With Luke Charteris a withdrawal due to a neck problem, Scarlets man Ball comes in to partner Alun Wyn Jones. It means it’s a third consecutive appearance in a Welsh jersey for the 22-year-old, who made his debut from the bench against Ireland and then started the defeat of France at the Millennium Stadium.
With the build up to Sunday’s game intensifying, there is a lot to play for on both sides. Realistically, each team knows a defeat would end their hopes of taking home the RBS 6 Nations title. Wales enter the Twickenham cauldron knowing exactly what to expect and although Ball has never played at England HQ, he says he is just looking forward to getting out there.
“I’m happy to come into the role. I was glad I was given the opportunity against France and I don’t look at it any differently this week, I’ve got to go out there and do what I do best,” said the Ascot-born lock.
“It helps when the team goes well. I just get stuck in and play my natural game which is to hit my break downs and do my basics well.
“Luke took the knock early in the week so I’ve been training in the starting position anyway. Even when you’re on the bench, you have to prepare as if you’re starting so the mind-set is the same.
“It was a last minute call-up against France which I think is a good thing. It didn’t give me a chance to think about it and I just had to get out there and play. It all flashed by really quickly.”
A new face in the Wales squad for this campaign, Ball has certainly come onto the scene in a short space of time. After leaving school in Woking, Ball moved to Australia and following a brief flirtation with cricket, found himself at the Western Force. It didn’t quite work out for him there but their loss was Wales’ gain as Ball soon found himself at Parc y Scarlets, first with Principality Premiership side Llanelli, and then the Scarlets.
Ball said: “The fact that we’re playing England has no extra significance for me, any international start is what I’ve been looking to get.
“At the start of the season I was just focused on starting for the Scarlets. I trained pretty hard during the off-season to try to make sure I could do that. I think it will be a brutal contest, no different to any international game. England have played well but any team on their day can beat anyone.”
Ball’s sudden emergence as an international lock has seen him catapulted into the spotlight. And with the bearded lock becoming a firm favourite with Welsh fans, he could be around for some time to come.
Asked about his superb facial hair, Ball said: “I sometimes get a tug on the beard during a game but that only gets me more aggressive. It’s probably not the best thing to do.”
