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England celebrate Jonny May's try

Wales v England: Team line-ups, kick-off time, key quotes, predictions, odds and where to watch on TV

By Sporting Life

Rugby Union

Fri February 22, 2019 · 6y ago

Our guide to Saturday's Guinness Six Nations clash between Wales and England in Cardiff includes team news, predictions, statistics and more.

It's the crunch Six Nations showdown between grand slam hopes Wales and England, both having won each of their first two games.

Wales have had to work harder than England and find themselves as minor underdogs as a result - despite enjoying the benefits of home advantage.

What time is kick off & what channel is it on?

The match, which takes place in Cardiff, will start at 1645 GMT on Saturday February 23 and will be screened live on BBC 1 and S4C.

Wales v England: Team news

Wales: L Williams; G North, J Davies, Parkes, Adams; Anscombe, Davies; Evans, Owens, Francis, Hill, A W Jones, Navidi, Tipuric, Moriarty. Replacements: Dee, Smith, Lewis, Beard, Wainwright, A Davies, Biggar, Watkin.

England: Daly; Nowell, Slade, Tuilagi, May; Farrell, Youngs; Moon, George, Sinckler, Lawes, Kruis, Wilson, Curry, B Vunipola. Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Williams, Launchbury, Shields, Robson, Ford, Cokanasiga.

Gareth Anscombe will start at fly-half for Wales in Saturday's Guinness Six Nations clash against England at the Principality Stadium.

Anscombe has been preferred to the more experienced Dan Biggar, with Wales head coach Warren Gatland naming a team showing just two changes from the side that beat France three weeks ago.

Dragons lock Cory Hill replaces Adam Beard as skipper Alun Wyn Jones' second-row partner, while scrum-half Gareth Davies takes over from Tomos Williams, who was not considered due to injury.

Prop Samson Lee was also unavailable because of injury. Tomas Francis starts at tighthead and opposes his Exeter team-mate Ben Moon, with Dillon Lewis on bench duty.

Full-back Leigh Halfpenny again misses out following the concussion he suffered three months ago.

Scarlets star Halfpenny, who last played on November 10 when Wales beat Australia, trained with Wales this week but he is not involved in the matchday 23.

Jack Nowell has been restored to the right wing for England's Guinness Six Nations clash with Wales after Chris Ashton was ruled out by a calf strain.

Nowell excelled during the opening-weekend rout of Ireland before making way for Ashton against France, but he has been thrust back into the starting XV for a seismic showdown in Cardiff.

Supplying wing cover on the bench is Joe Cokanasiga, the marauding Bath threequarter who is poised to win his third cap after recovering from a knee injury.

Eddie Jones said: "Jack will start and Joe will come on to the bench. As we saw in the autumn Joe is a player of great potential so we are looking forward to him adding to the squad."

Maro Itoje had already been ruled out of the England side at the start of the week.

Wales v England: Odds & advice

England are narrow favourites at 8/15 to make it three from three and can be backed at 10/11 conceding four points on the handicap with Sky Bet.

Wales are 11/8 underdogs and it's 20/1 the draw.

Click here to check out all Sky Bet's Wales v England odds

Tony Calvin's verdict...

"I have to get involved at the prices with Wales a bet with a five-point start. The big boys all return, they are at home for the first time in the tournament, and this Wales side come into this game on a run of 11 straight wins. As for their home form, they have not lost in Cardiff since a 33-18 reverse at the hands of the All Blacks in 2017." Click here for more

Wales v England: Key quotes

Wales coach Warren Gatland...

"The only quotes I can see about this being the greatest Wales team are from Eddie Jones.

"It hasn't come from anyone else, so I wouldn't be disrespectful enough to say this was the greatest Welsh team ever. It's a long way off being the greatest Welsh team ever. He's the one talking us up.

"I think we are all aware we're on a great run and we've done well over the last 12 months, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. We are just trying to keep our feet on the ground.

"The big challenge for England is five of their forward pack, it's the first time they are starting at the Principality Stadium. That's going to be a new experience for five of their players.

"The great thing about coming to Cardiff is the atmosphere. If there was any animosity in the past, that has all gone.

"There is a huge amount respect between the players from both teams.

"With the (British and Irish) Lions, the Welsh boys and English boys got on really well.

"I've already had a text from John Mitchell (England assistant coach) and Eddie saying they are looking forward to catching up after the game and having a drink.

"This is all fun and games now, but afterwards it's about catching up with some mates and enjoying the occasion.

"England have done pretty well. Tactically they were very good against Ireland. Our aerial game will have to be good.

"We have trained exceptionally well. There is no doubt they will try to take us on at set piece time.

"England are making a significant mistake by travelling tomorrow (Friday).

"Travelling through Newport at five o'clock isn't the best thing to do."

Captain Alun Wyn Jones

"As a squad, we are very real about our performances of late," said Jones, who will make a record 18th appearance for a player from any country against England.

"To get the W (win) is the most important thing, and people sometimes forget how you win. It's all about the W, particularly at this level.

"There is more in us, and hopefully we can do that (on Saturday).

"It's momentum. If you look at us in the autumn, we had momentum and we have maintained it.

"However you get that and achieve your wins, you want to keep your momentum, and that's what we want to do tomorrow.

"I was asked to give a few words to describe the (England) encounter, and it's always historic.

"The players on both sides know what they want to achieve and what this game means for the championship. It can affect the championship, and everyone knows that.

"Am I going to build it up? No, I will let you build it up. For us, there is an element of a job of work to do today to be ready for tomorrow.

"There is a danger we can get overly emotive and swept away and be tired coming into the game tomorrow, so there is that element of feet on the ground and job of work to prepare ourselves for tomorrow.

"We are very real about our performances. We are our own harshest critics in the fact we have have left a few (points) out there.

"I think we had four disallowed tries in the first two games. That's 28 points, which is a big difference, and we are well aware of that."

England coach Eddie Jones...

"As we know, the week's all been about Wales.

"The Dragons are flying, so it should be interesting. They're up for winning 12 games in a row. It's Warren's last game as well before he takes over somewhere else.

"It's all about Wales, we are playing potentially the greatest team ever. Their players are full of emotion and it's the biggest game they are going to play in their lives.

"It's a big week for them and there's a lot of expectation. That expectation can either be some wind in their sails, or it can be a ball and chain. We'll find out on Saturday.

"They have a team they are so proud of and a coach they are so proud of. It's his last game. We are excited to be a part of that and spoil the party.

"I don't know about their camp. All I know is that there's a lot of talk coming out of it."

Wales v England: Last four meetings

2018: England 12-6 Wales, Twickenham

2017: Wales 16-21 England, Cardiff

2016: England 27-13 Wales, Twickenham

2016: England 25-21 Wales, Twickenham

Six Nations fixtures and results

Round One (February 1-2)

France 19-24 Wales
Click here for match report
Scotland 33-20 Italy
Click here for match report
Ireland 20-32 England
Click here for match report

Round Two (February 9-10)

Scotland 13-22 Ireland
Click here for match report
Italy 15-26 Wales
Click here for match report
England 44-8 France
Click here for match report

Round Three (February 23-24)

France v Scotland, Saturday February 23, 1415 GMT, Stade de France, BBC 1
Wales v England, Saturday February 23, 1645 GMT, Principality Stadium, BBC 1 & S4C
Italy v Ireland, Sunday February 24, 1500 GMT, Stadio Olimpico, ITV 1

Round Four (March 9-10)