Yes, it's a game of chess where you line up your shot, get that royal flush and finally...bullseye.

So are England going to rest their best players for this one ?

England are the grand masters and we are local chess club members. World ranked number 2 team Saes by a lot. I have a bad feeling about the game.

They will and still beat us comfortably. Sad times indeed for us

Fṷcking hope so.

England team to face Wales:

15 Mike Brown (Harlequins 65 caps)
14 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby 29 caps)
13 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby 36 caps)
12 Owen Farrell (Saracens 54 caps)
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers 30 caps)
10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers 41 caps)
9 Danny Care (Harlequins 77 caps)

1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens 45 caps)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints 90 caps)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers 78 caps)
4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps 48 caps)
5 Maro Itoje (Saracens 15 caps)
6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints 62 caps)
7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins 60 caps)
8 Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs 4 caps).

Finishers
16 Jamie George (Saracens 21 caps), 17 Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs 1 cap), 18 Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs 6 caps), 19 George Kruis (Saracens 22 caps), 20 Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby 4 caps), 21 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens 27 caps), 22 Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors 9 caps), 23 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs 24 caps).

http://www.englandrugby.com/news/englan ... x-nations/

So 62% think England are going to win. Still heavy favourites but I remember in 2015 when 90% thought England was going to win.

Two days to go and we’ve limped onto page 4, and that includes Dai’s bleatings.

For shame.

Which way did you vote ???

You'd certainly expect England to be favourites at home - but being favourites doesn't you get points on the board.

And Wales like nothing better than being underdogs - and have the advantage that most of their team play together week in, week out.

Wales by 10

Ireland/Italy is still on page 2

Wales by 10??

You were doing well until then.

A gentleman never tells.

I just assume the swarm all post on the “abomination”.

You think it'll be more

It is forecasted to rain on Saturday. Will surely suit the Orc plodders.

Hopefully there won't be much rain - we need good conditions these days.

20 point swing back to England and you might be onto something!

Actually I think Saturday’s game may be one of those where I can tell you within 5 minutes which way it’s going to go.

Which side has the biggest pack ?

Not really, England really don't have many ball-carriers fit for that sort of game. Mako Vunipola aside, the best ones are arguably on the bench.

Wales, I think.

England's is the more athletic

They were certainly bigger last year - I think England had the the 4th largest pack in the tournament. And it's probably lighter with Simmonds packing down at 8.

Just wondered because Gatland has, a couple of times, referred to England's 'massive' pack - which seems odd.

How many English poaches in the Welsh matchday squad? It's usually at least 2 or 3, but they've definitely cut down from RWC 2015.

Who are the poaches?

Shingler was born in Aldershot.......

Moriarty - born in St Helens

I'll give you Shingler to a very small extent, albeit he grew up in Wales, and his brother was born there while Shingler was a toddler!

Ross Moriarty is ridiculous to call a poach, but I suspect you know that!

TBH, no idea of their background - just noticed he was born in England.

In all honesty - such accidents of birth are inevitable on a small Island like ours - in modern days of mobility. I've never been very keen on the Grandparents rule though.

And we can hardly complain about Welsh poaching when we have a fair few of our own.

Tomas Francis was born in York. Did you know he has a degree in mechanical engineering, that's pretty cool.

I am looking forward to the match even though I think England are going to win and more than likely win by more than 10 points.

Also can we just laugh at Scott Baldwin for a second



That's just great.

As nervous as I am about this match, I was going through the teams and struggling to pick Welsh players I'd have over English counterparts. Probably Halfpenny and Navidi, possibly Shingler and Williams? But I'm not seeing many Welsh caps in the combined XV.

Someone's going to come along and say AWJ, they're going to be wrong though.

Assuming you’re being serious, I think you could say exactly the same from the opposite perspective.

I think the front fives are very evenly matched. Wales flankers currently on top with England’s 8.

I think most would take Gareth Davies over Care and Ford over Patchell (if just for experience, as Patchell is playing extremely well)

Centres probably about all square.

Steff Evans and Watson both on fire. The opposite wingers and 15’s all solid and dependable.

He’s turned into a really decent prop.

He's come a long way

Seriously matta, how do you do it?

Just mention a prop on here and within seconds you appear!!

Neil Francis has labelled prop Tomas Francis 'a crap player'

So he's basically the Welsh Dolph Lundgren, apart from he's not got a masters degree, it's not in chemical engineering, he's not an director, screenwriter or producer, he's not a 3rd dan in karate and he's not over 6'4''.

#DolphFrancis

There will be some freakish talent on show.

And one or two freaks
https://twitter.com/rugbypodcast/status ... 1788643328

Mention one three times and see what happens...

Yes, Exeter have a good prop on their hands.



Nailed it.

England to taunt Samson Lee


on about 60 mins