Here is your rugby news for Sunday February 20 as talk turns to the big one which draws closer at Twickenham.
Brown totally dismissive of Wales
Former England star Mike Brown has fired the first bullet ahead of Saturday's mouthwatering showdown with Wales by claiming not one single Welsh player would get into the Red Rose side.
In comments for a newspaper column which Wayne Pivac may choose to pin on the Twickenham away dressing room wall, Brown completely dismissed the Wales stars and predicted England would coast to victory.
The 72-times capped full-back has become something of a figure Welsh fans aren't overly keen on and was involved in an infamous bust-up with Sam Warburton, not a man you want to be messing with, during Wales' epic 28-25 World Cup win at Twickenham a few years back.
His fresh comments are hardly likely to endear him to rugby folk this side of the Bridge, either.
But Brown went in with full barrels by writing in the Mail : "One of my memories of playing against Wales is the ‘combined XV’ articles that would always be churned out on the week of the game.
"They would cherry-pick the best players from the two sides. During the Warren Gatland era, it would always be a pretty even split of English and Welsh.
"Based on what I’ve seen of Wales in the opening two rounds, they don’t have a single player who would get into the England XV right now."
Brown continued: "Josh Adams has the strongest case, but only because England have been playing a centre and full-back on the wings."
That appears to be a reference to Jones selecting Saracens full-back Max Malins and Harlequins centre Joe Marchant out wide in the Six Nations thus far at the expense of orthodox wings.
In full flow, Brown went on: "People will say ‘What about Louis Rees-Zammit?’ but I would rather have Adam Radwan if you want speed."
That, it seems, is rather a stretch, with Newcastle man Radwan not in the same league as Rees-Zammit.
However, Brown was sticking to his guns and predicted: "This Wales team isn’t anywhere near the quality of some of their recent line-ups and England should beat them comfortably.
"If Joe Launchbury comes back at lock with Courtney Lawes on the flank, I can’t see Wales matching their physicality in the pack.
"If England can play with tempo and move the ball to the wide channels, they should cause any manner of problems."
Wales, of course, won the last meeting between the two teams 40-24 en route to becoming Six Nations champions as tries by Adams, Liam Williams, Kieran Hardy and Cory Hill saw Pivac's side run away with it in the final quarter.
That result brought elation in Wales, where everyone knows England is the scalp wanted the most, but Brown revealed within the English dressing room the reverse is true too.
"Wales is the game that you always want to win. The rivalry is massive and you get absolutely hammered if you lose," he wrote.
"I remember Welsh fans banging on the bus after they beat us in Cardiff once. Joe Marler went down to the door and dragged one of them on to the bus. It was in good spirits but it gave the fan a shock! We drove off and realised this guy had dropped his glasses on the floor in panic and Marler wore them back to the hotel!"
The two teams have identical Won one, Lost one records in this year's Six Nations. Wales were dreadful in Ireland but bounced back to beat Scotland.
Jones' men lost their opener to the Scots and then thrashed Italy.
Saturday's game is must-win for Wales if they are to retain their Six Nations crown, and also for England if they are to have any hope of winning the Championship this year.
The game rarely needs building up, but some will feel Brown's early shots have just given it extra spice already.
That said, it's hard to argue with his assertion that Gatland's Wales team was better than Pivac's current class, given the extensive injury list which rules out the likes of George North, Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi and Alun Wun Jones.
Itoje ready for 'amazing' clash
England colossus Maro Itoje reckons the public are in for an 'amazing' feast when Wales head to Twickenham next weekend.
Itoje says England might need to win the match several times over because of what the occasion means to Wales and the stubborn resistance he expects from Wayne Pivac's side.
"Games against Wales are always intense and tough. There's a lot of passion, a lot of pride on either side of the field," said Itoje.
"They tend to be enjoyable, high-pressure games - the games you want to be a part of. These are the matches that you want to play in.
"Twickenham, a packed house, against Wales – it will be amazing. Truly special atmosphere.
"Wales are a team that never give up, they're no mugs, they are a very good outfit and they play some good rugby.
"They are a team you have to have your focus on and concentration for throughout the 80 minutes.
"If you slip up too much you'll fall behind so we want to be bold, we want to put our best foot forward and we want to take advantage of the opportunities we have in front of us."
Faletau on brink of Wales return
Taulupe Faletau will learn today whether he is back in the Wales fold just in time for the Twickenham clash.
The back-row ace showed up well as he played the full 80 minutes in Bath's narrow 24-20 defeat to Premiership leaders Leicester on Saturday, following on from an impressive showing against Wasps.
These were Faletau's first matches in seven months after the ankle injury he sustained during last summer’s Lions tour of South Africa.
The 86-cap Wales No 8 started the two games on the blindside flank, demonstrating his versatility.
Pivac has a decision to make as he looks for greater selection options for the rest of the Six Nations.
And Bath head coach Neal Hatley full expects to lose Faletau at some point during the remainder of the Championship.
“He is a world class player, you would never say he has been out for seven months,” said Hatley.
“He was good last week and he backed up again today.
“He is just going to get better and better and I expect to lose him to Wales in the next two or three weeks - he is such a good player.
“I am going to turn my phone off and if I see that Welsh number from Wayne Pivac we won’t answer!
“We want to keep him, but I imagine at some stage he will get a call.”
Make Test rugby 'like the Super Bowl'
Wales legend Mike Phillips has backed calls to make rugby more like the Super Bowl to create entertainment that promotes the game to a wider audience.
The idea was mooted by Maro Itoje after over 29 million households in the United States watched last weekend as artists such as Eminem, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent performed at half-time of the clash between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams.
Itoje, who is represented by Jay-Z's 'Roc Nation Sports', believes the NFL's approach to its showpiece event should be emulated by a sport that is seeking to broaden its appeal.
"I didn't watch the Super Bowl but I did see the half-time show and that would be amazing if somehow that could be replicated in rugby," the England second row said.
"It was a spectacle and a lot of people are talking about how great a match it was, but the half-time show has brought a lot of eyes to the Super Bowl itself, so it's mutually beneficial.
"Those artists - that's almost the hottest ticket in town - the chance to perform in a half-time show, so I'm sure they are very happy. The show was brilliant and if that could be replicated somehow in rugby that would be great."
Former Wales and Lions scrum-half Phillips supported the cause by tweeting overnight, "100 per cent let's grow the game!"
To get the latest rugby news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for our Welsh rugby newsletter.
