Ireland assistant coach Mike Catt insists there is plenty more to come from rookie fly-half Jack Crowley ahead of his maiden Guinness Six Nations appearance in Dublin.

Crowley celebrated his full debut in the championship by overcoming a few kicking errors to help his country register a thumping 38-17 round-one win away to France.

The 24-year-old is expected to retain the number 10 jersey for Sunday’s clash with Italy at the Aviva Stadium as head coach Andy Farrell searches for Johnny Sexton’s long-term successor.

England World Cup winner Catt believes “nothing fazes” Crowley and was impressed by the Munster player’s response to a nervy start in Marseille.

“It’s something Andy has been driving over the past number of years,” Catt told the Irish Mirror.

“It’s ‘don’t get in the way of yourself, don’t worry about it. It’s gone’.

“For a man with inexperience, to block it out like that is very good. Nothing fazes him, like a lot of the boys in the team.

“We still haven’t seen the best out of Jack, there’s still a lot more to go, but it’s not a bad start.”

Crowley made his Six Nations debut with a three-minute cameo in a 34-20 victory in Rome last February.

Following 13 points at Stade Velodrome last Friday, he is likely to be given far more time to shine against Italy this weekend, with Farrell set to name his team on Friday afternoon.

Ireland, who have won 23 of their previous 24 Six Nations clashes against the Azzurri, are strong favourites to extend their winning run on home soil to 17 matches.

Back-row forward Jack Conan feels the demolition of pre-tournament favourites France showed a “snippet” of how good the reigning Grand Slam champions can be as they ruthlessly responded to the disappointment of their World Cup quarter-final exit in October.

“We had already closed the chapter on the World Cup but for our next performance to be a good one and get a win was huge,” Conan, who came on as a replacement against Les Bleus, said, according to RTE.

“I don’t think there was a hangover from the World Cup but it’s definitely important that you are not backing up losses even though there’s months in between it.

“It was a good start to the campaign. There was so much energy and freshness to the squad from the World Cup.

“The lads bounced into camp and were so eager to get back to winning ways and to show how good we can be and that was a snippet of how good we can be at the weekend.”

Recently-appointed co-captain Rory Darge will start Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations match at home to France following six weeks out with a knee injury.

The 23-year-old Glasgow flanker takes over the number seven jersey from previous skipper Jamie Ritchie, who drops out of the 23 altogether, in one of three changes – all in the forward-line – to the team that started the 27-26 win away to Wales.

Darge, who has recovered quicker than anticipated from an injury sustained away to Edinburgh on the last weekend of December, is listed as co-captain alongside stand-off Finn Russell for the Murrayfield showdown with a French side aiming to bounce back from their chastening 38-17 home defeat by Ireland.

Number eight Jack Dempsey and lock Grant Gilchrist, who was suspended last weekend, return to the side in place of Luke Crosbie and Richie Gray, both of whom picked up tournament-ending injuries in Cardiff.

The backs department is unchanged, meaning Kyle Rowe, who made his first international start in Wales, continues at full-back in the absence of the injured Blair Kinghorn.

On-form Saracens back-rower Andy Christie has been named among the subs after missing out on the 23 last weekend.

England have named an unchanged team for the first time in four years for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with Wales at Twickenham.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has retained the same starting XV and bench originally announced for the 27-24 victory over Italy in round one following prop Ellis Genge’s recovery from a foot injury.

Genge, who had been named on the bench, was ruled out of the Stadio Olimpico opener on the morning of the game but has been passed fit for the visit of Warren Gatland’s men.

Beno Obano deputised at loosehead in Genge’s absence and now drops out of the matchday 23 altogether.

The most recent occasion England named an unchanged side was under Eddie Jones for the 2019 World Cup final against South Africa in Japan, which they lost 32-12.

Jamie George will lead the team out at Twickenham for the first time since being named as Owen Farrell’s successor as captain.

Five players made their Test debuts against Italy – Ethan Roots, Fraser Dingwall, Chandler Cunningham-South, Fin Smith and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – and have the opportunity to press their claim for ongoing selection.

Roots was named man of the match in Rome after a blockbusting display at blindside flanker while for the first time Feyi-Waboso will be facing the nation of his birth, who he declined to represent in favour of England.

