Charlie Ewels insists England want to put on a show at Twickenham against Wales
Charlie Ewels insists England aim to entertain while playing tough against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.
It is a make or break round-three clash between the rivals, who must win if they are to remain in the Guinness Six Nations title hunt after losing in the opening round.
Twickenham will welcome its first home crowd in the tournament since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic and Ewels is determined to ensure they receive value for money.
“We feel the rivalry too. It’s a game you want to win. We’re in the entertainment business and we want to put on a show. We want to play tough,” Ewels said.
“We want to play hard but, after what has been a pretty grim two years, if people come away with smiles on their faces then that is why we do it.
“The added bit for me this week is being back at Twickenham for the first time. I know we had fans back in the autumn, but this is the first time in the Six Nations.
“Wales was the last game we played before Covid. It all lines up. What is always a massive game just feels that little bit bigger.
“Statistics show that home advantage makes an enormous difference. Whether that’s a sub-conscious thing, I don’t know, but you do get that extra lift.
“I definitely feel the hairs on my neck stand up when I first come out and I hear that noise. In moments when you’re on top and you have momentum the crowd will you on.”
Ben Youngs will become England’s most capped men’s player if he steps off the bench against Wales, surpassing the milestone of 114 appearances set by Jason Leonard.
“We presented him with his match shirt. He’s quite an understated guy and he was very understated this morning (Friday),” Ewels said.
“We all clapped and he said: ‘we can all celebrate this more after the game.’ What an amazing guy.
“You have an impression of these superstars and what they are going to be like and then you meet the most salt of the earth bloke in the world.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub