Big ‘psychological’ game, says Gatland

Wales boss Warren Gatland has billed Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations showdown between England and Wales as a big “psychological” game ahead of the 2015 World Cup.

This weekend’s encounter will keep one team in the Six Nations title race and effectively end silverware hopes of the other.

But it will also provide an early pointer towards next year’s World Cup, with England, Wales and Australia all drawn in the same pool.

“It’s a big game psychologically for both teams because we have to go there (Twickenham) next year as well. That’s going to be even bigger than this Sunday,” said Gatland, who has recalled fit-again centre Jonathan Davies and lock Alun-Wyn Jones to his starting side. “We have two big games at Twickenham in the World Cup against England and Australia.

“If we can win on Sunday, that is four in a row (against England) and if we then win the Six Nations as well, you start having a few doubts.

“The Wales starting team won’t be too far off 1,000 caps when it comes to the World Cup, and it won’t be too far off its peak in terms of the age profile.”

Regarding his team selection for this weekend, Gatland said it was not a difficult decision to recall Lions star Davies.

Davies has been sidelined from Test rugby for four months and has seen just 105 minutes of competitive action for the Scarlets since suffering a torn pectoral muscle during Wales’ opening autumn series defeat by South Africa on November 9.

But the 25-year-old centre, a key performer in the Lions’ Test series triumph against Australia last summer, returns to resume his powerful midfield partnership with Jamie Roberts. With Davies back, George North, who deputised in the number 13 shirt against France last month, reverts to his familiar wing position, with Liam Williams dropping out. “Davies has been training really hard,” Gatland added. “He is a world-class player, so it wasn’t difficult for us to make that call.”

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