 

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“It was both pleasing and important to have started our Six Nations campaign in Rome with a victory,” Borthwick said.

 

“However, we know there are areas of our game to improve as we prepare for this Saturday’s game against a spirited Wales team.

“With a new player group and a number of new caps, we have tried to develop our game on both sides of the ball.

“Such changes take time and I was pleased how quickly the players settled and adapted last weekend against Italy.

“We’re delighted to be back playing in front of a sold-out Twickenham Stadium this Saturday. The visit of the Wales team is always a fixture that creates a special atmosphere.

“I have no doubt that this group of players are relishing the challenge before them and are looking forward to creating a very special experience for our supporters.”

Grant Gilchrist believes Scotland’s bitter-sweet Guinness Six Nations victory over Wales has left them in the perfect frame of mind for their second championship match at home to France on Saturday.

The Scots pulled off their first triumph in Cardiff for 22 years last weekend after clinging on to win 27-26.

However, the satisfaction of beating the Welsh on their own patch was tinged with a sense of deflation in the Scottish camp afterwards because they completely lost their way in the second half, missed out on the chance of a bonus point, and almost succumbed to what would have been the biggest comeback in Six Nations history.

Lock Gilchrist was suspended for the Cardiff clash and admitted he was “panicking” while watching it unfold on television.

However, the veteran second-rower – who is available to return against Les Bleus – feels it should be viewed in a positive light that his team kicked off the tournament with an away win yet still have so much scope for improvement.

“Winning at this level is tough,” he said. “And I don’t think that it’s a bad thing that we’re ambitious enough to want to put a complete performance out there.

“When you sit back and think that we’ve won in Cardiff for the first time in 22 years – that’s a big achievement. But we’re also not going to sit there and celebrate that as the perfect performance as we know we can be so much better.

“We showed that for 50 minutes with how in control we were. When you win a Test match you should always feel a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment because the amount of work that goes into that is huge and should never be underestimated.

“No matter what the scoreline is or what happened in the game – to get across the line in a Test match is huge.

“To win in the first game of the Six Nations is massive as you need to keep trying to build momentum throughout the tournament and winning ensures you can still do that.

“But having that little slant of disappointment is also no bad thing. It brought us in on Monday eager to learn how to get better in the second half and put a full performance together rather than coming in talking about staying grounded or any of these things.

“I feel it’s not a bad place to be, to feel a little bit disappointed despite winning in Cardiff for the first time in 22 years.”

Gilchrist, 33, is expected to go straight into the starting XV on Saturday after fellow second-rower Richie Gray suffered a tournament-ending bicep injury in Wales.

“It’s a huge loss, Richie’s a world-class player and a great team-mate,” said Gilchrist. “He’s a huge loss to the group and to me personally.

“We sit together and look at stuff all the time. It’s up to the rest of us to stand up. It’s not just on me, there’s Sam Skinner, Scott Cummings and Glen Young and we’ve all got enough experience and talent to fill that void, as much as we will miss the big man.”

France head to Edinburgh on the back of a chastening 38-17 defeat by Ireland in Marseille last Friday but Gilchrist is braced for a backlash from Les Bleus.

“We’re preparing for the best version of them and we know what that looks like,” he said. “We played them three times last year so we know what to expect. They’re a team we know really well and have had good results against.

“But we also know what it’s like if you don’t get it right against them. We know that if we’re at our best it’s a game we can win.”

Warren Gatland has made seven changes for Wales’ Six Nations appointment with England after a first-half display against Scotland he admitted was “nowhere near the standards we expect”.

Wales head coach Gatland named the team 24 hours earlier than originally planned, with his line-up including a new front-row and centre George North’s return from injury.

It will be North’s 50th Six Nations appearance, while fly-half Sam Costelow, who went off injured during the first half of Wales’ 27-26 loss to Scotland last weekend, is replaced by Ioan Lloyd, with Tomos Williams at scrum-half.

Gareth Thomas, Elliot Dee and Keiron Assiratti forge the front-row unit at Twickenham on Saturday, while Cardiff flanker Alex Mann is handed a first Wales start following his try-scoring appearance off the bench against Scotland.

Wales went 27 points down to Scotland before staging a stunning second-half recovery, scoring 26 unanswered points, although it could not mask how poor they were prior to that.

Gatland said: “We have been critical and tough on ourselves this week.

