England to perform in front of a packed Twickenham
It’s been two long years since England have performed in front of a packed house at Twickenham. As matches go, they don’t come much grander than England against Wales. It will be a big occasion, and we can expect a big performance from England.
After two rounds of the Guinness Six Nations, neither team have set the world alight. Wales are struggling with injuries, and the form of the regions hasn’t been a great springboard for developing young talent. This weekend, they will welcome back Bath number 8, Taulupe Faletua. The veteran player will bring much-needed experience to the Welsh forwards.
An improving Wales team
After a tough start in Dublin, where an impressive Ireland team dismantled Wales, they recorded a hard-fought win against Scotland in Cardiff. It was an attritional win for the Welsh and their captain Dan Biggar led with incredible guts and determination.
They will know they have a tough assignment ahead of them, but after the crucial win against the Scots, the Welsh team will believe that they can go to Twickenham and give a good account of themselves.
A poor English start
For England, the competition got off to a poor start with a loss to Scotland up at Murrayfield. It was a game that England threw away with some bizarre decisions on and off the field. They should have won, and they know it.
They went to Rome to face Italy, intent on getting the Chariot back on track. There was some impressive play, and Marcus Smith enjoyed the occasion. England will be concerned that they lost intensity in the second half and probably left two or three tries on the field. Better opposition will punish them for such a lack of concentration.
Big performance from England
England will be targetting the Wales game and will want to make a statement for France and Ireland, something they haven’t done so far. There is potential for everything to align for England on Saturday afternoon.
They will be back at home in front of their fans. Something that hasn’t happened for two years. The crowd isn’t like a Principality Stadium crowd, but this occasion will be a little bit special. Add to that the expected return of Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes to the starting line-up, and the prospect of an emphatic England win increases.
England has threats across the team and an impressive mix of ball carriers and incisive runners. Of course, the player that everyone is talking about is Harlequins fly-half, Marcus Smith. He’s a dangerous operator, and his spatial awareness is outstanding. He creates time and space for others, and with his accurate passing and kicking game, he is an absolute nightmare for defences.
Only one winner?
Smith will be an obvious target for Wales. Stop him, and they can give themselves a shot at causing an upset. If Wales are victorious in this match, it will rival the win in the 2015 Rugby World Cup only because all the cards appear to be in England’s favour.
With home advantage, in front of a packed passionate Twickenham crowd. Tuilagi causing chaos in the centre with Lawes leadership and Smith pulling the strings. Surely there can be only one winner?
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