Ahead of the Rugby World Cup warm-up clash between England and Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, here’s our five storylines to follow heading into the encounter.
England must entertain after try-less effort last time out
There is plenty of pressure on England head coach Steve Borthwick after his side delivered an underwhelming performance in last week’s corresponding fixture at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Wales outscored the Red Rose two tries to none en route to a 20-9 triumph and England’s overall display left a lot to be desired. Their attacking play was especially poor as they lacked imagination with ball in hand, while Wales’ defence had little trouble in keeping them at bay.
With the World Cup kick off less than a month away, the Red Rose can ill afford a repeat of that fiasco and apart from a victory at Twickenham, England will have to capture their fans’ imagination with an entertaining all-round showing.
The likes of captain Owen Farrell, Jack van Poortvliet, Ollie Lawrence and Henry Arundell will be expected to weave their magic on attack while forwards like Billy Vunipola, Courtney Lawes and Jamie George must also do their bit to break down the Welsh defence.
All eyes on Billy Vunipola after World Cup inclusion
He might be a veteran of 68 internationals, but the 30-year-old is set to play in only his first match for England since Borthwick took over the coaching reins from Eddie Jones last December.
As the only specialist number eight in England’s 33-man squad for the World Cup, Vunipola is sure to have heavy workload over the next couple of months, with his ball carrying ability and defensive work crucial to his country’s cause at the global showpiece in France.
It all starts at Twickenham on Saturday where Vunipola will be expected to give the Red Rose much needed go-forward – something which he has been renowned for over the years – but he will have to hit the ground running after being sidelined since April after two knee operations.
🥳 Happy 3⃣0⃣th birthday to hard-running England and Saracens number eight Billy Vunipola!
🏴 Renowned for scoring great tries after strong runs, here he shows off his silky skills with a deft offload to Sean Maitland. pic.twitter.com/QcqGRKFBks
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) November 3, 2022
Taine Plumtree keen to grab his chance in first Test start
From one number eight to another. After making his Test debut during a 30-minute cameo off the replacements bench at the Principality Stadium last week, Plumtree gets a chance from the outset this weekend.
Plumtree was born in Swansea in 2000 while his father, John, coached there but the young back-row made his mark in Super Rugby where he played for the Blues and also represented New Zealand at U20 level.
His selection for Wales is therefore a controversial one as he only linked up with the national team recently after a surprise call-up last month.
However, the 23-year-old gave a good account of himself when he came onto the field in Cardiff and will be keen to silence his detractors with another strong performance at Twickenham.
England look to prove a point
In the build-up to this week’s encounter, Wales boss Warren Gatland claimed that his players were fitter than their counterparts in last Saturday’s triumph in Cardiff.
Gatland said his troops were “too fit for them” and that he felt “some of the English forwards were blowing a bit just before half-time” and those comments were obviously meant to get under the skin of his counterpart, Borthwick.
With Aled Walters, who was the Springboks’ head of conditioning when they won the 2019 World Cup, as part of their backroom staff, England will be determined to prove Gatland wrong with an excellent all-round performance in which their fitness levels will hopefully play a crucial part in the end result.
Dewi Lake’s captaincy in the spotlight
The Ospreys hooker was a surprise choice earlier in the week to lead his country in this encounter, although he is no stranger to the leadership role as he had previously captained Wales at U20 level.
Lake has big boots to fill, however, as he takes over the leadership role from his regional club-mate Jac Morgan, who did an excellent job in Wales’ triumph on home soil last weekend.
🏴 Dewi Lake leads Wales against England this weekend as the preparations for #RWC2023 continue. #ENGvWAL pic.twitter.com/AyKHE0j7eB
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) August 9, 2023
Lake is a robust player who, enjoys the physical nature of the game and it’s fair to say he will try to lead by example. However, he will need to keep a calm head under pressure as his decision making could prove the difference between winning and losing this fixture.
READ MORE: England v Wales preview: Steve Borthwick’s charges to bounce back at Twickenham after Rugby World Cup warm-up defeat in Cardiff
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