“That first half was nowhere near the standards we expect. We simply cannot start the same way this Saturday.

“We showed in the second half against Scotland what we are capable of. Now it is about building on that performance and playing with some tempo from the off.

“We’ve made a few changes to the starting line-up this weekend, which gives opportunities to the players coming in. We need to be accurate and keep our discipline.

“This is a massive game, not only because of the history and what it means to everyone in Wales, but it is an opportunity to get things on track a bit more.

“England are in a rebuilding phase. We will go there with a lot of confidence we can build on that second half.”

Uncapped Bath prop Archie Griffin has been named on the bench, where is joined by Racing 92 lock Will Rowlands.

Rowlands linked up with the Wales squad earlier this week after his partner recently gave birth, while there are also chances among the replacements for Dragons pair Taine Basham and Cai Evans, who is the son of former Wales captain Ieuan Evans.

North has recovered from a shoulder problem to face England, with Lloyd now starting following an outstanding contribution after taking over from Costelow against Scotland.

Mann’s promotion to the starting line-up was expected following James Botham’s withdrawal from the squad because of a knee injury.

Williams, Dee and Assiratti, meanwhile, all made major contributions after being introduced for the second 40 minutes last Saturday.

Wales have not beaten England at Twickenham in the Six Nations since 2012, when centre Scott Williams’ late try confirmed a Triple Crown triumph.

After defeating England away from home during the 2015 World Cup, Wales have lost to their fierce rivals seven times in succession at English rugby headquarters.

England rookie Chandler Cunningham-South was being mentored for weeks by Richard Hill without knowing he was talking to a World Cup winner.

Cunningham-South made a strong debut off the bench in Saturday’s 27-24 victory over Italy, becoming one of two flankers to win their first cap in the Guinness Six Nations opener alongside Ethan Roots.

As England team manger with the additional role of talent identification for the pathway, Hill has influenced the rise of both players as well as the likes of Sam Underhill and Tom Curry.

Hill’s keen eye for future Test stars is valued highly by head coach Steve Borthwick, who revealed when naming his Six Nations squad last month that “if Richard tells me to track a back-row forward, I’m listening”.

 

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Cunningham-South had Hill’s approval when on England Under-20 duty but presumed he was speaking to a random enthusiast rather than one of the country’s greatest flankers and a veteran of 71 Tests, including the triumphant 2003 World Cup final.

 

“There was no doubt that, as an 18-year-old, Chandler’s physicality of carry was not quite the norm for his age compared to others that I was watching,” said Hill, who was initially alerted to him by his first club London Irish.

“He was doing fantastically well so I made sure that I connected with him at the Under-20s training sessions.

“I carried on chatting to him and then after a number of meetings that I’d had with him, Jonathan Fisher, Irish’s academy coach, decided to ring me after a chance meeting.

“John said that Chandler has just told him how he turns out to Under-20s training and ‘a couple of times this guy’s come up to me and you know, he’s had a chat about my game’.

“’He seems to understand how to play and he’s got some reasonable ideas. You know, he sounds like he knows what he’s talking about’. So yeah, that was me!

“He found out probably three months ago that I played in the World Cup. Chandler’s not that fussed about what’s gone on in the past.

“He wanted to know why I didn’t tell him. I said it had no bearing on what we’re trying to achieve, which was him, not me.”

While Cunningham-South’s 14-minute cameo against Italy was rich with promise, Roots was close to the finished article in being named man of the match following a superb display at blindside flanker.

Borthwick first became aware of Roots when he was coaching Leicester against the Ospreys but it was when Hill showed him footage of the 26-year-old cage fighter playing for Exeter during last autumn’s World Cup that he really took notice.

Fast forward five months and the Chiefs forward is part of Borthwick’s England rebuild, providing vital carrying muscle to a side that is short on defence-busting power.

“If there is someone of interest for the future then I’d make Steve aware – and Ethan was one of those players,” Hill said.

“I knew he had a skill set that would interest us – he can carry the ball, carrying into contact, heavy contact, and defensively physical at the breakdown.

“He has been physical and consistent in terms of the performances he put in since joining Exeter this season.”

Roots is expected to continue in the number six jersey for Saturday’s visit of Wales to Twickenham, with Borthwick naming his team on Thursday afternoon.

