Merely a week after their latest Test showdown, England and Wales are poised for yet another captivating 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up clash, set to take place at the iconic Twickenham Stadium this Saturday evening.
The stage is set for what should be an intense showdown, especially after Wales claimed an unexpected yet convincing 20-9 victory over England in their previous clash at Cardiff last weekend.
Match preview
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Following consecutive defeats at the hands of France and Ireland at the conclusion of their spring campaign, England are seeking a much-needed victory this weekend to rejuvenate their spirits, particularly as they approach their clash with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on August 19.
Later in the month, Fiji are scheduled to visit Twickenham, but for now, Steve Borthwick's attention is centred on improving his side's performance and securing a positive outcome as they renew their rivalry with Wales.
For the upcoming fixture, Borthwick has unleashed a lineup of heavy hitters in an effort to respond to the defeat last week, where the Welsh frontline proved too much for the English to handle at times.
The Cardiff confrontation proved to be a debacle for his side, who faced a series of challenges, including a lack of standout performers, concerning offensive inaccuracies, defensive frailties, and struggles in executing set pieces.
During their Six Nations encounter earlier this year, England secured a 10-point victory, and although the match remained closely contested for much of the game, Ollie Lawrence's try in the 74th minute ensured that the victors held a comfortable margin by the end.
Notably, despite their loss against the same opponent last week, England is seen as the favorites heading into their second World Cup warm-up match on Saturday and are in need of a good result to gain some momentum heading closer to the tournament in France later this year.
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Meanwhile, after a difficult period for Welsh Rugby on and off the field, the Dragons will now be heading to London with a sense of confidence following their resounding win at the Principality last week.
In a contest marked by early promise that was later challenged, England found their early lead negated by a pair of penalties from Welsh stalwart Leigh Halfpenny but managed to edge ahead again to carry a 9-6 lead into the break.
However, in the second half, it was the hosts that seized the initiative in the 47th and 57th minutes, capitalizing on converted tries by Gareth Davies and George North, respectively, before pushing on to an 11-point victory.
No doubt, that win will hold special significance for Warren Gatland, considering the challenges Wales faced in the initial stages of his second tenure as head coach, and will serve as a welcomed addition to the solitary win achieved by his team in Six Nations earlier this year.
Despite the contrasting lineups, Wales will hold a sense of optimism about their prospects at Twickenham and will feel that they are in with a genuine chance of securing their first win at the venue since 2012.
England form (all competitions):
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- W
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Wales form (all competitions):
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Team News
Borthwick clearly intends to tackle the shortcomings he saw in their previous match, which were very similar to those faced in the Six Nations, where they struggled to turn pressure into tries and experienced lapses in defensive play.
With several changes being made, the England lineup will feature Owen Farrell, the authoritative No.8 Billy Vunipola, hooker Jamie George, the imposing lock Maro Itoje and the flying winger Elliot Daly.
In the opposite dugout, Gatland's tactical reconfiguration results in a significant overhaul with 15 changes from the lineup that clinched a 20-9 win over England in Cardiff.
Among the noteworthy alterations include the inclusion of Ospreys fly-half Owen Williams, who seizes an opportunity after being absent from the warm-up camps in Turkey and Switzerland, and he forms a partnership with Tomos Williams in the half-back position.
England starting lineup: 15. Freddie Steward, 14. Henry Arundell, 13. Joe Marchant, 12. Ollie Lawrence, 11. Elliot Daly, 10. Owen Farrell (c), 9. Jack van Poortvliet, 8. Billy Vunipola, 7. Ben Earl, 6. Courtney Lawes, 5. George Martin, 4. Maro Itoje, 3. Will Stuart, 2. Jamie George, 1. Joe Marler,
Replacements: 16. Theo Dan, 17. Ellis Genge, 18. Dan Cole, 19. Jonny Hill, 20. Jack Willis, 21. Ben Youngs, 22. George Ford, 23. Max Malins.
Wales starting lineup: 15. Liam Williams, 14. Josh Adams, 13. Joe Roberts, 12. Nick Tompkins, 11. Tom Rogers, 10. Owen Williams, 9. Tomos Williams, 8. Taine Plumtree, 7. Tommy Reffell, 6. Dan Lydiate, 5. Adam Beard, 4. Rhys Davies, 3. Tomas Francis, 2. Dewi Lake (c), 1. Gareth Thomas
Replacements: 16. Sam Parry, 17. Kemsley Mathias, 18. Dillon Lewis, 19. Christ Tshiunza, 20. Taine Basham, 21. Kieran Hardy, 22. Dan Biggar, 23. Keiran Williams.
Head To Head
Since their inaugural clash in 1881, England and Wales have engaged in a total of 140 rugby test matches.
Of these, England has emerged victorious in 67 encounters; Wales have triumphed in 61 battles, while there have been 12 occasions when the two nations could not be separated.
We say: England 27-18 Wales
While they were beaten fairly comprehensively last week, Borthwick's changes in personnel may be exactly what England needs to stand up to the solid front row of Wales. With a packed house expected at Twickenham and what should be an electric atmosphere, we fancy the hosts to secure a win.
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