England rugby legends warn not to write off Wales ahead of big Six Nations clash

Ahead of this weekend’s crunch Six Nations match between England and Wales, two legends of the English game, Ben Youngs and George Kruis, have had their say on the game – ultimately warning that the Welsh should never be written off.

Speaking as guests on ex-Scotland rugby international Jim Hamilton’s podcast, The Big Jim Show, they offered their thoughts on the highly anticipated game at Twickenham on Saturday between the two rivals. The pair also assessed England’s chances at this year’s Six Nations Championship following the side’s win against Italy in round one.

Both players warned England to never write off the Welsh side, despite the disappointing loss Warren Gatland’s men had against Scotland last week in Cardiff.

Youngs, a three-time Six Nations winner, believes that the side will be keen to bounce back after defeat and will go into the game with nothing to lose.

He said: “With Wales, I think this weekend, they’re coming to Twickenham and will essentially look at it as a free swing. Gatland will take all the pressure off them and tell how they’re going to do it and all the pressure is on them [England].

“Wales never go away, they always hang in there and have enough individual brilliance and flair to create opportunities. I think it makes for a great game. With England and Wales, no one really knows where their ceiling is yet, so it’s a good shootout really.”

Wales will be out to avenge the loss against England against Cardiff last year, the first at the Principality Stadium since 2017, and will look to spring an upset by beating England at Twickenham for the first time since the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Kruis who won 45 caps and is currently a consultant to the England national side warns to never underestimate a Welsh team and for England to expect a physical battle. Kruis said: “I remember coming home from the Millennium Stadium, there were always scraps and inside that pack battle was ferocious.

“Wales don’t give up. Sometimes you want a team to give up around the sixty-minute mark and they definitely don’t, so you’ll have that in the back of your mind. They run a lot, they keep the ball on the field a lot…all the obvious Gatland plays from the last 10 years or so still ring true. You know they’re going to work you.”

Speaking on the chances of England in the tournament and the side’s prospects of completing the coveted Grand Slam, the two were confident but believe that England can go all the way.

Youngs, who called time on his international career following last year’s Rugby World Cup, believes the current England side has great talent and could produce a more expansive game as the tournament grows. He said: “As an England fan, you’ve got a crop of youngsters coming through and a blend of experience that’s going to help them. I want to see the same team coming out and expand on what they did at the weekend. With every game you get better in the Six Nations, the same team you see in round one isn’t the same in round five.”

Kruis – also a three-time Six Nations winner with England – believes his old side can go all the way this year when asked on who will win: “England, firstly and I believe that. I think we’ve got a good team.

“Playing at Twickenham, it’s the first home game for us, we’ve got a decent young team, it’s pure excitement. We did well at the world cup, there’s no doubt about it… this is a good opportunity to get the fans on board, play good rugby and put a bit of a stamp on it.”

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