England v Wales Twickenham: Kick-off 2.30 On television: Sky Sports 2Wales have been travelling to south-west London without any Six Nations reward since 1988, and the injury bulletins yesterday did nothing to nourish the spirits of those fearing another gloomy journey back across the Severn Bridge.
England may have been forced into a late switch of their own, with Bath's Iain Balshaw promoted to the bench following the failure of Sale outhalf Charlie Hodgson to recover from an ankle injury, but more daffodils drooped when the Welsh management accepted their outhalf, Stephen Jones, is unfit and pencilled in Iestyn Harris to replace him.
Although the official decision will be delayed until this morning, even the Welsh coach, Steve Hansen, admits Jones is "unlikely" to play because of a back problem. At a stroke Wales have lost their star goalkicker and coolest head, and must instead enter what is currently the most unforgiving arena in world rugby shepherded by an outhalf still learning the game.
It is not entirely Harris's fault that his five caps for Wales since moving from Leeds Rhinos to Cardiff have been less than auspicious. He was dropped after the 54-10 hammering by Ireland in Dublin last month and, like Henry Paul, has discovered Test rugby union is no environment for L-plates.
England, in public at least, are shrugging their shoulders - "We'll treat him as we would do any number 10," said their coach Andy Robinson - and concentrating on playing smarter rugby than they managed during their loss to France. Clive Woodward admitted yesterday his side had been "stung" by their Paris experience, and the only good news for Wales is that England's sense of grievance is almost too powerful for the team's own good.
Rob Howley and Scott Quinnell, at any rate, think they know what to expect. "Knowing what some of the English players think about some of the Welsh players, they'll try and run us off our feet," said Howley.
Wales, for their part, have been studying the French video-tape and will test England's new full back, Austin Healey, under the high ball early on. A turnover behind the gain-line and suddenly England could be on the back foot, as they were in Paris.
Last year in Cardiff, it should be remembered, they won twice as much possession as England, broke the gain-line twice as often and still lost 44-15. Pessimists would probably settle for a similar margin today, especially given Woodward's personal grudge against the Welsh rugby establishment.
"They never picked me for Welsh Schoolboys," he said yesterday, recalling his schooldays in Anglesey. "I'll never forgive them."
REPLACEMENTS
ENGLAND: D West (Leicester), J Leonard (Harlequins), M Corry (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), M Dawson (Northampton), I Balshaw (Bath), T Stimpson (Leicester). WALES: B Williams (Neath), S John (Cardiff), G Llewellyn (Neath), C Charvis (Swansea), D Peel (Llanelli), I Harris (Cardiff), R Williams (Cardiff) or T Shanklin (Saracens). Referee: Andrew Cole (Aus).
