England's Six Nations ambitions on the line against Wales / Photo: Adrian Dennis - AFP/File
England's Six Nations ambitions on the line against Wales
England head into their Six Nations finale against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday knowing a bonus-point win will give them their best chance of a first championship title in five years.
But the uncertainty of which England team will turn up at the Principality Stadium remains.
England scored seven tries in a 47-24 defeat of Italy at Twickenham last week, the game after being outscored three tries to one in a nervy 16-15 win at home to Scotland.
Steve Borthwick's side can put the pressure on leaders France, who have a vastly superior points difference, but Les Bleus will likely secure the title if they defeat Scotland later on Saturday.
The match against a Wales side on a national record losing streak of 16 successive Tests and staring at a second straight Six Nations wooden spoon still promises to be a useful measure of England's progress.
World champions South Africa or New Zealand would likely pulverise Wales in their current condition, as France did at the start of this Six Nations with a 43-0 rout in Paris.
England, however, have yet to demonstrate a similarly ruthless streak, with Wales showing the risk in not fully taking advantage of their faltering pack when they came from 35-8 down against Scotland at Murrayfield last week before narrowly losing 35-29.
- 'Play the way we want to' -
England coach Borthwick has often preached the worth of cohesion this tournament yet has repeatedly made unenforced changes to his side.
Against Wales, centre Ollie Lawrence was ruled out with an Achilles injury suffered early on against Italy.
But Borthwick has made several alterations, recalling Marcus Smith at full-back while Tommy Freeman, on the wing against Italy, is now at outside centre as the 24-year-old attempts to match France wing Philippe Bernat-Salles' 2001 feat of scoring a try in every round of a Six Nations.
Sale wing Tom Roebuck gets his first Test start, with veteran utility back Elliot Daly moved to the other wing as Ollie Sleightholme drops out of the matchday 23 entirely, with the new-look back three well-versed in dealing with the high ball should Wales opt for that tactic.
Up front, hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and flanker Ben Curry, playing in the back-row alongside twin brother Tom, also start in a team still captained by lock Maro Itoje.
"Wherever we play we want to make sure we play the way we want to, and find a way to win," said former England captain Borthwick.
Roebuck, meanwhile, insisted: "We are not complacent in any way. We know Wales pose a very big threat... The atmosphere there (at the Principality) is going to be intense."
Saturday will mark the the end of Matt Sherratt's three-game spell as interim Wales coach after the Cardiff boss was parachuted in mid-tournament following a woeful defeat by Italy that signalled the end of Warren Gatland's unsuccessful second spell in charge.
"I would love to sign off (with a win), not for me but for the players and staff who have been here for a long time," said Sherratt, who has given a start on the wing to Scarlets centre Joe Roberts in place of the injured Tom Rogers.
"There will be emotion on Saturday. It is getting that balance between heart and brain," added the Englishman, who will look to experienced fly-half Gareth Anscombe to steer a Wales team where the recalled Aaron Wainwright joins impressive captain Jac Morgan in the back row.
"There will be stacks of heart. We need to get our game on the pitch."
B.A.Bauwens--JdB
