Prop Gethin Jenkins and lock Alun Wyn Jones share 179 international caps between them and again form the cornerstone of the Welsh pack against Stuart Lancaster’s men.
With things tight at the top of the 2014 RBS 6 Nations table, today’s encounter will have a huge say on who takes home the title next weekend.
Both England and Wales have made minimal changes to their sides, Jones joined by centre Jonathan Davies in returning to the visitors’ starting XV while for England, former Scarlets man Ben Morgan replaces the injured Billy Vunipola at No. 8.
In the Wales pack, it’s another milestone for Cardiff Blues loosehead Jenkins, as he joins fly half Stephen Jones as the most capped Welshman in winning his 104th cap.
Alongside fellow front rowers Adam Jones and Richard Hibbard, Jenkins will have a huge role to play as Wales look to get an advantage in the arm wrestle that is the tight exchanges.
The last three meetings between the two sides have all been won by Wales, the scrum proving a pivotal area of the game in that trio of encounters.
“There’s no bigger challenge than going to Twickenham – it’s a tough place to go and get a win, especially with the way England have progressed,” said Jenkins.
“They were unlucky against France but other than that, they’ve been very impressive. They’ve got a good work ethic and play for each other. We know we have a tough battle on our hands. Everything is on the line – whoever wins has a chance of the Championship.”
In such a pivotal encounter, there are a number of intriguing match ups across the field. Both teams have won two and lost one of their three fixtures so far, Wales bouncing back from defeat to Ireland with a comprehensive 27-6 win over France at the Millennium Stadium.
Jenkins added: “We are hoping to recreate the atmosphere from the France game – we had our backs against the wall then and we came out fighting. We know we’re going into an intense atmosphere but we have a good squad and we have been together for a number of years now. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
British & Irish Lions lock Jones, who partners Jake Ball in the second row after recovering from a foot infection, is ready for a pivotal line out battle against England’s Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury.
“The third round of games has made it wide open,” said Jones. “Going into this game there’s always going to be an extra edge but it’s another opportunity for us to improve. There’s a lot made about these games from outside the camp but from within, it’s about working hard and being professional.
“England have put in some impressive performances. To come up against Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes is going to be a big test – they’ve been the standout pair of locks in this tournament. The thing with Launchbury is he’s like an extra backrower, his contribution has been massive.
“We’re going away from home and our backs are against the wall. We’re the underdogs and Twickenham is a tough place to win. But I think we do well under pressure and since the Ireland game, we have been under pressure.”
On his latest personal milestone, Jenkins added: “We need to raise our level against England and make sure we play well from the start.
“There’s a lot more hype for Wales against England – more than any other game. But as a squad, we know the size of the game and what it means. To beat Stephen will be great. He was a great player for Wales over the years but it won’t be something I think about in the game.”
