By Prop at Work updated injuries15/3/07
March 15 2007

England vs Wales RBS Six Nations 2007 - Match Preview. Our very own Prop at Work takes a look at the final match of this year's RBS Six Nations Championship for England. We wish the team the very best of luck and onward the Rugby World Cup 2007..

RBS Six Nations Championship 2007

Wales v England

 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff: Saturday 17 March, 2007.

When Kath first asked for volunteers to do match previews/reviews, I foolishly said that I’d do the ‘Grand Slam decider’ on March 17th. It hasn’t quite panned out like that! Just for reference and context, here is a reminder as to how we got to where we are…

WEEK 1 England beat the Scots…hailed in media as potential World Champions. Wales (poor) beaten by the Irish…hailed in media as potential ‘Wooden Spooners’.

WEEK 2 England just about beat the Italians…media says Ashton ‘honeymoon period’ over. Wales (very poor) beaten by the Scots… hailed in media as possible ‘Wooden Spooners’.

WEEK 3 England thrashed by the Irish…media calls for Ashton to be sacked Wales (poverty is relative) lose to the French… hailed in media as probable ‘Wooden Spooners’.

WEEK 4 England beat the French… hailed in media as potential World Champions (again). Wales (Ye Gods, how poor were they?) lose to the Italians & Chris White… media rename the ‘Wooden Spoon’, the ‘Welsh Spoon’.

On Sunday evening, I pondered the following: England’s front five at last did the business against a half-decent pack last week, even with the ‘interesting’ selection of Martin Corry in the Donkey Row (although the skipper, Vickery, himself wasn’t playing…Quandary #1). More importantly, the back row was well balanced and very effective. But the real story was at fly-half, where, in the absence of Wilkinson, both Flood and Geraghty were excellent (but what if Wilko is now fit again…Quandary #2). Further out, Catt relished his return at centre (Faz fit…Quandary #3), Tindall caught the ball and fell over to score, and the back 3 all showed pace (although the defensively solid Lewsey was the least effective in attack…Quandary #4).

24 hours later, Quandaries 1 & 3 had been resolved by convenient injuries to Vickery and Farrell respectively. A further injury to Tindall (who obviously hurt himself falling over) led me to wonder that we might perhaps see Matthew Tait promoted from the bench for his first start at 13 since he was tangoed in this fixture 2 years ago. I looked forward to Tuesday, keen to see how Brian Ashton (reinstated by some as the saviour of English RWC hopes) had reacted. I presumed his first thoughts would have been not to tinker with a winning team, but now that wasn’t possible. In my usual ‘club before country’ frame of mind, I went to sleep (honestly!) thinking, “please don’t pick any more Sale players, please don’t pick any more Sale players, please don’t pick any more Sale players…”

By lunchtime on Tuesday, Quandary #2 was no more: Jonny’s hamstring injury means he will miss his 32nd England match (out of 35, apparently) since THAT match in 2003. Then, by teatime, Mr Ashton presented his solution to Quandary #4 as Mark Cueto (obviously!) appeared at fullback in his 22 for the weekend. But what a good looking 22 it is – the pack is given another match to show it’s mettle, while the combination of youthful enthusiasm and experienced world cup winners in the backs at last looks like a set of threequarters melding together rather than one that’s been cobbled together.

And so to Wales. 2 years ago, much the same squad (albeit under different management) won a Grand Slam. Now they are playing against the one true enemy, with nothing but pride on the table. The problem for the English is that pride is the only prize the Welsh can really raise their game for. Somehow, I don’t think we’ll see the same limited and unimaginative approach this weekend. The Dragon’s tail has been tweaked and now we will see its fire and hear its roar (on reflection, readers, apologies – that’s just a cliché too far!).

The biggest surprise in some quarters is that Gareth Jenkins has refused to ‘do an Ashton’ following a string of poor results. He has ignored the siren calls to ring the changes with the likes of Sweeney (and even Charvis) and he has resisted the option to replace his out of form captain, Stephen Jones, with the rising star of Welsh rugby, James Hook, who remains at inside centre in an unchanged team.

So there it is, we might as well have not bothered with rounds 2, 3 & 4, we have in fact known since week 1 that Saturday’s match pitches the reigning and next World Champions against the 6th best team in Europe! The result is therefore a no-brainer: Wales will storm it, to complete a ‘Super Saturday’ hat-trick of so-called upsets following victories by Scotland and Italy, leaving four teams tied on 6 points…the Azzurri picking up the title after scoring the highest number of tries – unfortunately, celebrations are marred as Troncon steps up to accept RBS trophy and Bergamasco accidentally clocks him one whilst trying to remove a hair from across his face. You can quote me on that, you heard it here first.

Injury update Easter out Haskell in 15/3/07

England: M Cueto (Sale Sharks); D Strettle (Harlequins), M Tait (Newcastle), M Catt Captain (London Irish), J Robinson (Sale Sharks); T Flood (Newcastle), H Ellis (Leicester); T Payne (Wasps), G Chuter (Leicester), J White (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester), T Palmer (Wasps), J Worsley (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), James Haskell (London Wasps

Replacements: L Mears (Bath), S Turner (Sale Sharks), L Deacon (Leicester), M Lund (Sale Sharks), S Perry (Bristol), S Geraghty (London Irish), J Noon (Newcastle).

 

Injury Update: Stephen Jones out with a broken wrist - Gareth Thomas to Captain Wales: 14/3/07

Wales :
Kevin Morgan (Dragons); Mark Jones (Scarlets), Tom Shanklin (Blues), Gareth Thomas Captain (toulouse), Shane Williams (Ospreys); James Hook (Ospreys), Dwayne Peel (Scarlets); Gethin Jenkins (Blues), Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Chris Horsman (Worcester), Ian Gough (Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Alix Popham (Scarlets), Martyn Williams (Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys).

Replacements: Duncan Jones (Ospreys), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Rhys Thomas (Blues), Brent Cockbain (Ospreys), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Blues), Ceri Sweeney (Dragons).