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Recap: England vs Wales LIVE | Summer Series


Eddie Jones and Billy Vunipola
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Follow all the action from the Quilter Internationals live on RugbyPass as England host Wales at Twickenham.

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England’s build-up to this autumn’s World Cup begins in earnest on Sunday when Wales visit Twickenham in the first of four preparation Tests leading into Japan 2019.

Here, PA examines five talking points for the game.

Fight club

England have not even departed for the Far East yet and already evidence of internal strife has emerged. Ben Te’o and Mike Brown were involved in a scuffle during a social event at the squad’s training camp in Treviso last week and were jettisoned for this Wales game as a result. Details are sketchy and perspective needed when assessing the significance of the incident, but it proves there is not harmony throughout the squad.

Openside experiment foiled

A triple injury blow on the eve of the match has seen centre Henry Slade, flanker Sam Underhill and wing Ruaridh McConnochie ruled out. Underhill is the most prominent of these as Eddie Jones had hoped to see him play in tandem with Tom Curry. Both are specialist opensides and by picking them together, the back row would have been given an injection of dynamism.

Willi Heinz

England are in a bind at scrum-half, where there is no obvious hierarchy below first choice Ben Youngs, but the vacuum has created an opportunity for New Zealander Willi Heinz. The uncapped 32-year-old, who qualifies through his maternal grandmother, has been catapulted into the frame for World Cup selection on the strength of a strong season at Gloucester knowing he is bound for Japan if he delivers against Wales.

Wales at full bore

In a surprise selection, Wales head coach Warren Gatland has picked his strongest available team numbering 13 starters from the Grand Slam-clinching victory over Ireland in March. Meanwhile, England have picked a largely fringe team led by George Ford that could be swept aside if Wales start their World Cup preparations with a bang.

Take a bow Alun Wyn

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It may only be a World Cup warm-up match but it will be an occasion that lives long in the memory of Alun Wyn Jones, who will become Wales’ most-capped player with 135 international appearances including nine for the Lions. Gatland has led the tributes to a modern great who could be lifting the World Cup this autumn.

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Phantom 32 minutes ago
Nations Championship: 'The data shows the north has finally caught up with the south'

Fact: the gap between the North and the South has narrowed considerably - that I get. However, determining that only selecting only Home grown players or playing in the home country is is the optimal strategy is a bit of a toss up and highly reliant on the economies of the home union. I do understand that England and to a lesser degree Ireland selects home based only. The top 14 is a massive threat to their domestic product. France would probably not be affected (the money is at home). Fiji, Argentina, Samoa, Italy and you could even argue Scotland have only benefitted from this. Their players either go overseas to learn at higher levels (Fiji, Samoa, Argentina) or players coming into their leagues to strengthen the home product and their National teams (Scotland, Italy, Japan).

South Africa used to limit its selection to the home based players, but the reality of a weak currency vs what players could earn oversees meant that you lost access to your best players at some stage of their careers, with very few exceptions. Kolbe left SA as he was considered too small for International Rugby (yes coaches/selectors view), but ironically in France he forced selectors to notice his endeavors and select him. He is only reaching 50 caps now despite being north of 30 - granted rotation and the odd injury also played a role, but for the most part it is having debuted or becoming a regular so late.



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