Six Nations: Wales take hype in their stride

By ANDREW BALDOCK
Published on 14/03/2013 02:41

JONATHAN Davies insists it is a case of business as usual for Wales this week, despite the huge media hype surrounding Saturday’s RBS Six Nations title decider against England in Cardiff.

And the Scarlets centre has backed Wales’ experiences of a Grand Slam game and World Cup semi-final last season to help keep things on an even keel. A seven-point victory for Wales should be enough to secure successive championship crowns – a feat they last achieved 34 years ago – and a win by any margin or draw would thwart England’s Grand Slam bid.

“It is just a normal week for us,” Davies said. “We have been involved in these big games before. Everyone will think this is more than a normal week, but we have the experience to draw on with the Grand Slam and the semi-finals of the World Cup.

“We know what to expect and we can just get our heads down.”

Davies and company have turned around their Six Nations campaign with three successive away wins without conceding a try, following a demoralising opening weekend home defeat against Ireland.

Victory in Paris last month ended a run of eight successive defeats, but Davies added: “We lost a lot of those games by small margins. There was some pressure put on the team by not performing but we were confident in what we could achieve. We had not become a bad team overnight, and to go and win three games away from home was massive.

“We stayed close as a group and we knew we weren’t far away from getting the results. Although there was pressure put on us, we just thrived on that.”

Davies and his midfield partner Jamie Roberts are set to enter the Wales record books on Saturday by teaming up 
together for a 14th time in the championship.

Skipper Ryan Jones, sidelined by a broken bone in his shoulder, looks set to be replaced by Justin Tipuric in the back row, with Warburton wearing the No 6 shirt.