Not for almost two decades have England headed for Cardiff sounding as quietly confident as they have done this week. It guarantees them nothing, of course, but it is years since a visiting Six Nations coach came across as more expectant than Eddie Jones on the eve of a fixture that has haunted England so often in the past.
Jones has mostly been busy highlighting the rising expectation on Welsh shoulders of late but, after naming an increasingly predictable English starting XV, it was his reply to the final question of his press briefing that betrayed England’s true mindset. Above all else the Australian wants his side to display “real steel” and is convinced it will be forthcoming. “I know we’re going to get it,” he said, repeating the sentence for emphasis. “I can see it in the players’ eyes now.”
Every player is conscious of the folly of getting carried away prematurely and then not delivering but Jones, eager to talk up Wales’s 11-game unbeaten run, believes that is more of a concern for the home team at present. “They’re going to be full of emotions. They’ve been saying they’re ready to rip off heads, that the senior players are holding them back. Our job is to be like that heavyweight boxer that comes in, knows exactly what he’s going to do, waits for the opportunity for the knockout and then takes it.”
Having seen his side stick four tries on Ireland in Dublin this month, Jones also insists his players will not be unnerved by the Principality Stadium tumult. “It’s one of those games where we want to have plenty of aggression and toughness but we need to be able to channel it in the right direction. We need to be able to play tough and think smart. If we do that we’ll put ourselves in a great position to win the game.”
Every coach, naturally, is obliged to talk up their own squad and there are plenty of instances of England teams failing to fulfil bold forecasts in Cardiff, not least in 2013 when they lost 30-3. In this England camp, nevertheless, there really does seem to be a growing belief that significant strides have been made this winter, with more still to come in their so-far unbeaten Six Nations.
Injuries to Mako Vunipola and Chris Ashton may have removed two high-profile talents but the Exeter duo of Ben Moon and Jack Nowell, in certain respects, will make England even tougher nuts to crack. Moon knows his clubmate Tomas Francis inside out and while the opposite is also true, England’s scrum will be no weaker for the presence of the unassuming Chief, whose previous trip to the Principality Stadium was for an Ed Sheeran concert. Nowell was unlucky to dropped after the Ireland game in the first place and is the type of player who loves this kind of occasion.
The mischievous Jones, meanwhile, is relishing every second of the buildup. Whether people choose to fall for his wind-ups is not, ultimately, the point; the aim is simply to make the opposition think twice and, ideally, take their eyes off the ball. Hence the repeated narrative of Wales being under more pressure than England. “It’s a big week for them, a lot of expectation,” said Jones, lobbing up another teasing googly. “That can either be wind in your sails or a ball and chain. We will find out which one on Saturday.”
For good measure there was also a sly sideswipe at Wales’s frequently direct playing style under Warren Gatland’s stewardship, conveniently ignoring the fact that England do not look to play radically differently to that. “They went away from ‘Wazza-ball’ and started to pass a lot more but now they have sort of come back to a middle ground … it’s a good balance and that’s one of the reasons why they’ve had such a good winning run.”
The cherry on the top for Welsh consumption? Step forward their old friend Will Carling, the former England captain who has been assisting England’s mental preparations. “I think the players are becoming more relaxed with Will. Increasingly he’s sharing stories with them and that’s an invaluable part of our buildup,” Jones said.
In the same breath, however, he could be heard admitting England need no additional motivation. “How lucky are we to be an England side going to play Wales at their best. We’re excited by the fact there will be 65,000 people in there going nuts and we’ve got a chance to spoil that party. We don’t need to talk about anything else.”
This particular England starting lineup contains 509 caps, with the giant Bath wing Joe Cokanasiga drafted on to the bench alongside the Wasps flanker Brad Shields and Exeter’s Harry Williams. The big question, though, is whether Gatland will have the last laugh in his final Six Nations meeting with England as Wales coach. “Well, it might be a factor for them, either positive or negative,” Jones said. “I’m not sure – and to be honest, I don’t really care.” Saturday’s game will be fun, as will the post-match press conferences.