Online Reporter
RARELY in the 145-year history of AngloWelsh rugby can England have been such overwhelming favourites as they will be when they face Wales in the teams’ Six Nations opener at Twickenham today.
England, 66-to-1 favourites in a two-horse race with one bookmaker, go into the match on an 11-game winning streak.
Wales, by contrast, have lost 21 of their last 23 tests, a sequence that includes a 68-14 Six Nations thrashing by England in Cardiff last season.
England’s run suggests they are genuine contenders to win the Six Nations for the first time in six years.
It is a decade since England last won a Grand Slam but coach Steve Borthwick, abandoning his usual caution, has already made it clear he wants his side competing for a clean sweep in their tournament finale away to France on March 14.
Meanwhile, for Wales problems have been intensified by a bitter row over the Welsh Rugby Union’s plans to reduce the number of the nation’s professional clubs from four to three.
But Wales flanker Josh Macleod, who will be making his Six Nations debut, insists all is not yet lost for the visitors against an England side who’ve added an increasingly expansive backline game to their traditional forward strength.
“There is always that physical edge in AngloWelsh matches,” said Macleod.
“We are there, we’ll look after our own house, and whatever they throw at us, we will be ready.”
Physicality, however, has often been an issue for a Wales side without a win in the Championship since 2023.
Since rugby union turned professional, England have never won the Six Nations in the year immediately after a British and Irish Lions tour, with this edition following the combined side’s 2025 series win in Australia.
The last England team to buck that pattern were the 1963 side that won the then amateur Five Nations. England also have a front-row injury crisis ahead of today’s match, while captain Maro Itoje is on the bench after missing some of the squad’s preparations to attend the funeral of his mother.
The Three Lions are also sweating on the fitness of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso after the dynamic wing failed to finish training on Thursday with an unspecified leg issue.
Jamie George, a former England captain and a longtime teammate of Itoje at Saracens, will lead the hosts out on Saturday, with the experienced hooker urging his side to embrace the weight of expectation upon them.
“I’ve been around too long not to lean into being favourites,” said George. “The elephant in the room – we’ve been in good form recently. We haven’t shied away from it.”
Wales coach Steve Tandy has fond memories of Twickenham from his time as Scotland defence chief, helping the Dark Blues to memorable Six Nations wins in 2021 and 2023.
“Winning at Twickenham, at such an iconic stadium, is incredible,” said Tandy. He added: “Going up to England I find it exciting. For our group I know ‘intimidating’ and ‘daunting’ are words which people will throw out which is understandable. “But we have to be excited about how we can go and attack this game.”
Borthwick has forecast Wales will resort to a kicking game at Twickenham, a view supported by Tandy moving Louis Rees-Zammit from wing to full-back, where he replaces the diminutive Blair Murray.
“Zammo is threatening and if there is a kick that is too long then something can happen, as we have seen for Bristol,” said Tandy.
“I am excited by his aerial work as well. As much as he is quick, he is a big man as well.” Scotland seek win over Italy Meanwhile, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend will be hoping his side secure a convincing win over Italy in Rome and ease some of the pressure on him.
The 52-year-old has been in his post since 2017, but despite a talented group of players they have failed to reach the last eight in two World Cups and under-performed in the Six Nations.
Their last two campaigns have been especially underwhelming, finishing fourth in both with just two wins in each edition, and last year’s was followed by poor results in the autumn.
The defeats by New Zealand and Argentina typified Scotland under Townsend, promising much but failing to seize their chance or building a significant lead and then letting it slip.
They fought back to 17-17 from 17-0 down to the All Blacks, but lost 25-17, and then boos rang out at Murrayfield when having led the Pumas 21-0 with 25 minutes remaining they ended up the wrong side of a 33-24 scoreline.
Townsend signed a new contract back in September, but the brutal manner in which New Zealand fired head coach Scott Robertson in January serves as a salutary reminder there is no standing on ceremony if results fail to stack up.
Townsend has also had to cope with the fallout from a report in Britain’s Daily Telegraph he is to take over as Newcastle coach – he is a part-time consultant to club owners Red Bull – following the conclusion of the 2027 World Cup.
“There’s no truth I’ve signed the contract beyond the World Cup and my focus is on the Scotland team right now and hopefully up to the World Cup,” added Townsend.
“It’s a story that is being put out there to try to disrupt ahead of this game or next week’s game against England.”
Their last visit to Rome in 2024 highlighted again their inability to hold onto a lead. They led the Italians by 12 points at one stage but again failed to close the game out and lost 31-29. Veteran prop Pierre Schoeman admits something needs to be done.
“When the momentum shift goes away, limit those mistakes,” Schoeman told the BBC. “Our 22-metre conversion rate has to be better.
Our mental resilience and momentum in the last 20 minutes has to be better as well. “We have to be better at closing games out,” added the 31-year-old, who will play in his 21st successive Six Nations match today Townsend has certainly been bold in his team selection for the Italy game – a clash of the only two sides not to have won the Six Nations title since it came into being in 2000.
Duhan van der Merwe, Scotland’s joint top try-scorer of all time with 29, and British and Irish Lions full-back Blair Kinghorn fail to even make the matchday 23.
Darcy Graham, who shares the try scoring record with van der Merwe, is only on the bench.
Tom Jordan starts at full-back, in place of Kinghorn, flanked by Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie.
Steyn and Dobie are two of nine Glasgow players in the starting 15 – a reward for the team’s fine form this season in both the European Champions Cup and the United Rugby Championship.
Fixtures: Today:
Italy v Scotland (Stadio Olympico, Rome,); England v Wales (Allianz Stadium – Twickenham, London, 6:40pm) -AFP Sport.
