2020 Six Nations Championship – England vs Wales Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is England vs Wales taking place? Saturday 7th March, 16:45
Where is England vs Wales taking place? Twickenham Stadium
What is the expected weather for England vs Wales? 11c in cloudy skies
What channel is England vs Wales on? ITV 1
Where can I stream England vs Wales? England vs Wales can be streamed via ITV Player
Where can I get tickets for England vs Wales? Fans seeking tickets should visit the ticket section of the official rugby union website for each nation
What was the outcome in the last meeting? Wales 13-6 England
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
- England put in their best performance of this year’s Six Nations as they defeated Ireland in their last contest and the ruthless nature of their first half display in that match should stand them in good stead as they host Wales in a crucial contest.
- If England are to have any chance of winning the tournament, it is likely that they will need to win here but they will be without prop Mako Vunipola who has been left out as a precaution against coronavirus after he travelled through Hong Kong last week.
- Anthony Watson and Mark Wilson have managed to overcome injury and they will appear for the first time in this year’s competition with the injured Sam Underhill dropping out of the back-row for Wilson whilst Jonathan Joseph makes way from his unfamiliar position on the wing.
WALES
- Wales suffered a second consecutive defeat as their hopes of retaining their Six Nations crown were all but ended as they fell short against a strong French outfit in their last clash at the Principality Stadium.
- The Welsh have received some positive news on the injury front ahead of this trip to Twickenham with fly-half Dan Bigger deemed fit after hurting his knee playing for Northampton last weekend and Liam Williams will also return to the side following injury.
- Williams features for the first time since injuring his ankle at the Rugby World Cup and replaces Josh Adams on the wing while Josh Navidi has also earned a spot in the starting XV with Taulupe Faletau dropping to the bench.
THE PREDICTION
England will hope to keep the pressure on France at the top of the standings in the Six Nations by earning a third consecutive victory. They host Wales in what should be a tough test of their credentials but with the defending champions losing their last two to Ireland and France, the home side will be confident. Wales have made four changes to their side as they try and find the winning formula but the English should be too good at Twickenham and they can cover -12.
