Whether Wales v England goes ahead in the Six Nations this Saturday remains to be seen, with the threat of players striking very real amid huge uncertainty over their futures.
What isn't in doubt is the fact Warren Gatland and his Wales squad will be preparing as if there will be a game. On Tuesday, Gatland will name his Wales side to face Steve Borthwick's England side in Cardiff this weekend. The New Zealander has opted to name his side two days earlier than expected.
We asked WalesOnline rugby correspondents Ben James and Steffan Thomas to each name their predicted Wales matchday 23 ahead of the official team announcement on Tuesday. Here's what they came up with:
Ben James: Start Owen Williams and build centre depth
Given all that is going on in Welsh rugby right now, it feels a little odd to be picking a side to face England. After all, we don't even know if the match will go ahead. It's also quite difficult to know how selection will go, given recent performances are being viewed through the context provided by the last week or so.
But, if we go along with Warren Gatland's thinking so far in this Six Nations — building depth quickly — then maybe this is where he'll go. With Louis Rees-Zammit back, he will come into the starting side, so it's just a case of what you do with the current back-three. Liam Williams is short of minutes this season and Wales could do with developing full-back options beyond him, so it might be worthwhile looking at Josh Adams at full-back. Rio Dyer deserves to be backed at this level as he has shown glimpses in trying circumstances.
In midfield, it might be a little radical to pair uncapped Mason Grady with Joe Hawkins, but we're running out of time before the World Cup to get a look at midfield options. If not now, then when? Keiran Williams deserves a look-in at some point, but maybe Italy in round four could be the perfect game for that.
Experimenting with Wales' half-back partnerships could be worthwhile. Give Owen Williams a start alongside namesake Tomos, then bring Dan Biggar off the bench alongside Rhys Webb to control things late on.
In the pack, Wales might bring back Tomas Francis and Taulupe Faletau, with the latter raising a question over the back-row dynamic. Tommy Reffell is world-class at the breakdown, but Christ Tshiunza needs a run of games at Test level after missing a couple of campaigns through injury and Jac Morgan deserves a look-in at openside, so I'd opt for the Leicester Tigers man on the bench.
Speaking of the replacements, I wouldn't move too far away from the bench that featured against Scotland, with Reffell, Biggar and George North the only changes.
Wales: Josh Adams, Louis Rees-Zammit, Mason Grady, Joe Hawkins, Rio Dyer, Owen Williams, Tomos Williams, Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard, Christ Tshiunza, Jac Morgan, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Rhys Carre, Leon Brown, Rhys Davies, Tommy Reffell, Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar, George North.
Select your Wales team to face England below:
Steffan Thomas: Stick with Daf and bring in Rhys Davies
Wales are out of Six Nations title contention so I think Warren Gatland needs to look towards the Rugby World Cup later this year.
This is a pretty risky selection with the centre partnership of Joe Hawkins and Mason Grady boasting a mere three caps between them, with the pair last lining up together for Wales U20s last summer.
What was evident during Wales' humbling defeat at Murrayfield is their attacking game needs freshening up. Louis Rees-Zammit naturally comes straight back into the side on the wing while I've opted to change the half-backs. Both Rhys Webb and Owen Williams have been excellent for the Ospreys this season, guiding the Swansea-based side to impressive victories over Montpellier and Leicester Tigers, respectively.
Dafydd Jenkins was one of the only positives in the dire performance against Scotland and deserves to keep his place. Adam Beard hasn't been at his best of late so I've decided to bring in his Ospreys teammate Rhys Davies to add a bit of an edge to the front-five.
Christ Tshiunza and Tommy Reffell retain their places but Taulupe Faletau needs to be reinstated to give the back-row a better balance.
Wales: Liam Williams; Josh Adams, Mason Grady, Joe Hawkins, Louis Rees-Zammit, Owen Williams, Rhys Webb, Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Dillon Lewis, Dafydd Jenkins, Rhys Davies, Christ Tshiunza, Tommy Reffell, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Bradley Roberts, Gareth Thomas, Leon Brown, Adam Beard, Jac Morgan, Tomos Williams, Dan Biggar, Nick Tompkins.
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