England vs Wales LIVE: Rugby result and reaction after Owen Farrell red card in Rugby World Cup warm-up

Wales boss Warren Gatland says he is “pretty confident” that star back-row forward Taulupe Faletau will be available for World Cup selection.

The Cardiff number eight, who has won 100 caps, will play no part in Wales’ tournament warm-up schedule as he continues his recovery from a calf muscle injury.

He is not involved against England at Twickenham on Saturday, and has also been ruled out of contention to face world champions South Africa in Cardiff on Saturday week.

Gatland said: “Taulupe won’t be available next week.

“He trained pretty well , he is not feeling anything in his calf, so we are pretty confident he is available for selection.”

“Ben is a brilliant player. He’s a game-changing player at times and he’s worked exceptionally hard to have as much impact as he does,” Farrell said.

“I’m chuffed for him that he’s got a start and I’m excited to see him run out on Saturday.”

“We are really clear that we have a lot of work to do,” Farrell said. “But we have an exciting time ahead of us and that’s leading massively into Saturday.

“We want to be in the position to be able to take the opportunities in front of us and to work hard so that we are able to move the ball.

“Everyone has to be a part of it, and we have been working hard this week to do that.”.

“We are all excited here,” he said. “This weekend is an opportunity to show what we can do. We want to be in the best place possible for the World Cup, and we’re building towards that. Playing Wales at Twickenham is a fantastic opportunity for the team and we’re all excited to get out there.”

A reminder about last week, then, where England put in a dismal display, hitting their confidence in the build-up to France.

Second-half tries from Gareth Davies and George North staved off a fifth successive home loss for Wales as England boss Steve Borthwick was given plenty to ponder less than 48 hours before he names his World Cup squad.

Few players left lasting impressions, although there were some impressive moments from fly-half Marcus Smith and No 8 Alex Dombrandt, with Wales responding superbly to a three-point interval deficit.

For England’s players, there is now certainty. After eight weeks in camp, an angsty performance against Wales and a restless Saturday night in a Cardiff hotel, the selection fretting is over; barring injury, illness or an act of God, Steve Borthwick has his chosen 33 for the World Cup.

Borthwick has named his squad a full three weeks before the World Rugby-imposed deadline. It is hoped that this clarity will be helpful; there was a sense in the England camp that the anxiety over selection among the players undermined their preparation for the trip to the Principality Stadium on Saturday. Now, those chosen have a clear run and peace of mind: Borthwick hopes his squad and preferred combinations have the time to build cohesion over the three remaining warm-up fixtures ahead of England’s tournament opener against Argentina on 9 September.

The Rugby World Cup starts on September 8 when host nation France take on New Zealand, in a match set to kick-start a thrilling competition.

An unbalanced draw sets up intrigue where sides other than the favourites of Ireland, France, New Zealand and South Africa could go further into the tournament than expected.

It will be the first time that the tournament returns to a nation that has been a previous sole host, after the 2007 edition was also held in France.

Chile make their tournament debut after beating Canada and the USA in Americas qualifying, while Portugal are set to return to the World Cup for the first time in 16 years.

There will be 20 teams headed to France and here’s a closer look at the squads and their fixtures:

Warren Gatland’s stamp is all over Wales

Last season’s Six Nations campaign – which marked Gatland returning for a second stint as Wales head coach – was one to forget, with a fifth-placed finish being accompanied by major off-field issues that almost led to a players’ strike. Fast-forward five months, though, and Wales appear to be a different beast. Demanding training camps in Switzerland and Turkey were followed by victory over England – “too fit for them” were Gatland’s words as he left the Principality Stadium last weekend – and it has been the New Zealander in his element, relishing a fourth World Cup campaign and loving nothing more than a chance to prove the doubters wrong.

Vunipola and Earl take centre-stage

If given the chance, Daly and Henry Arundell will provide thrills on the wing, but it is in the back-row where England’s most interesting picks reside. Vunipola makes his first Test appearance since the autumn – and because of a knee injury his maiden outing of any description since April. As the squad’s only specialist number eight and most destructive carrier in the forwards, he needs to hit the ground running. Earl, meanwhile, is rewarded for his perseverance with a full debut after winning all 15 previous caps as a replacement. Dynamic in attack, the Saracens openside can help ignite England.

Dewi Lake in the spotlight

Flanker Jac Morgan led Wales with distinction at the Principality Stadium last Saturday, putting himself in pole position to skipper his country at the World Cup. Gatland, though, has said he will use the August schedule to assess captaincy candidates, and 24-year-old Ospreys hooker Lake now steps forward on his international return after shoulder and knee injuries meant he did not play Test rugby last season. Lake is a proven performer at the highest level, and he is likely to soak up the extra responsibility that awaits him.