Wales urged to get their ‘detail’ right in crunch England clash

Adam Beard says that Wales’ attention to detail must be spot-on when they target a first Six Nations victory over England at Twickenham for 10 years.

Wales have only won there twice in Six Nations history – Grand Slam campaigns of 2008 and 2012 – and they will again arrive as underdogs on Saturday.

Beard and company also know that a second defeat of this season’s campaign will effectively end all hope of a successful title defence.

“It’s about getting our detail right from minute one to minute 80,” Wales vice-captain Beard said. “But it is definitely important that we come out firing from the offset tomorrow and we start well.

“This is the one you do look forward to, and there is probably a bit more heat on it because it is Wales versus England.

“As long as we are confident going into tomorrow – we have had a good week’s training going into this – and as long as we get our stuff right tomorrow, I am sure we will have a pretty good day.”

Wales will encounter an England side shorn of powerhouse centre Manu Tuilagi, whose first Six Nations appearance for almost two years has been dashed by injury, with either Joe Marchant or Elliot Daly set to replace him.

Beard added: “He is a quality player and he has probably been unlucky with a few injuries. But in terms of our preparation, it doesn’t really change.

“Whoever comes in to replace him will be a quality replacement, so we know there are going to be threats along the back-line.

“We know it is definitely going to take an 80-minute performance to get the win over a tough side like England. To get one up against England is definitely on the bucket-list for any player.”

While Wales have four players in their starting line-up who were part of the victorious World Cup team at Twickenham seven years ago, it will be a new experience for prospects like flanker Taine Basham.

The 22-year-old Dragons forward has excelled during his nine-cap Test career, and a first Twickenham Test match appearance now awaits in a reshaped back-row alongside Ross Moriarty and Taulupe Faletau.

“He has been awesome, to be fair. He is just a bundle of energy,” lock Beard said.

“You just look at his work-rate around the park, he just gives us that go-forward and that spark. He has been great ever since he has come in.

“He is a confident character, but for someone like him he needs to breathe that confidence because that is when he brings the best out of himself.

“These youngsters have got to be confident, they have got to push their chest out, go out there and give the best account of themselves.”

Wales captain Dan Biggar, meanwhile, readily acknowledges England’s strengths up-front.

“England’s driving maul and set-piece traditionally is always very strong,” Biggar said.

“Whoever you play against, you want to limit their strengths, so if we can keep the number of driving mauls and set-pieces they have to a minimum, then it gives us a good chance of taking a particular strength away from England.

“We want to try and keep the ball in play quite high and back ourselves that way, as opposed to giving England a lot of set-pieces and allowing them to get one of their strengths going.”