England vs. Wales: Date, Live Stream, TV Info and Six Nations 2016 Preview
Wales will relish the chance to derail England’s chances in another major tournament at Twickenham, as the two rivals get set for another tussle in the Six Nations.
Eddie Jones’ England lead the way in the overall standings after they won their third match in succession when facing Ireland last time out. Saturday’s visitors will pose their biggest test of the competition so far, though; Warren Gatland’s men are also unbeaten but a point back after their opening-day draw with the men in green.
It’s never an occasion to be missed when these two meet, and the iconic stadium will provide a colourful backdrop to this spectacle. Here are the key viewing details for the clash and a look ahead to what’s likely to be the vital match in this year’s tournament.
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Date: Saturday, March 12
Time: 4 p.m. (GMT)
Live Stream: BBC website (UK)
TV Info: BBC One (UK)
Wales Out to Spoil England Party
Although Wales were eventually eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the last World Cup, their gallant triumph at Twickenham saw their players etch themselves into folklore.
PA Sport broke down some of the key statistics ahead of this contest:
The visitors, decimated by injuries, emerged as 28-25 winners back in September on their last visit to Twickenham to face England. Memories of that triumph will surely see them emboldened heading into this one. Indeed, Gatland thinks his squad is better than the one that last lined up at the home of rugby.
“It was a great performance to get out of that group, but we feel we're in much better shape now," said Gatland, per BBC Sport. "There's a lot of confidence in the team and we're treating Saturday as a final. It's going to be one heck of a game, and to be honest whoever wins on Saturday probably wins the Six Nations.”
Wales shouldn’t be daunted by the task ahead. As we can see courtesy of Sky Sports Rugby, most of this team have played in this white-hot atmosphere before:
But while Gatland’s side have improved, so too have England. The results, while not spectacular in terms of performance, have shown the positive early foundations that have been instilled.
It seems as though, after getting the basics right, Jones may be keen on adding some flair to the team’s attacking play too, with Manu Tuilagi included in the matchday squad after a hiatus. England World Cup winner Matt Dawson is excited to see how this side might look with the controversial but talented player in the lineup:
Regardless of the personnel, Jones will have England meticulously prepared in defence for this one, and he’ll know just how important victory is here. Wales can also take control of the tournament with a win; they face Italy at home in their final match, which should be a routine victory.
Both teams will relish the physical battle, meaning this key fixture should be attritional. Welsh rugby legend Jonathan Davies is already getting himself in the mood for the weekend’s contest:
While England and Wales each have big attacking threats, expect this to be a game in which defensive structure is crucial. Both teams will find it difficult to breach the other in general play, meaning keeping discipline and taking penalty chances could swing the clash either side’s way.
Wales should head into this one with confidence, and after their gritty triumph against France last time out, they’ll be battle-hardened. Free-flowing rugby will be few and far between at Twickenham, but that’ll suit the visitors, who will edge a low-scoring tussle.
Prediction: England 13-16 Wales
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