| Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 16
Rep Power: 0 | England v Wales (Sat)
Date: Saturday 4 August
Kick-off: 1600 BST
Venue: Twickenham
Live coverage on BBC Radio Five Live and BBC Sport website 1900-1955 BST
Highlights on BBC Three
Struggling England face Wales knowing they have just three games to work out their best team before starting their World Cup defence.
Both coaches have opted for size and power in experimental XVs.
Brian Ashton and Gareth Jenkins have until 14 August to name their squads, so players who impress at Twickenham could book their ticket to France.
Andy Farrell, Dan Hipkiss and Simon Shaw are particularly under the microscope for England on Saturday.
England boss Ashton has also picked a massive back row, with Joe Worsley playing at open-side flanker and Martin Corry on the blind-side.
The world champions have sunk to seventh in the world rankings and have won just four of their last 16 Tests.
They face a series of physical encounters in their pool games in France, not just in their crunch game with fellow contenders South Africa, but also against Samoa, Tonga and the USA.
The need to fight fire with fire appears to behind Ashton's decision to look at the 6ft 9in Simon Shaw in the second row and a back row of Corry, Worsley and Nick Easter, all of whom are taller than 6ft 4in.
"Nothing is set in stone," said Ashton. "We are looking at what might come further down the line."
He dismissed suggestions the occasion would lack intensity because it is only a World Cup warm-up match, insisting: "It's not another friendly, it's a Test match.
"It just happens to be dressed up a warm-up game for the World Cup, but England v Wales are never friendlies because of the intense rivalry between the two nations.
"Last time we played Wales we lost so we want to put that straight, and it's a big game for the 22 guys in the squad because they know what the reward is at the end of it if they play well."
Farrell, at nearly 6ft 4in and more than 16 stone, provides a physical presence at inside centre and the ex-Great Britain rugby league captain says he is fully fit for the first time since switching codes.
Former captain Corry switches positions having started in the second row in England's 27-18 defeat by Wales in the 2007 Six Nations.
"As far as the players are concerned, I don't think there are many people guaranteed a slot in that World Cup 30," said Corry.
"These fixtures are very important. They are huge from the team's perspective, but they are also massively important for the individual."
Wales are without captain and fly-half Stephen Jones for all three of their World Cup warm-up games because of a groin injury.
Ceri Sweeny gets to press his claims in the number 10 shirt with James Hook, who scored 22 points in the Six Nations victory, biding his time on the bench.
Like Ashton, Wales coach Gareth Jenkins, who saw Gavin Henson ruled out of the World Cup by injury earlier this week, has opted for size across the park.
Aled Brew and Daydd James are on the wings, Gareth Thomas and Tom Shanklin are in the centres and Alun Wyn Jones, Colin Charvis and Michael Owen make up the back row.
Gloucester second row Will James makes his debut at the age of 30, while Gareth Cooper starts at scrum-half as Wales bid to end a run of nine defeats in a row at Twickenham.
"It's the final opportunity for certain individuals to make a statement and after Saturday I'll be better placed to make the selection before 14 August," said Jenkins. England: Cueto; Strettle, Hipkiss, Farrell, Robinson; Wilkinson, Perry; Sheridan, Regan, Vickery (capt), Shaw, Borthwick, Corry, Worsley, Easter.
Replacements: Chuter, Stevens, Moody, Dallaglio, Richards, Flood, Tait. Wales: Byrne; A Brew, Shanklin, G Thomas (capt), D James; Sweeney, Cooper; I Thomas, Bennett, Horsman, W James, Sidoli, A W Jones, Charvis, Owen.
Replacements: Jenkins, R Thomas, T R Thomas, Popham, Phillips, Hook, T James.
|