Anglo-Welsh rivalries will be renewed with England taking on Wales at Twickenham on Sunday the 10th of August.
Sunday throws up a clash between Six Nations heavyweights with reigning champions Wales taking on the English. While this game won’t have quite the same atmosphere surrounding it as this year’s Six Nations fixture, due to it being a World Cup warm-up match, we should still see quite the spectacle at Twickenham.
England v Wales
Sunday 11 August
Twickenham
15:00
To Win (80 Mins)
England 4/10
Draw 20/1
Wales 21/10
Handicap
England (-6.5) 9/10
Wales (+6.5) 9/10
*Forecast Handicap
England
Eddie Jones’ men will be looking to continue their good 2019 form when they take on the Welsh. The English mentor came in for a lot of stick during 2018 but his side has turned the corner this year putting in a solid showing on their way to finishing as runners-up at this year’s Six Nations.
With this being a warm-up game, Jones is likely to field a somewhat experimental side. He will be desperate to bolster his scrumhalf stocks which means we could well see former Canterbury Crusaders man Willi Heinz handed a Test debut. He may not be the most eye-catching of halfbacks but he will offer a solid squad option for England at the World Cup should he impress during their warm-up games.
Wales
The Dragons are enjoying a marvellous run-in to the 2019 global showpiece and currently sit in second on the IRB’s World Rankings. They come into these warm-up games off the back of a great Six Nations campaign that saw them claim the Grand Slam having won all five of their fixtures.
Like his counterpart, Welsh coach Warren Gatland may opt to hand a few caps to some of his fringe players in order to build depth for the World Cup. The one area he will need to reinforce is the eighth man berth where former incumbent Taulape Falatau’s season-ending injury has left a massive void in the squad.
Verdict: Wales (+6.5) 9/10 *Forecast Handicap
With both teams coming off the back of long breaks this could be a battle of attrition. Wales are just the type of side who would relish such a game.
