Six Nations 2017: How many Welsh players feature in a Wales vs England combined XV?
Davies or Joseph? North or Nowell? Webb or Youngs?
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Your support makes all the difference.Wales welcome England to the Principality Stadium on Saturday in a match which always throws up an atmosphere that no other fixture in the Six Nations can.
Tens of thousands of Welshmen and women will flock to Cardiff decked out in daffodil headrests and draped in flags with the intention of making it a cauldron of intimidation for the English.
The game will be the biggest between the two sides since the World Cup as both vie for top spot in the championship ahead of next week’s break week.
So many top drawer players will be on show in Cardiff, so The Independent has looked at who would make a composite XV, based on current form and fitness. That means no George Kruis or Billy Vunipola – and no Taulupe Faletau or James Haskell who, although they are in the matchday 23, miss out in their starting XVs.
1. Joe Marler
Marler made a remarkable recovery from a broken leg to be fit in time for the opening game against France and put in a fine performance. He just edges out Rob Evans, who regains his place in the starting XV for Wales this week after a commanding performance from the bench against Italy.
2. Dylan Hartley
Ken Owens and Scott Baldwin are fighting over this position for Wales but Hartley is a man you want at the front of your scrum in high-pressure situations. His aggression and leadership win him the position here.
3. Dan Cole
A very close one but Cole has this position sewn up for England while Samson Lee has been dropped for the Welsh in favour of Tom Francis. He is more experienced than the Welsh pair but needs to prove himself on the weekend.
4. Courtney Lawes
Lawes has gone from England’s fourth choice lock to starting in the Six Nations. His powerful running and hard-hitting tackles have put him ahead of Joe Launchbury and Jake Ball in this team.
5. Alun Wyn Jones
Jones would be captain of this team ahead of Hartley after a fantastic performance last week against Italy. His Ospreys coach said he always puts in an eight out of 10 performance and will surely lead the Lions in New Zealand this summer.
6. Maro Itoje
Very harsh on Sam Warburton, who was the outstanding blindside in the opening round of games, but Itoje is yet to taste defeat in the international arena – even though the majority of those games have had him in the second row.
7. Justin Tipuric
Tipuric is the complete back rower. He has all the pace, skill and fitness of a centre, but can do it all from openside. It takes some player to displace Sam Warburton from his Wales position but Tipuric has done it, so he beats Jack Clifford to the No 7 shirt.
8.Nathan Hughes
The Wasps number eight may be inexperienced but his is a real battering ram moulded in the shape of the absent Billy Vunipola. It’s maybe slightly harsh on Ross Moriarty to miss out, given how willing the Welsh are to allow Taulupe Faletau to return to action from the bench, rather than from the start.
9. Rhys Webb
Another very close call between Webb and Ben Youngs but the Welshman just edges it, even though he is still finding his full fitness. Webb is a constant try threat, always looking to make something happen and looked sharp against Italy last weekend.
10. George Ford
Neither Ford nor Biggar have found their best form and both England and Wales improved in their opening fixtures when their fly-halves were removed. Ford edges it because of how he played during the autumn internationals but everyone remembers the performance Biggar put in against England in the World Cup.
11. Liam Williams
Williams is arguably the best full-back on show at the Principality Stadium on Saturday but he is out on the wing for Wales to accommodate Leigh Halfpenny so that’s where he will fit into the composite XV too. His bravery in the air boarders on stupidity and Williams offers a lot more in attack and defence to England’s Elliot Daly.
12. Owen Farrell
Will probably find himself back at 10 towards the end of the game but has been one of England’s best players under Eddie Jones. Scott Williams is a fine centre but Farrell has to play for the way he generals his players around the pitch.
13. Jonathan Davies
Against Italy, Davies looked like he was finding the sort of form that kept Brian O’Driscoll out of the Lions team in 2013. While Jonathan Joseph has x-factor, Davies takes the jersey for now – although Joseph’s last trip to Cardiff certainly brought the best out in him.
14. George North
A huge injury doubt, but well worth the gamble. North has scored in each of his last five Six Nations games and they have been brilliant tries as well. His 70-metre burst in the 78th minute with a dead leg showed just how dangerous he can be, and why Wales must get him in the game as much as possible.
15. Leigh Halfpenny
Halfpenny’s goalkicking is as good as anyone else’s in the world and his man-of-the-match performance in Italy was a sign he is getting back to his best. Mike Brown has performed well during England’s perfect year but Halfpenny gets the nod here.
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