Alex King reveals how Wales can shock Engand at Twickenham

The local boy who left the South Coast to play fly-half for Wasps is now assistant coach with Wales.

He was put forward to face the media as the build-up to the second weekend of the Si Nations gathers pace.

King believes Wales need to have a “no fear” approach when they face England at Twickenham on Saturday.

Wales last toppled their fierce rivals in a Six Nations game on English soil 12 years ago.

They have lost on seven successive occasions at English rugby headquarters since beating England there during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, although five of those losses were by only six points or less.

Wales will head to south west London after coming unstuck in a Cardiff classic against Scotland, although 26 unanswered points from being 27-0 adrift meant they almost completed the biggest comeback the Six Nations has seen.

England, meanwhile, were pushed hard by Italy in Rome before recording a 27-24 verdict after trailing at half-time and being outscored on tries.

King said: “They have got a decent team – finishing third at the World Cup is testament to that.

“I think we need to show a no-fear game going down there, and put the pressure back on them.

“We’ve just got to take the game to England. We can’t wait for them to see what they do, especially with 70,000 people shouting for them.

“We have got to present ourselves as we want to play, and not wait to see what England can do before we start responding.

“It is important to show the lads that England are a good team, but they are not unbeatable. That is the reality.

“They have obviously got good players and they are well-coached, but Twickenham is just another stadium. I am looking forward to going back there. I’ve got my Welsh hat firmly on there.

“They won some important games at the World Cup, and they pushed South Africa close. They won some close games at the World Cup – they were able to get over the finish line in certain games.

“Like every team, they have got their weaknesses. It is up to us to exploit them on Saturday.”

Wales boss Warren Gatland, meanwhile, will have to make at least one change from the Scotland match as flanker James Botham has been released from the squad due to a knee injury.

Botham, who is the grandson of England cricket great Sir Ian Botham and scored Wales’ opening try against Scotland, will rehabilitate at his club Cardiff.

Meanwhile Freddie Steward has called on England to win back the support of Twickenham.

In their most recent home fixture, Steve Borthwick’s side were booed by fans after falling 30-22 to Fiji in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup – the first time they had ever lost to the Islanders.

Keen to dispel the funeral atmosphere last seen at Twickenham, Jamie George’s England are determined to reconnect with their support by delivering results and displaying ambition and passion.

Fans rallied behind the team during their march to third place at the World Cup and flocked to Rome for Saturday’s narrow win against Italy, but Steward knows it is the backing they receive in London that is critical.

“Being back at home is also synonymous with us being a new group,” said the Leicester full-back.

“This is essentially a fresh start. We have had our World Cup and we are on the start of a new cycle with fresh faces, new coaches. This is our chance to draw a line in the sand.

“As players when you play for England you are expected to win and when you don’t win, understandably you don’t have the fans on your side and there was a bit of that in the warm-ups to the World Cup.

“I would never blame the fans and say they need to lift us. They do that on the back of what we do, so the responsibility is ours.

“During the World Cup when we got to the semi-final it felt like that is what it can be like. As players we want that all the time but we have to put the performances on the field to earn that.

“The fans are the heartbeat of what we do. We want Twickenham to erupt and we want it to be a place we want to go and play in front of our fans and represent them.”