Ireland are hopeful centre Garry Ringrose will be available for Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations match against Italy in Dublin.

Leinster co-captain Ringrose is “progressing nicely” in his recovery from the shoulder injury which caused him to miss his country’s 38-17 round-one win over France.

The 29-year-old was again absent from training on Wednesday but Ireland’s coaching staff expect to have a fully-fit squad in contention for the Azzurri’s visit to the Aviva Stadium.

“We are pretty confident that everyone will be fit to train fully tomorrow,” assistant coach Mike Catt told reporters, according to RTE.

“There are a few guys obviously with a few bumps and bruises from Friday night. There are a couple that are still rumbling around.

“Calvin (Nash), Hugo (Keenan), Ringer is coming through nicely. He obviously didn’t train today, but he is progressing nicely.

“We will see how they pull up over the next couple of days.”

With Ringrose sidelined, Robbie Henshaw partnered Bundee Aki in midfield for Friday evening’s impressive bonus-point triumph in Marseille.

The statement success over the pre-tournament favourites fuelled talk of Andy Farrell’s Ireland becoming the first team to win back-to-back Grand Slams in the Six Nations era.

Attack coach Catt urged players to ignore the “external noise” and focus on immediate challenges.

“There’s no need to (get ahead of ourselves), is there,” he said.

“Andy has always spoken about the next performance, that’s been the key thing.

“From the players’ point of view, too, the Grand Slam will take care of itself if we perform to a level we are capable of performing.

“It’s making sure we put our focus on that and don’t worry about the external noise.”

Head coach Farrell is contemplating changes for the clash with Gonzalo Quesada’s side.

Italy have only once beaten Ireland in the Six Nations – 22-15 in Rome in 2013 – but pushed England close in a 27-24 defeat on the opening weekend.

“What I liked about the Italy performance (against England) was, they didn’t have a great World Cup,” said Catt, who was part of the Azzurri’s coaching staff between 2016 and 2019.

“I think they put their hands up to that as a group of players.

“And for them to turn around and put in a performance like that against a good England side was very impressive.

“They are obviously trying to impress the new coach as well and I just thought the way they played, they didn’t go away from their DNA in terms of (how) they’ve played over the last couple of years.

“I think with Quesada, they’ll tighten things up a little bit but when they get going, they caused some serious problems by scoring some very, very good tries.”

Cameron Winnett and Alex Mann were junior school pupils when Wales last beat England in a Six Nations game at Twickenham.

But 12 years on from that Triple Crown-clinching victory, both Cardiff prospects will feature in one of rugby union’s most fierce rivalries after being selected to start against England on Saturday.

Their sporting careers have a symmetrical appearance, as both were promising footballers – Mann a centre-back in Cardiff’s academy – and they made debuts together for club and country.

They first played for Cardiff across the A316 from Twickenham against Harlequins as teenagers, while Winnett started the 27-26 Six Nations home loss to Scotland last weekend and Mann went on during Wales’ remarkable fightback from 27 points adrift, scoring his team’s fourth try.

Full-back Winnett, 21, was born on January 7, 2003 – flanker Mann on January 6 the previous year – and they look likely to be part of Wales squads heading towards World Cup 2027 in Australia and beyond.

Winnett describes Mann as being “like a big brother” and there is a noticeable chemistry between them, partly forged by their time together for Wales Under-20s, a team that Mann captained.

Reflecting on his Wales debut, Winnett said: “It was amazing, and everything I had worked for since I was a little kid with a dream.

“I was thinking about all the sacrifices my parents made, taking me to sessions, and all the coaches who had helped me get to that point.”

Mann added: “That is what we work for, really. All those days that are dark days or good days.

“Standing there was a bit surreal, I was just soaking it all in, really. It was probably the best day in the world.”

Mann’s football connection extended to events last Saturday, with his friend Isaak Davies scoring the winning goal for Belgian Pro League club Kortrijk against Charleroi at roughly the same time Mann appeared off the bench for his Wales debut.

Davies moved on loan from Cardiff to Kortrijk last summer, and Mann added: “He was the first I FaceTimed afterwards because he was in Belgium playing and he scored, funnily enough the time I came on, so it was a proud day for us both.”

“I started with Cwmbach, got scouted, and then went straight into the (Cardiff City) academy. The professional set-up, I think that has helped me a lot from a young age.

