There's no such thing as a meaningless Six Nations match, but ask most Welsh fans which fixture is the most important in any given year, and one can bet the vast majority would pick England.
The rivalry runs so deep that BRIT award-winners Stereophonics even penned a song called "As Long As We Beat The English" in the build-up to a 1999 Wembley showdown between the border rivals.
Wales won 32-31 in what was the last encounter between the two teams before the Five Nations grew to include Italy in 2000, but the rivalry hasn't been diluted despite the tournament's extra addition.
Just ask any among the Ospreys trio of Justin Tipuric, George North or Dan Lydiate, all of whom might have been involved in Saturday's titanic encounter at Twickenham were it not for their recent injury woes.
Head coach Wayne Pivac has welcomed Taulupe Faletau back into his starting XV almost a year after the Bath star last played for his country, while Louis Rees-Zammit's omission has been a major bombshell.
England counterpart Eddie Jones sprung a few surprises of his own after naming his squad on Thursday, complete with the return of Manu Tuilagi —at least for a few hours.
The Sale Sharks star was named to start at inside centre and make his first appearance of this year's Guinness Six Nations, only to be ruled out later on Thursday having re-aggravated his recent hamstring injury.
It's the kind of loss that could tip the balance in Wales' favour, as Tipuric highlighted the (quite literal) impact Tuilagi adds to Jones' line-up.
"Tuilagi's obviously the one everyone's been saying," the three-time British and Irish Lions tourist told Mirror Sport hours prior to the news of his injury withdrawal.
"When you've played against him, it's the closest you're probably going to feel [to what it's] like tackling a bus.
Who will win Saturday's Six Nations showdown between England and Wales? Let us know in the comments section.
"You can understand why England put him straight in when he comes back from injury just because he's an absolute machine. He is world class."
Despite England's large player pool and laudable depth in most positions, midfield has arisen as an area of concern for Jones, especially with captain Owen Farrell ruled out of the tournament.
Harlequins utility Joe Marchant was the man called up to cover following Tuilagi's latest setback, though England aren't expected to confirm who will start in his place until the morning of the match.
Courtney Lawes will return to captain the team at blindside in his first England outing of the year, but Tuilagi is very arguably the player Jones will always have the hardest task in replacing.
Lydiate only recently returned from his own year-long spell on the sidelines and played 20 minutes in defeat to Leinster earlier in February, an experience he described as "a joy" despite a 29-7 defeat for Toby Booth's side.
The 34-year-old Grand Slam-winner and 65-cap Wales veteran agreed England's resurgent centre is impossible to ignore when asked who was the major threat when the squads were first announced.
"When Manu's fit—you've got to try and keep him quiet, or keep him quiet by making sure he doesn't get the ball," said Lydiate, speaking on behalf of Guinness for the Never Settle campaign, working to ensure rugby is inclusive and welcoming for everyone.
The back-rower chuckles as he attempts to summarise Tuilagi's threat, one which many within the Wales camp will be relieved they no longer have to quell at Headquarters.
It's perhaps to be expected that two of the best back-rowers of this generation picked Tuilagi as England's danger man, with Tipuric and Lydiate each having felt the Sale star's might first-hand.
Part of a flanker's job is to be that first line of defence off any ruck, maul and set piece, after all, an area where Tuilagi tends to delight in showcasing his line-busting ability.
North, on the other hand, has spent his career in the backs, first and foremost as a winger but more recently gravitating towards midfield.
Spoken as someone all too wary of being left exposed by opposition fly-halves, it makes sense rising superstar Marcus Smith was his pick as the man Wales need to cage above all others.
"I just think the way he's playing at the moment, Marcus is unbelievable," North replied when quizzed on who sticks out as his England X-factor.
"The way Marcus plays to the line, putting people away, his freedom, his ability kicking out of hand. I think he's taken to international rugby like a duck to water, so for me he's definitely stepped up in this period."
Pressed on whether Smith—who only debuted for England last July before joining the Lions as cover—is the kind of fly-half he'd like to play with, North joked: "If there's any Welsh in him!"
The Wales talisman flagged some suspicion Jones may have been apprehensive about promoting Smith to the No. 10 jersey, though his hand was forced when Farrell was ruled out.
The Quins talisman has answered the call with aplomb thus far, however, scoring tries against both Scotland and Italy, as well as accounting for all 17 of England's points in defeat to the former.
Pivac surprised the rugby masses when he led Wales to the title in only his second year on the job in 2021, though the injuries currently ravaging the squad have made the current task even greater.
The titleholders will be seeking their first Six Nations win at Twickenham in a decade, with Lydiate and North each starting in that 19-12 victory, while Tipuric was an unused substitute.
Fast-forward to today and the trio find themselves on the sidelines, though it's clear the passion to see Wales succeed at Headquarters hasn't suffered in the slightest.
Guinness is working with its partners to make sure rugby is inclusive and welcoming for everyone. To find out more visit www.guinness.com/neversettle #neversettle
