Ashton: toughest game yet to come

ENGLAND coach Brian Ashton has ignored struggling Wales’ miserable RBS 6 Nations season and predicted possibly his team’s “toughest game of the tournament” on Saturday.

The world champions will arrive at the Millennium Stadium having lost just once in Cardiff since 1993. And they still have a chance of securing Six Nations silverware, even though their points difference is considerably inferior to their title rivals France and Ireland.

Wales, in contrast, are favourites for the wooden spoon after suffering four successive defeats, including last weekend’s controversial loss to resurgent Italy.

An England victory would mean a tournament whitewash for the 2005 Grand Slam champions less than six months before they launch their World Cup campaign.

Despite a demoralising run of results, under-fire Wales coach Gareth Jenkins has retained the team on duty in Rome. And Ashton said: “With it being the last game of the championship and Wales having lost four out of four, and they are now playing England at the Millennium Stadium, means it is probably going to give them a bit between the teeth.

“It is not going to be an occasion for the faint-hearted. The Welsh are very passionate about their rugby and I am looking forward to going there.”

Ashton has made two changes from the side that ended France’s Grand Slam hopes with a 26-18 victory at Twickenham two days ago.

Injured Gloucester centre Mike Tindall is replaced in the number 13 shirt by Mathew Tait, who makes a first Six Nations start since his debut as an 18-year-old against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in 2005.

And Ashton can find no room for Tindall’s fellow World Cup winner Josh Lewsey, who misses out following an inconsistent campaign, and is replaced by Sale Sharks wing Mark Cueto at full-back.

Ashton added: “Mark Cueto has played full-back recently for Sale, and looking at the way we want to play our game, we are looking to have a player who is comfortable as a footballer with the back three.

“Talking with Josh last night, he is playing at 15 as he plays on the wing, and that is not how I want a 15 to play.”

While Lewsey will undoubtedly make a strong claim for England’s World Cup squad, Cueto now brings his prolific try-scoring ability at Test level into a back three alongside Jason Robinson and David Strettle, which is an exciting prospect.

The same could be said for Tait’s selection at outside centre, and there is little doubt that if the England forwards can reproduce the efforts they showed against France, then they possess a back division with scoring potential.

With Tait promoted to the starting line-up, his Newcastle colleague Jamie Noon features on the bench, joining England’s match-day 22 for the first time in this season’s Six Nations.

WALES v England: Millennium Stadium on Saturday: K Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons); M Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Llanelli Scarlets, capt), D Peel (Llanelli Scarlets); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Llanelli Scarlets), C Horsman (Worcester), I Gough (Newport Gwent Dragons), A-W Jones (Ospreys), A Popham (Llanelli Scarlets), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys).

Replacements: TR Thomas (Cardiff Blues), D Jones (Ospreys), A Jones (Ospreys), B Cockbain (Ospreys), J Thomas (Ospreys), M Phillips (Cardiff Blues), G Thomas (Toulouse)

ENGLAND: M Cueto (Sale Sharks); D Strettle (Harlequins), M Tait (Newcastle), M Catt (London Irish, capt), J Robinson (Sale Sharks); T Flood (Newcastle), H Ellis (Leicester); T Payne (Wasps), G Chuter (Leicester), J White (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester), T Palmer (Wasps), J Worsley (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), N Easter (Harlequins).

Replacements: L Mears (Bath), S Turner (Sale Sharks), L Deacon (Leicester), M Lund (Sale Sharks), S Perry (Bristol), S Geraghty (London Irish), J Noon (Newcastle).