Shaun Edwards is expecting Wales to come up against a "very, very strong" England side at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow night, despite the visitors' growing injury list.
The Red Rose will begin their Six Nations tournament without centres Manu Tuilagi, Brad Barritt and Kyle Eastmond, fly-half Owen Farrell, prop David Wilson, and the lock trio of Joe Launchburry, Courtney Lawes and Geoff Parling, while back-rowers Tom Wood and Ben Morgan are also absent.
Yet despite England's team featuring just nine survivors from the 26-17 victory over Australia at Twickenham in their last outing, Wales defence coach Edwards is not taking anything for granted.
"I looked at the team and thought about what team would they have picked," he told reporters. "They've got their first-choice full-back, right-winger and left-winger. The number 12 played against us last year and would have started.
"[Manu] Tuilagi's missing so maybe there would have been a different change at 13. They've got first-choice 10, nine, loose-head, hooker. The second rows probably would have had different ones.
"But any England team you come up against is going to be very, very strong, especially up front. England are the envy of the world when it comes to tight five forwards, particularly second-row forwards."
Tight-head prop Dan Cole will make his first England appearance in almost a year in the tournament opener, and there is also a new-look centre partnership with Luther Burrell and Jonathan Joseph coming into the side.
Daniel Lewis
