Wales hero Davies tells England: You will get smashed
Pack does not strike fear in anyone, he says
London Jonathan Davies has ignited cross-border tensions with England ahead of Wales' visit to Twickenham on Saturday week by boldly declaring the visitors can defy a long tradition and ‘smash' their rivals up front.
The former Wales fly-half and BBC commentator — rather than his namesake, the current centre — has dismissed England's pack as overwhelmingly inferior to the more experienced unit which Warren Gatland will unleash.
While the established routine is for creative Welsh sides to find themselves besieged by a big, tough set of English forwards, Davies is adamant the pattern can be overturned this time.
He feels if it comes to an arm-wrestle in the next round of the RBS Six Nations, when the two unbeaten nations go head to head, it will be Wales who prosper. "I don't think we've gone to Twickenham and out-muscled them before, but the side we've got now could go to Twickenham and absolutely smash them physically," said Davies. "That English pack does not strike fear into anyone. They are a good club side who are growing together, but there isn't anyone outstanding in there.
"Tom Croft will have a go at our lineout but our back row is better, our second row is better, our front row is bigger and our centres are bigger.
"We could absolutely go to town on them. I don't think the England forwards are as dominant as they have been."
As was the case in the recent clashes with Scotland and Italy, England's forwards will face a major experience deficit against Wales, whatever the exact make-up of the two packs. In particular, Gatland can call upon ample Lions pedigree in the front row, through props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones, while Matthew Rees is in contention for a comeback at hooker.
Unusual imbalance
Aside from what he sees as an unusual imbalance up front, Davies cannot identify any way in which Stuart Lancaster's team can hope to contain and overcome Wales, adding: "England are a young team and they have shown a lot of spirit. Defensively they are solid, but offensively they haven't created anything yet. I spoke to Stuart Lancaster before the tournament and he wanted to play an expansive game with Ben Youngs dictating play, but that hasn't happened."
Former Wales scrum-half Robert Jones was equally underwhelmed by what he saw from England during their away win over Italy.
