England's head coach, Steve Borthwick, is expressing confidence in the team that triumphed over Italy as they prepare for a crucial Six Nations clash against Wales at Twickenham this weekend.
Under Borthwick's leadership, England has faced setbacks, including a record home defeat by France and a historic loss to Fiji in their last Twickenham outing. Despite a challenging home record, England managed to secure a third-place finish at the World Cup in October.
In an effort to reverse the team's poor home form, according to RUCK sources, Borthwick has chosen to maintain consistency.
This weekend, England is expected to field an unchanged lineup from the win against Italy, aiming to capitalise on the positive combinations that improved throughout the game in Rome.
Wales, led by Warren Gatland, displayed resilience in the second half of their opening defeat to Scotland in Cardiff last weekend. However, they face the challenge of not having won at Twickenham in the Six Nations since 2012.
"They have some young lads full of talent coming to Twickenham to play their first game," Care told the
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"They are a young team with nothing to lose or nothing to fear. We respect them.
"Some of my best and worst memories have been playing against Wales
"You try to embrace it. We talked about it a bit last night, about being back in Twickenham and facing one of your fearsome longest rivals that we have massive amounts of respect for.
"This is the game you want to play in and you want your friends and family there to make them proud.
"Every time you play against Wales it is an incredible Test match and really physical and feisty."
Expected England team to play Wales:
15.
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 32 caps)
14.
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 4 caps)
13.
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 58 caps)
12.
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
11.
Elliot Daly (Saracens, 65 caps)
10.
George Ford (Sale Sharks, 92 caps) – vice captain
9.
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 12 caps)
1.
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 89 caps)
2.
Jamie George (Saracens, 86 caps) – captain
3.
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 34 caps)
4.
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 77 caps) – vice captain
5.
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 19 caps)
6.
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs, 1 cap)
7.
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 31 caps)
8.
Ben Earl (Saracens, 26 caps)
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Sir Ian McGeechan Asked To Name His All-Time XV, He Said Only One ‘Unbelievable’ Player Is Guaranteed A Spot
Sir Ian McGeechan has unveiled his ultimate XV, omitting Paul O'Connell, David Campese, and Jonny Wilkinson from his lineup.
In his article for The Telegraph, the 74-year-old has chosen six New Zealanders, three Englishmen, two Welsh players, and one each from France, Scotland, and Ireland in his all-time greatest team.
BACK-THREE
Fullback: JPR Williams (Wales) - "Not a staggeringly original choice, I’ll admit. But to my mind the only one. If I’m going to be picking a dream XV then I want JPR at the back. No question, guarenteed starter."
Left-wing: Jonah Lomu (New Zealand) - "Illness and injury ultimately slowed him down. But his performances at the 1995 World Cup, just as the game was turning professional, will never be forgotten. The game needed a superstar, and it got one in Lomu. He was brilliant for rugby."
Right-wing: John Kirwan (New Zealand) - "He had an all round game; he could carry the ball through heavy traffic, he could offload, he was like an extra back-rower at times. Plus, he had natural effortless pace. He ended up scoring 35 tries for the All Blacks and was instrumental as they went through their unbeaten spell of games between 1987 and 1990."
CENTRES
Outside-centre: Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland) - "His ability to get back on his feet after tackling to compete for the ball was extraordinary, and ensured he always had an impact on the game, whatever type of game it was. He was such a natural talent."
Inside-centre: Philippe Sella (France) - "Sella and O’Driscoll were powerful men. They could stop a forward in his tracks. I think as a pair they would dominate any midfield and I like the thought of them together."
HALFBACKS
Fly-half: Dan Carter (New Zealand) - McGeechan wrote that Carter “really was the complete 10. His defence was immaculate, he could break himself, he could bring others in to play, his kicking from hand and from tee was incredibly accurate. He also changed the way the game was played with his kicking from his own 22m and his kicking to compete. The greatest of the modern era in my opinion.’’
Scrum-half: Gareth Edwards (Wales) - "My favourite scrum-half of all time happens to be my favourite player of all time. Gareth Edwards was and always will be the master. The Greatest.’’
FRONT-ROW
Loosehead-prop: Tom Smith (Scotland) - "I just don’t think he gets anywhere near the credit he deserves. Six consecutive Lions Tests in 1997 and 2001, a talismanic figure in Scotland’s 1999 Five Nations win, a major reason Scotland were competitive at the 2003 World Cup."
Hooker: Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand) - "He was outstanding, not just as a player but as a captain, and as a man. His consistency was unbelievable in an international career that spanned 12 years: 92 Test appearances, including a world record 63 consecutive Test matches and 51 as captain. "
Tighthead-prop: Jason Leonard (England) - " He played both sides of the scrum but he was more of a tighthead. Completely unflappable, Jason was never in any trouble. Technically, he was superb and temperamentally he was sound, a huge character on and off the pitch."
SECOND-ROW
Lock: Martin Johnson (England) - "I think he defined an era, both for forward play and for the performances of the teams he represented."
Lock: John Eales (Australia) - "A two-time Rugby World Cup-winner with the Wallabies in 1991 and 1999, captaining his side to victory over France in the second of those finals. A lot of the ‘number fives’ that have followed him play the way they do because of the type of game Eales set."
BACK-ROW
Blindside-flanker: Richard Hill (England) - "One of the easier selections, if I’m honest. Hill seemed to know almost instinctively where to be and when."
Openside-flanker: Richie McCaw (New Zealand) - Having picked Richard Hill at blindside, the thought of pairing him with Richie McCaw at openside genuinely excites me. Can you imagine those two together? The opposition would not stand a chance.
Number 8: Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand) - "One of the toughest choices of the lot. Maybe the toughest. His ability to bring others into the game, his ability to stay connected in the game himself, popping up repeatedly through different phases; all exemplary. And he dropped goals of course. A true original."
QUIZ: Name Every Head Coach to Win the Men’s Guinness Six Nations (2000 – 2023)
The brains behind the Six Nations masterplans, these head coaches have all won 'Rugby's Greatest Championship', since the modernised competition began back in 2000. Throughout the history of the competition, there have been only five head coaches to win the competition on more than one occasion.
However, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell is looking to become the sixth, as he orchestrates the men from the Emerald Isle into defending their Six Nations Grand Slam. In total, the Six Nations has been won by 13 different head coaches, and we challenge you to name them all in the next six minutes!
Your time starts... now! Good luck!