England’s Regan ready to rumble
Wales head to Twickenham, where they have not won for 20 years, after a prolonged build-up dominated by Warren Gatland’s mind games.
The new Wales coach has talked about his team needing to be ready for a possible bloodbath, while also highlighting recalled England full-back Iain Balshaw’s perceived weaknesses and questioning the Rugby Football Union when they failed to offer red rose boss Brian Ashton a fixed long-term contract.
Ashton’s England make their Twickenham return this weekend, just over three months after reaching a second successive World Cup final.
And Bristol hooker Regan, who has never been part of a losing England team against Wales during his 43-cap Test career, is braced for scrap.
He said: “It is a physical game. We will take everything thrown at us.
“We know the Welsh are in high spirits because they have got new coaches but every team that comes here (Twickenham) wants to take a scalp.
“There has been a lot of talking but the talking has to be done on the pitch.
“There is never a friendly match with the Welsh.”
Regan, who has opted against following the likes of Jason Robinson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Mike Catt and Martin Corry into Test retirement, is among eight starting line-up survivors from the World Cup final.
And at 36, he is the oldest player in an England side eager to preserve a 25-year record of not losing an opening Five or Six Nations game at Twickenham.
Gloucester number eight Luke Narraway makes his England debut in a back-row shorn of Dallaglio, Corry and the injured trio Joe Worsley, Nick Easter and Tom Croft.
England reported a fit and healthy squad yesterday, with debutant Luke Narraway and prop Andrew Sheridan recovered from a bug that affected them in midweek.
And England, Six Nations also-rans during the past four seasons following their Grand Slam triumph in 2003, cannot afford to slip up against Wales, given they then face three successive away games.
Ashton said: “The edge is still there because this is international rugby. And the edge is still there because it is England versus Wales. We want to take our game forward, but the key is to get the basics right. If we can take our game forward, fantastic. If we don’t, I couldn’t give a monkeys if we win the game.”
England’s possible supremacy in the set-piece areas — plus Wilkinson’s goalkicking — should keep Wales at bay, while giant rugby league recruit Lesley Vainikolo is waiting to be unleashed from the bench.
Wales, though, with the likes of James Hook, Gavin Henson and Shane Williams on board, have enough match-winners to end their barren Twickenham run.
But perhaps the biggest threat to England is flanker Martyn Williams, who has been persuaded out of international retirement by Gatland.
Ashton added yesterday: “Our players are well aware of what Martyn Williams brings to the side. He is one of the outstanding players in world rugby.”
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