England have been warned to brace themselves for a “smash and grab” raid on Twickenham this Saturday masterminded by Wales’s artful coach Warren Gatland. The Pool A meeting promises to be one of the fiercest collisions of this World Cup and the England forward James Haskell, who knows Gatland well, says the home side will need to be on full alert.
If anyone should have a clue what England can expect this week it is Haskell. He worked for long enough at Wasps under Gatland and Shaun Edwards to understand precisely how they operate and, regardless of Welsh injury bulletins, predicts Stuart Lancaster’s side will have their hands full.
“It will be seen as a smash and grab,” Haskell said. “They’ll want to come in, be super-physical and issue a statement. They’ll relish whatever press they get about injuries this week because secretly they have a good team full of seasoned professionals.”
Haskell is unlikely to make the starting line-up, with Chris Robshaw and Tom Wood currently in possession of the flankers’ roles, but he will be telling his team-mates not to underestimate the Welsh threat. “It’s just about knowing you have to be at 100% to deal with what he’s going to bring, especially Shaun Edwards in terms of his defence,” said Haskell. “Whatever is said you just know they’re going to be on the money. The Welsh are also extremely passionate and they’re going to love to come to Twickenham and put a performance in.
“Warren and Shaun work very well together. They have this fantastic partnership and they’re very good at inspiring guys to play. They have a mentality that works very well for a period of time, like a Lions tour or a World Cup.”
England will not confirm their starting XV until Thursday but Haskell acknowledges the tackle area and the scrum will be vital areas whoever plays. “The breakdown battle and playing in the right areas will be the key for us, as well as making sure we get the balance between playing wide and playing direct.”
He disputes the theory, though, that England will be vulnerable if Gatland picks both Sam Warburton and a second specialist openside, Justin Tipuric, in his pack. “I don’t think it hinders us in any way,” said Haskell.
“I believe it’s much more important we get the right balance and that the boys complement each other. If you’re asking the whole team to have the skills to compete for the ball, that’s probably better than just relying on two guys to get the job done. It’s the oldest debate in the world. What you lose with some players you gain with others.”