“Then I started playing rugby again in school, and I knew straightaway that was for me. It just came naturally, the way I am.”

Winnett played soccer as a junior at Rhondda club Cambrian and Clydach Vale, where Terry Venables was chairman and president. Venables’ mother Myrtle hailed from Clydach Vale.

“It had always been rugby and football,” Winnett said. “I played for my local team Porth growing up, and then Cambrian, where I had two seasons.

“After those two seasons, I thought I couldn’t keep on playing two games of soccer and rugby on the same day, so I decided to play rugby.”

Attention now turns to Twickenham as Wales target ending a run of seven successive defeats since toppling England there during the 2015 World Cup.

Mann said: “The senior boys in the group have helped us loads, settling us in. Anything I want to ask, they are more than happy to help.

“I am trying to be like a sponge, really, trying to listen to it all and take it all in.”

Ireland are hopeful centre Garry Ringrose will be available for Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations match against Italy in Dublin.

Leinster co-captain Ringrose is “progressing nicely” in his recovery from the shoulder injury which caused him to miss his country’s 38-17 round-one win over France.

The 29-year-old was again absent from training on Wednesday but Ireland’s coaching staff expect to have a fully-fit squad in contention for the Azzurri’s visit to the Aviva Stadium.

“We are pretty confident that everyone will be fit to train fully tomorrow,” assistant coach Mike Catt told reporters, according to RTE.

“Ringer (Ringrose) is coming through nicely, he didn’t train today, but progressing nicely.

“(There are) a few guys with bumps and bruises, a couple that are still rumbling around.”

Wales boss Warren Gatland has made seven changes to the starting line-up for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham.

Centre George North returns from injury for his 50th Six Nations appearances, lining up alongside Nick Tompkins in midfield.

Fly-half Sam Costelow, who went off injured during the first-half of Wales’ 27-26 loss to Scotland last weekend, is replaced by Ioan Lloyd, with Tomos Williams at scrum-half.

Gatland has also selected a new front-row of Gareth Thomas, Elliot Dee and Keiron Assiratti, with Cardiff flanker Alex Mann handed a first Wales start following his try-scoring appearance off the bench against Scotland.

Freddie Steward has called on England to win back the support of Twickenham as they launch a new era with Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash against Wales.

In their most recent home fixture, Steve Borthwick’s side were booed by fans after falling 30-22 to Fiji in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup – the first time they had ever lost to the Islanders.

Keen to dispel the funeral atmosphere last seen at Twickenham, Jamie George’s England are determined to reconnect with their support by delivering results and displaying ambition and passion.

Fans rallied behind the team during their march to third place at the World Cup and flocked to Rome for Saturday’s narrow win against Italy, but Steward knows it is the backing they receive in south west London that is critical.

“Being back at home is also synonymous with us being a new group,” said the Leicester full-back.

“This is essentially a fresh start. We have had our World Cup and we are on the start of a new cycle with fresh faces, new coaches. This is our chance to draw a line in the sand.

“As players when you play for England you are expected to win and when you don’t win, understandably you don’t have the fans on your side and there was a bit of that in the warm-ups to the World Cup.

“I would never blame the fans and say they need to lift us. They do that on the back of what we do, so the responsibility is ours.

“During the World Cup when we got to the semi-final it felt like that is what it can be like. As players we want that all the time but we have to put the performances on the field to earn that.

“The fans are the heartbeat of what we do. We want Twickenham to erupt and we want it to be a place we want to go and play in front of our fans and represent them.”

England’s tactics during the first year of Borthwick’s reign were conservative as he tried to shape a side that could challenge at the World Cup just nine months after replacing Eddie Jones as head coach.

The focus on kicking and stats-based approach turned off many supporters, but at the Stadio Olimpico there was greater enterprise and a willingness to attack from their own half.

“There’s the mentality side of it in terms of being braver by attacking further from the line and trying to challenge the opposition, giving them something to think about,” Steward said.

“We were probably guilty early doors of being too one-dimensional in terms of teams knowing what we were going to do.

“But hopefully by evolving the attack it will ask a few more questions of the opposition. The more time we’ve had together, it helps.

“For us as players, we want to play winning rugby. Whatever style that is, we want to win Test matches, we want to win tournaments and have successful campaigns.”

