a bit more x-factor in attack than Halfpenny, and with Amos and North on the wings, Wales will be able to score from anywhere.

Both sides have plenty of punch to bring in off the bench, with England ready to unleash British and Irish Lion Mako Vunipola, as well as Joe Launchbury in the pack. These two are not only huge, but they possess the skill to make a big impact late in the match. George Ford will be a devastating impact sub for Stuart Lancaster when Owen Farrell is brought off. Samson Lee can stem the tide for Wales if things begin to go awry at the scrum, while Luke Charteris and Justin Tipuric can really change the dynamic of the Welsh attack. Alex Cuthbert is a really dangerous option to have on the bench for Gatland, so expect to see him on the field when English legs begin to tire.

By failing to secure a bonus point, England and Australia have made life a little easier for Wales, who can go a long way towards getting themselves a spot in the quarterfinals with a win. However, England will come out looking to address their shortcomings against Fiji, and nothing would make a better statement than a big win over their 6 Nations rivals. Wales are always fired up to play England, but as we saw in the 6 Nations, if that intensity wavers, England are more than capable of seizing the momentum and turning the tables with great efficiency. I think that England have a slight advantage in terms of the quality of their players, but the outcome of the match will be decided by whichever side comes out with more intensity, and more importantly, which side is able to execute at a higher level.

Prediction: England 23- Wales 20