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England is primed for a backlash from Wales as it seeks a place in the Fall Nations Cup final, with the return of George Ford warning that their opponents will be a “different beast” due to the rivalry between the two nations.
Ford and company only need one extra point at Llanelli to reserve their place in next Sunday’s final at Twickenham and are favorites for victory given the contrasting form of the two teams. England dominated against Ireland last Saturday, racking up a sixth win in a row, while Wales’ win over Georgia ended a six-game losing streak.
Additionally, with Ford returning to Eddie Jones ‘side, England boast 807 caps, while Wayne Pivac remains firm in his decision to advance to the 2023 World Cup despite Wales’ irregular form. England lost their last competitive match outside of Wales, but they managed to win in March at Twickenham and will not face the wall of noise that so often gives their opponents a boost in this match.
However, recalling England’s six-game losing streak in 2018, Ford is wary of facing an injured animal. “One thing we have to be 100% aware of is that we are going to face a team that will do anything to win this game,” he said. And that makes Wales a different beast. It shows how we should be. It shows that what we have done so far will not be good enough. That we need to raise our performance levels again.
“Any player who plays in the red jersey against England will do everything possible to win that match. What I would say is that we are the same as an English nation, an English squad. We are hugely motivated and competitive and we want to make sure we wear an England jersey to play Wales who are also as hungry as ever. Sometimes [being written off] It can boost a team. You can bring out the best in a team. That is why we are preparing for the best possible performance from Wales. We understand that situations like that can get the best out of them. “
While England have been destructive on defense so far, their attacking threat has been limited, and Jones claimed Thursday that it will remain a secret until the year before the next World Cup. Ford was equally cautious as to whether England, who also line up with playmakers Owen Farrell and Henry Slade in their midfield, would be more expansive against Wales. Ben Youngs, however, believes that the return of his Leicester teammate will make a difference. “George gives us a little more range in attack, being able to switch the ball, almost playing a two-sided attack with him and Owen splitting,” Youngs said.
“This week we definitely want to distribute the attack, George will finally help with that. I also think the way Wales plays could allow us to have more chances with the ball. At the moment we are a very comfortable team without the ball. I still think that we are a very comfortable team with the ball. It could be the case that we can show the attack a little more. “
If England reach the final next Sunday, they will face France or Scotland in front of 2,000 fans at Twickenham. Lifting the trophy would cap off a good year for England, who started it with a lackluster defeat to France, their first match since losing the World Cup final to South Africa. Ford added: “We’ve talked as a group of players about what it will be like for us if we go there and get a positive result and make sure we have our right mindset because at the end of the day we want to be a successful team and win things.”