Defence coach Steve Tandy insisted Scotland would have no concerns about throwing recently-appointed co-captain Rory Darge into Saturday’s showdown with France following six weeks on the sidelines.

The 23-year-old flanker sustained a knee injury while playing for Glasgow against Edinburgh on December 30 and has not played since.

He was initially rated doubtful for the entire championship but has recovered quicker than anticipated and is expected to be ready for this weekend’s match against Les Bleus.

Darge’s return to contention is particularly timely after fellow flanker Luke Crosbie and veteran lock Richie Gray were ruled out for the rest of the tournament with shoulder and bicep injuries respectively.

“Dargey’s trained and he’s looking good,” reported Tandy on Tuesday. “He came through training last week, he trained again today, so all being well in the rest of the training week he’ll be available.”

Asked if he felt Darge could slot straight back into the Test XV having not played for almost a month and a half, Tandy said: “Definitely. He’s done it before, after injuries.

“Knowing Rory and the guy he is, how diligent he is and how he looks at and studies the game, we have no doubts. Physically, it feels like he’s adding layer on layer as he gets a little bit older.

“He’s physically ready and even when they are injured, the boys are still lifting (weights) – it’s not as if they’re sitting there doing nothing. They’re active in and around what the strength and conditioning guys and the medical team want.”

Tandy lamented the loss of back-rower Crosbie and second-rower Gray after the pair – both of whom started the match – picked up tournament-ending injuries in Saturday’s 27-26 victory away to Wales.

“First and foremost, with the characters they are, they’re awesome individuals,” said the coach. “Richie brings lots of experience around the group and he’s got better with age.

“He’s great to work with and you see the energy and clarity he brings to the group. He will be sorely missed.

“Luke has fought so hard to get to the international scene. You see the warrior he is on the field, but there is also the character he is and how he leads in the training environment, how he speaks in meetings.

“We’ve got a great squad though. If you look at the back-rowers, there are loads of form players so we’re lucky enough to have an abundance in those positions.

“If someone misses out, everyone else is ready to step into the shirt.”

Tandy admitted there were “lots of learnings” for Scotland after a game in Cardiff where they went dangerously close to squandering a 27-0 lead.

However, he also felt there were plenty of positives to be drawn from their first win in the Welsh capital in 22 years, ahead of back-to-back home games against France and England.

“It’s important not to get too far ahead,” said Tandy. “We’ve had a really good result, going to Wales and getting that job done, but now it’s just about focusing on France.

“Coming back to Murrayfield is massive. We’ve got to improve bits of our game and continue lots of the stuff we did in the first half and at the back end of the Wales game.”

Alex King believes Wales need to have a “no fear” approach when they face England at Twickenham on Saturday.

Wales last toppled their fierce rivals in a Six Nations game on English soil 12 years ago.

And they have lost on seven successive occasions at English rugby headquarters since beating England there during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, although five of those losses were by only six points or less.

Wales will head to south west London after coming unstuck in a Cardiff classic against Scotland, although 26 unanswered points from being 27-0 adrift meant they almost completed the biggest comeback the Six Nations has seen.

England, meanwhile, were pushed hard by Italy in Rome before recording a 27-24 verdict after trailing at half-time and being outscored on tries.

“They (England) have got a decent team – finishing third at the World Cup is testament to that,” Wales assistant coach and former Wasps fly-half King said.

“I think we need to show a no-fear game going down there, and put the pressure back on them.

“We’ve just got to take the game to England. We can’t wait for them to see what they do, especially with 70,000 people shouting for them.

“We have got to present ourselves as we want to play, and not wait to see what England can do before we start responding.

“It is important to show the lads that England are a good team, but they are not unbeatable. That is the reality.

“They have obviously got good players and they are well-coached, but Twickenham is just another stadium. I am looking forward to going back there. I’ve got my Welsh hat firmly on there.

“They won some important games at the World Cup, and they pushed South Africa close. They won some close games at the World Cup – they were able to get over the finish line in certain games.

“Like every team, they have got their weaknesses. It is up to us to exploit them on Saturday.”

Wales boss Warren Gatland, meanwhile, will have to make at least one change from the Scotland match as flanker James Botham has been released from the squad due to a knee injury.

