Abu Dhabi: Friday’s eagerly-awaited Six Nations opening game between Wales and England is crucial for both sides and one they cannot afford to lose, according to former England and British and Irish Lions lock Simon Shaw.
However, Shaw does not believe that the result of what promises to be a ferocious clash between two fierce rivals should have any bearing on the pair’s meeting at the group stage of the Rugby World Cup in September and October — unless either suffers a heavy defeat.
England have been blighted by a series of injuries to key men, such as rampaging centre and wing Manu Tuilagi and the indefatigable second row Courtney Lawes — and Shaw agrees with Wales coach Warren Gatland’s assertion that the visitors are likely to rely heavily on their traditional dominance up front.
However, he believes that coach Stuart Lancaster has enough strength in depth to triumph at the Millennium Stadium, tipping the mercurial fly-half Danny Cipriani to shine if he comes on as a substitute on his international recall.
The 41-year-old Shaw, a two-time British and Irish Lions tourist, said: “In terms of the Six Nations, this game is crucial and an incredibly tough opener for both sides. They don’t have the luxury of playing weak sides. They’ve both got to give up absolutely everything for this game.
“If you lose this game, it’s an uphill struggle for the rest of the tournament. England have lots of injuries, so they want to get over the line and get a victory under their belt.”
An England win would send out a statement of intent ahead of the World Cup on home soil and maintain vital momentum created by their victory in their last outing in November, an encouraging 26-17 defeat of Australia.
Shaw, who played the full 80 minutes of England’s 2007 World Cup final defeat to South Africa in Paris, added: “They need to start with a bang to show they have true credentials to go and do special things in the World Cup. This is the first time they got off the autumn series with lots of confidence and they’ve got to keep the pressure and the standards and power through this tournament.”
But would whoever win have a psychological edge over the loser?
Shaw replied: “I don’t think it is a big deal in terms of the World Cup unless, of course, one side absolutely thrashes the other. These games have been relatively close, although in 2003 and 2007 we enjoyed big wins pre-World Cup, where England reached the final in both tournaments. That became a telling fact and it gave them a huge psychological edge. If either side win by a close margin, not much ground will be gained for the World Cup.”
England’s perennial quandary is whether to play a more expansive game to match the Southern Hemisphere superpowers or rely on their powerful forwards to squeeze the life out of their rivals.
“That choice is taken away from them because of the number of injuries,” Shaw said. “They could surprise everyone and go all out, we just have to wait and see. We’ve dominated international sides up front. England now aren’t in the position to show their full strength all over the pitch because of injuries.”
Shaw is excited about the prospect of seeing the sublimely talented but erratic Cipriani, who has not played in the Six Nations since 2008 after a series of form slumps and off-the-field problems, make an impact off the bench.
Of his former Wasps teammate, he said: “I think this tournament could potentially be set up for Cipriani. If Wales are leading with 20 minutes to go, Danny is certainly the man you’d want to come on and light up the match and get things going.
“Cipriani is definitely something special and this could be his match and his tournament. He needs to bring back that confidence and assure coaches that he’s back and he’s better.”
Some traditionalists have bemoaned the fact that the tournament is starting on a Friday, causing many fans logistical headaches after a day at work.
Yet Shaw believes the trend, which was started in 2009 and was last instigated in 2011 when England were again the visitors to the Millennium Stadium, had added extra spice to the occasion.
“I am all for changing it up and I think playing on Friday is a great idea,” Shaw, who will be watching the game on television, said. “As a player, I used to enjoy the Friday evening games and most of the guys do as well, although there is a bit of waiting around during the day, which builds the anticipation and excitement until the game kicks off.”