Wayne Pivac’s side have beaten Ireland and Scotland in the Championship so far.
Next up are Eddie Jones’ England this weekend.
Ahead of the game, Wales head coach Pivac talked through his selection and praised George North who will win his 100th Welsh cap in Cardiff.
Here’s what he had to say…
Question: You had six options at centre, why did you go for this pairing?
Wayne Pivac: “We think George [North] has played well for us when available at 13. He brings a lot of excitement to the position, he’s got that outside break, he’s big and strong.
“He can do the donkey work in the middle of the park if he needs to.
“Jonathan [Davies] brings a wealth of experience and we look at him as a 12, not as a 13. The last time he played for us was at 12 against Italy and I thought he did a good job in attack and defence on that day.
“Johnny [Williams] was down to start in that game and we weren’t going to use Jonathan at all.
He’s had a good week of preparation under his belt in combination with George. How players have looked in training is important as well. Jon is looking very good from our point of view and when he pulls that Welsh jersey on, he never lets the team down.
“It’s a big game and he’s got plenty of experience.”
Jonathan Davies during training with Wales
It’s a big game and he’s got plenty of experience
Q: Give us a sense of how long you agonised over the big calls in the back-line?
WP: “It’s a position we’re happy to be in. A couple of weeks ago, we were scratching our heads as to how to go about the make-up of the midfield.
“But the medical team do such a good job in getting guys back available for selection and it made it a bit of a headache.
“It’s a good headache to have. We think we’ve got the three guys that will get the performance we need in that area of the field.”
Q: George North will be the youngest person ever to win 100 caps – that’s some feat?
WP: “A lot of that was done under Warren [Gatland] and what he has done in the past has been well documented. Certainly with this group, he seems to have a new lease of life.
“The challenge of moving into the centre has also excited him. He had a couple of weeks in the autumn when we sent him back to play club footy and he’s responded really well to all the challenges we’ve put in front of him. It speaks volumes of the player.
“He’s still highly motivated and wants to play for Wales well past 100 games. I’m sure he’s going to do that with the attitude he’s showing at the moment and the form he’ll bring to the 13 jersey.”
Q: Do you think he can go on and surpass Alun Wyn Jones’ record?
WP: “He’s certainly the one that’s going to challenge that number if he stays fit and his form continues to hold.
“With the challenge of going into 13, the way he’s taken that on in our environment has just been sublime.
“The big fella is very keen to keep pulling the jersey on. He’s still got that appetite that he had as a youngster.”
George North (left) and Dan Biggar
Q: Kieran Hardy gets in ahead of Gareth Davies – what’s the thinking?
WP: “There are two thoughts. One is form. Kieran did everything we wanted him to do when he went on under pressure against Scotland. He ticked the box in terms of being a young man under pressure.
“With Gareth, it’s well known what he can do off the bench when defences start to tire. On this occasion, we’ve turned things around the other way.
“It’s going to be a big occasion for Kieran, obviously, and he’s excited by it. We’ll learn a lot from it, as will he.”
Q: What have you made of England and their form?
WP: “As this competition goes on, they’re going to grow like all sides. Having dropped the first game, that makes them even more dangerous because the pressure comes on in this particular match.
“They won the Autumn Nations Cup and they have a proven history in recent Six Nations. From our point of view, they’re the team to beat.
“They pose a very big challenge.”
Kieran Hardy starts at scrum-half against England
England won the Autumn Nations Cup and they have a proven history in recent Six Nations. From our point of view, they’re the team to beat
Q: Can you learn anything from Scotland’s win over England?
WP: “That was continued pressure, wasn’t it? It was over 80 minutes in pretty tough conditions for both sides.
“Scotland played very well, they defended very well and, obviously, we’re going to have to defend well throughout the 80 minutes.
“There are going to be times when we’re going to be under pressure. We can learn a lot from what Scotland did in terms of their application to their defence.”
Q: Louis Rees-Zammit has become an internet sensation – what do you make of his newfound stardom?
WP: “I’m probably going to embarrass some family members but I’ve got twin 14-year-old step-daughters and they’re after an autograph and photograph when we get out of Covid!
“He seems to be a sensation with the youngsters and a few of the grandmothers, from what I gather!
“Look, he’s a good looking young man, he’s burst onto the scene, and he’s fulfilling a lot of promise that he’s shown at a young age.
“I’m just pleased for him because the changes we’ve seen in Louis since we first selected him during last year’s Six Nations have been phenomenal.
“He’s taken on board all the advice that’s been given to him from different coaches within the group. He’s worked hard at his game and he’s forced his way into this team.
“We hope we’ll see many more performances like we’ve seen in the first few weeks [of this campaign].
“I’m very pleased for him and the way he’s been operating.”
You can keep in touch with both camps as we head for round two of the Guinness Six Nations for the Wales v England clash on Saturday – we’ve got interviews, videos and social posts covered right here.
