Wales aiming to turn up heat on England’s ‘world-class’ fly-half Owen Farrell in Six Nations showdown

• England captain Owen Farrell will be a target for Wales in Six Nations clash 
• Wales’ No 10 Gareth Anscombe highlighted Farrell as a huge influence 
• Scrum-half Gareth Davies has been selected to pressure Farrell in defence 

By

Will Kelleher For The Daily Mail

Published:
17:37 EST, 22 February 2019

|
Updated:
17:40 EST, 22 February 2019

Owen Farrell will be in Welsh cross-hairs on Saturday afternoon when England and their captain come to Cardiff.

Gareth Anscombe, Farrell’s opposite number, said: ‘Clearly Owen has been at his best for England lately. 

‘He has really grown over the last few years. He has been a huge influence on their team, particularly since he has gone back to 10 and he has got a pretty calming influence.

Wales are planning to target England captain and fly-half Owen Farrell in Six Nations clash

‘He’s a world-class player so we are going to need to put him under some pressure.

‘England are probably playing their best rugby under Eddie and deserve a lot of the accolades they have been getting. But we are fairly comfortable and there will be no excuses from us.’

Wales coach Warren Gatland picked scrum-half Gareth Davies for his ability to fly up in defence and has asked him to close down Farrell. 

‘Gareth has been important with his line speed,’ said Gatland. ‘We need to put pressure on Farrell and negate their power runners.’

Scrum-half Gareth Davies was given the nod by Warren Gatland for his line speed in defence

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Will the real James DeGale stand up and fight on the Greenwich peninsula this Saturday night?

If so, en garde for a humdinger which ends with Chunky’s arm raised in resurrection of the first British boxer to have added a world title to Olympic gold and who is back in the hunt for more glory.

If not, Chris Eubank Jr will sound the final bell on DeGale’s career and thereby revitalise his own interrupted campaign for a place in the loftier annals of the prize-ring. 

James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jnr finally collide at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night

The two British super-middleweight rivals respect each other but there is not much love lost

Not often do matters of such import weigh on non-title fights, assuming we exclude the IBO super-middleweight belt from the catalogue of major world championships.

The fascination with this meeting of two men at the cross-roads of their fighting lives is excited by the intensity of their rivalry.

The O2 stands braced for a collision of minds, mettle and no little malevolence.

There is professional respect but not much love lost in this very domestic dispute, which complicates the calling of the odds.

If it were simply a question of skill and experience, DeGale would win hands down. If it was only about Spartan commitment to iron muscularity Eubank would bring the hammer down.

If styles alone made fights then judgement would depend on your preference between Chunky the boxer and Junior the battler. If just age mattered then 33 playing 29 would argue in favour of the younger Eubank. As might DeGale’s latter-day prevalence for injury in addition to all the wear and tear, especially in that memorably brutal draw with Badou Jack.

It is the grudge factor which is imponderable but if DeGale really has got the deep needle about this particular opponent then Eubank beware. 

Victory for Eubank Jnr could well sound the final bell on DeGale’s career and revitalise his own

DeGale insists: ‘I am always at my very best against someone I would really, really hate to lose to. Chris can be very annoying. So for him I’ve gone back to what gave me my place in history. The hard work in a long training camp. The dedication. Making the sacrifices and living right all these weeks.’

Of his struggles for fitness and against injury since the battle with Jack two years ago in New York he says: ‘There were a couple of times when I thought about quitting. Boxing had become so hard for me. Everything was a chore. But I’m back in love with the game.

‘The training, the sparring, the strength work have all become easy for me again and I now wake up every morning feeling fresh and rejuvenated.’

DeGale calls the Eubank clan delusional, while admitting: ‘For a moment his father even had me almost believing his boy is the next Floyd Mayweather.’ But Junior wonders if Chunky’s reformation is for real: ‘I keep hearing that he’s still out on the town at night.’

DeGale: ‘I know he’s clinging to my reputation as a party animal but I’m back to being one of the hardest workers in boxing, the super-fit fighter who won two world titles against serious opposition.’

Chunky looked in fine shape as he surprisingly came in lighter than his rival on Friday

Eubank takes heart, also, from his belief that DeGale is inclined to sit back on his laurels while he has ‘the young lion’s hunger for greater achievements.’ 

DeGale: ‘I need to win this to set up two more years and at least a couple of big title fights to add to my legacy.’ And he admits: ‘If I can’t beat someone as stupid and limited as Eubank I will have to retire.’

In the pre-fight grudge game Eubank has been more the wind-up merchant. DeGale suspects that the showmanship of Eubank Snr and Junior will generate what would be for him the unusual advantage of being the crowd favourite.

‘A few years back I wondered why people didn’t like me,’ DeGale added. ‘But I didn’t give a damn. Sometimes I played the villain. But with it being Eubank and with 90 per cent of people having come to respect me for what I’ve done, I believe the O2 crowd will be mine this time.’

Eubank, finally accepting that he needs to bridge the class gap to the ring’s elite, has brought in shrewd American Nate Vasquez as his first full time trainer and says: ‘I’ve already learned a lot I needed to know about my movement. I realise I can’t just keep relying on my conditioning, strength and power.’

Does that hint at a tacit acceptance that he faces the task of overcoming a size differential?

DeGale is a seasoned super-middle, Eubank a natural middleweight who would have an escape route by going back down a division if he loses what his opponent calls The Retirement Fight.

‘If I can’t beat someone as stupid and limited as Eubank I will have to retire,’ DeGale admitted

If a week is a long time in politics, seven pounds can be a heavy weight in boxing.

But it is DeGale’s skill set, not the poundage, which convinces two admirable former world champions close to his camp. Paulie Malignaggi and Darren Barker voice the same sentiment: ‘James could give Chris an even bigger boxing master class than he received from George Groves.’

The only caveat, as it is for most of us mere observers, is whether he has returned close to a such a fitness level that there will be none of his recent lolling on the ropes and taking time off during rounds.

DeGale seems to know it, saying: ‘I can’t take too much away from Eubank. He’s tough, comes to fight, won’t go away and he’ll be in their battling to the end.’ But he adds: ‘While he has the guts to mix it with the best he doesn’t have what it takes to beat any of the elite. Certainly not me.’

Well, not if the real James DeGale is back. ‘Trust me,’ he says. 

On the impressive evidence of his work in the gym – which admittedly can be a liar – I have no option other than to believe him.

Chunky by decision. 

DeGale v Eubank is live on Saturday on ITV Box Office.