Botham, who is the grandson of England cricket great Sir Ian Botham and scored Wales’ opening try against Scotland, will rehabilitate at his club Cardiff.

Botham’s Cardiff colleague Seb Davies has been added to the squad, while experienced Harlequins prop Dillon Lewis also gains a call-up.

Elsewhere, fly-half Sam Costelow went off before half-time in the Scotland encounter, and King added: “He is being assessed for a neuro issue with his neck.

“The positive thing is it wasn’t a concussion. He is up for selection, but it is a question of whether he gets through his medical protocols.”

Ex-Bristol back Ioan Lloyd, who replaced Costelow with impressive effect against Scotland, would be favourite to wear the number 10 shirt if a change is made.

“Twickenham this weekend is a place where we need to start well. We have been very honest in our review, and are moving forward,” King said.

“The pleasing thing is we came out and responded (against Scotland) and were magnificent. It’s a shame we couldn’t nail the victory with the momentum of the last 10 minutes.

“The attitude of the boys was spot-on. Now we have to use that to go to Twickenham.

“The boys showed huge character, and it was frustrating not to win in the end. But if we are honest, we can’t have a half like that at Twickenham.”

Ollie Lawrence could reinforce England’s Guinness Six Nations in time for their round-three clash with Scotland as he steps up his recovery from a hip problem.

Lawrence sustained the injury while on European duty for Bath against Toulouse a fortnight before the Championship began and it was initially feared he might miss the entire tournament.

But the powerful centre could return to England’s Surrey base as early as this week, boosting Steve Borthwick’s options in the number 12 jersey he would have worn against Italy last Saturday.

“Ollie is potentially coming in at the end of this week, maybe next week. He’s not available against Wales this weekend,” attack coach Richard Wigglesworth.

England are optimistic that Ellis Genge will overcome his foot damage in time for the visit of Warren Gatland’s men to Twickenham on Saturday.

Genge withdrew from the bench on the morning of the 27-24 win in Rome with Beno Obano taking his place among the replacements.

“Ellis took some part in training today (Tuesday) and we are hopeful that he is available for the weekend, but we’ve obviously got to get through the rest of the week,” Wigglesworth said.

Second-row George Martin is receiving treatment for his knee injury and could also be back for the trip to Murrayfield, but there is still no date set for Marcus Smith’s return from a calf problem.

Smith sustained the damage during training at England’s camp in Girona and could miss the whole Six Nations.

“It looks like it will be further back in the tournament – if we get him back. It won’t be in the next couple of weeks,” Wigglesworth said.

“Marcus has an incredible attitude. He was gutted but we were gutted as well. We know he’s an international quality player.

“We are blessed in that position because we’ve got George Ford and Fin Smith, but that doesn’t distract from what a top player he is and the impact he potentially would have had.

“His attitude was ‘I’ll just come back better’. I’ve no doubt that if we see him later in the tournament or if it’s after that then he’ll come back in and put his hand up like he did.”

Flanker James Botham has been released from Wales’ Guinness Six Nations squad due to a knee injury.

The Welsh Rugby Union said that Botham, who is the grandson of England cricket great Sir Ian Botham, was hurt during Saturday’s 27-26 defeat against Scotland.

Cardiff forward Seb Davies has been called into the squad, while experienced Harlequins prop Dillon Lewis has also been summoned by Wales head coach Warren Gatland ahead of next Saturday’s Twickenham appointment with England.

The WRU said: “James Botham (Cardiff Rugby) has been released from the squad due to a knee injury picked up during Wales’ 26-27 defeat to Scotland on Saturday.

“He will continue his rehabilitation back at his club.”

Botham scored Wales’ opening try during a thrilling second half against the Scots that saw them fight back to within a point after trailing 27-0.

His Cardiff team-mate Alex Mann, who also touched down, replaced him on his Test debut and now looks a likely starter against England.

Botham’s problem is another back-row injury blow for Gatland, with World Cup co-captain Jac Morgan and 104 times-capped number eight Taulupe Faletau out of the tournament.

Lewis, who has won 54 caps, was a surprise omission from Gatland’s original Six Nations squad.

And he now becomes the fourth tighthead in the group, joining Leon Brown, who started against Scotland but went off at half-time due to an injury, Keiron Assiratti and uncapped Bath forward Archie Griffin.

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