Wales vs England LIVE! Six Nations 2023 match stream, latest score and rugby updates today
England’s forward puzzle
Courtney Lawes is ready to win his 97th cap off the bench in what will be his first appearance since leading the July tour to Australia. Concussion, neck, buttock and calf injuries have disrupted his season but his value is illustrated by England’s decision to recall the versatile Northampton striker at the first available opportunity.
A fit Lawes creates a selection conundrum – he was an automatic choice under Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick will want to place a player who has shown his best rugby in recent years but who is missing in the back five?
The back row of Lewis Ludlam, Jack Willis and Alex Dombrandt worked well while rookie lock Ollie Chessum excelled. Instead, for the first time in his career, it’s a vulnerable Maro Itoje who is vulnerable. As Manu Tuilagi’s miss proves, Borthwick is not afraid to make bold decisions, requiring Itoje to deliver against Wales to cement his grip on the number four shirt.
Borthwich aims for the basics
Steve Borthwick is aiming for his first away win and on Thursday the head coach made another clear indication of the health of the side he inherited from the sacked Eddie Jones in December.
To “take the team from where it was to where we want to take it”, Borthwick wants to strengthen the fundamentals, but while progress has been made against Italy, particularly in scrum and midfield, even a dull Wales will take a step bring forward in contrast.
Off the ground it is already very lively. The 139th edition of one of rugby’s fiercest rivalries and a tie Wales have not lost in their last five games in Cardiff.
Wales on the upswing after strike chaos
Wales captain Ken Owens never wants to see a repeat of the off-field crisis that gripped Welsh rugby and threatened today’s game.
Compromises were eventually found with the Welsh rugby powerbrokers over contentious issues such as fixed and variable contracts throughout regional play. Wales must now try to revive their Six Nations campaign by beating England.
“It was a shock to all the players,” said Owens. “There were a lot of tough conversations and encounters, everyone expressed their opinion and everyone supported the decision that the team and squad made.
“It (strike action) was a last resort and the frustrations that have been building up over a year, not just the past six weeks, have made it so. The squad has been motivated and brought together and I’m sure you’ll see that on Saturday
“It’s a shame it has come to this, but what’s done is done, what’s gone is gone. We took a stand, we got people to stand up and pay attention, and we showed the strength that we have as a group.
“And now if we can move on and focus on rugby, those in power will get things done and the players will have their place at the table and a voice and hopefully we never get into that situation again.
“They (Welsh public) have given us their support and now we owe them a feat Wales can be proud of on Saturday to repay their support to us.”
Smith tilted to make an impact
Marcus Smith will play a “very important” role from the England bench this afternoon.
So says Nick Evans, who worked closely with the fly-half at Harlequins before joining the England team for the 2023 Six Nations.
Smith started against Scotland in the Championship opener but joined the substitutes in Twickenham’s win over Italy as Owen Farrell was moved from 12 to 10 and Steve Borthwick picked up his first win as England boss.
“Marcus was brilliant and every player on the bench has a very important role to play,” said former New Zealand full-back Nick Evans, who worked closely with Smith at Harlequins before joining England sides for the 2023 Six Nations.
“With Dan Carter I often sat behind a pretty good player. I know how it feels to be in that position, so I can give them advice. Do you just watch the game or do you actually see what’s happening on the field? We have a really clear line of communication with Marcus and what is expected of him when he comes.
“His role will be different at times because it’s different than when you start or when you’re on the bench, but he’s going to be a big influence. We’re not asking him to go out and be Owen, we’re asking him to go out and be Marcus Smith.”
Crowd button for both sides
Alex Dombrandt says England’s handling of the crowd at the Principality Stadium will be key to registering a first win at Cardiff in six years.
The famous game has the potential to break either side’s Six Nations and Dombrandt is confident home fans will bolster Warren Gatland’s struggling side.
When asked if England planned to silence the crowd, the Harlequins number eight replied: “Definitely. If we get off to a good start and get to the front early, you never know – the crowd might go silent.
“When Wales are at the top the atmosphere can be loud. If the crowd is quiet or not as loud as usual, it means you are usually doing something right. So the more we can undo their threats and be on top, you’d like to think maybe they’ll be a little quieter.
“I’ve experienced what it’s like on a match day in Cardiff – it’s crazy, it’s carnage – and those are the games you want to be involved in. The atmosphere gets electric, it gets loud.
“I thought earlier in the week that we had to play without crowds in Covid and you didn’t want that so we have to get into that. Mistakes will happen, that’s just the nature of rugby. It’s all about getting stuck in the next thing and going back to what we know works for us and not getting into our shells.
Wales heralds the changes
Wales have made nine changes to the side that had narrowly led Scotland in the first half at Murrayfield two weeks ago before going down meekly 35-7, with Cardiff center Mason Grady making his Test debut in midfield in place of George North.
Josh Adams, Joe Hawkins, Tomos Williams, Skipper Owens, Adam Beard and Christ Tshiunza are the only players to retain their Glasgow seedings, with veteran minds such as Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau all being recalled.
Leigh Halfpenny and Louis Rees-Zammit start from injury, with Owen Williams getting the nod at fly-half for the first time. Gareth Thomas and Tomas Francis return as props while Dan Biggar, Dillon Lewis, Dafydd Jenkins and Tommy Reffell all drop to the bench.
North, Liam Williams, Jac Morgan and Wyn Jones are not in the game day squad at all, while Scott Baldwin, Leon Brown, Rhys Davies, Rhys Webb, Rhys Patchell and Alex Cuthbert all jump off the bench as Bradley Roberts, Kieran Hardy and Nick Enter Tompkins.
Watson comes back from the cold
Anthony Watson has received his first England start in almost two years for tonight’s crunch duel after finally being declared fully fit after suffering a leg injury.
Watson replaces the injured Ollie Hassell-Collins at Principality Stadium in the only move to the XV, who beat Italy two weeks ago.
Courtney Lawes will take a seat on the bench after finally shaking off concerns about her glutes and calves. Lawes enters the bench ahead of Saracens’ Nick Isiekwe while Ben Curry covers the back row from the bench.
Ben Curry has replaced twin brother Tom, who picked up a new hamstring injury earlier this week after only just overcoming a similar problem to return to the squad.
Wales vs England Prediction
It is difficult to estimate the impact such difficult days and weeks will have had on this Welsh side.
Will they be electrified by such an unfortunate episode, develop a siege mentality and be more eager than ever to take down their most hated rivals on home soil?
Or will their respective energies be completely drained by all the drawn-out battles and understandably diverted attention to more important things than the game?
England did better against an admittedly far underperforming Italian side to claim their first win of the Borthwick era, but it wasn’t particularly pretty as set pieces and Maul on a dominant offense won the day.
While there were signs of promise with Owen Farrell back on the fly-half, Marcus Smith in reserve and a new midfield pairing of powerful Crashball 12 Ollie Lawrence and versatile Henry Slade, not to mention Jack Willis’ superb performance from the cross, they were too eager to put the ball on the ball in attacking situations in the opposition 22 and have to resist the urge to do so so often here.
Expect a typically punishing encounter between these old foes, with big goals and grueling physicality the order of the day, and England are on the verge of victory to capitalize on what has been a truly miserable week for Welsh rugby.
England wins by six points.
England lineup
England XV: Steward; Malins, Slade, Lawrence, Watson; Farrell (c), Van Poortvliet; Genge, George, Sinckler; Itoye, chess; Ludlam, Willis, Dombrandt.
Substitute: Walker, M. Vunipola, Cole, Lawes, B. Curry, Mitchell, M. Smith, Arundell.