Preview: England vs Wales - prediction, team news, lineups

England and Wales renew their rivalry at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday as they face off in a game that concludes the opening weekend of the 2026 Six Nations.

Second favourites to claim the most prestigious prize in northern hemisphere rugby, England will be eager to set out an early marker in their title pursuit, while Wales arrive in south-west London simply hoping to avoid another campaign that ends with the unwanted wooden spoon.

Match preview

Steve Borthwick’s reign has gathered real momentum after an initially stuttering start, with England the form side coming into this year's Six Nations, having built momentum off the back of an 11-match unbeaten run, with that period including victories over both Australia and New Zealand.

The Red Rose look increasingly well-balanced, blending a dominant pack, with a backline full of firepower out wide and a clinical midfield, often led by the assured boot and measured game management of veteran fly-half, George Ford.

Recent history also favours the hosts, who have claimed eight wins from the last 11 meetings with Wales and are chasing a fourth straight success in this fixture, something that would further underline their growing authority under Borthwick.

England will be eager to get their campaign off to a flying start here as they look to extend that winning run and consolidate their status as one of the competition's favourites. 

© Imago / PPAUK

Wales, by contrast, remain firmly in rebuild mode under Steve Tandy, arriving at Twickenham eager to halt a dismal Six Nations run that has seen them fail to win a single match across the last two editions.

Autumn defeats to Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa only added to the sense of fragility surrounding the squad.

The absence of influential captain Jac Morgan through injury further dents Welsh hopes, placing added responsibility on scrum-half Tomos Williams to provide composure and inspiration, while a new generation is being asked to grow up quickly at the sharp end of international rugby.

Compounding the challenge, Wales have not won on English soil for over a decade, with their last triumph at Twickenham coming during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Team News

© Iconsport / PA Images / Icon Sport

In the England camp, availability has been a mixed bag ahead of the opener, with skipper Maro Itoje named among the replacements after missing a considerable portion of the build-up on compassionate leave, including last week’s competition launch in Edinburgh.

Centre Ollie Lawrence is ruled out with a knee injury, while Fin Smith and Tom Roebuck are also set to sit this one out, with all three expected to be back in contention for the Calcutta Cup showdown in Scotland.

Wales, meanwhile, welcome back a familiar face as Louis Rees-Zammit makes his first appearance since swapping rugby union for the NFL, offering a timely boost out wide.

Williams is entrusted with the scrum-half duties once again, stepping in to lead the side in the continued absence of the injured Morgan.

England starting lineup:

15 Freddie Steward, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George (c), 1 Ellis Genge

Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Ben Spencer, 23 Marcus Smith

Wales starting lineup: 15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Ellis Mee, 13 Eddie James, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Josh Macleod, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 3 Archie Griffin, 2 Dewi Lake (c), 1 Nicky Smith

Replacements: 16 Liam Belcher, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Ben Carter, 20 Taine Plumtree, 21 Harri Deaves, 22 Kieran Hardy, 23 Mason Grady

We say: England 34-18 Wales

England are fancied heading into this clash, boasting strong momentum, greater squad depth and home advantage, while Wales are still navigating a transitional period and missing key leadership through injury.

Wales’ resilience and rivalry spirit should ensure they remain competitive for spells, but England’s power up front, attacking efficiency in the backs, and Ford's trusty boot could ultimately prove decisive as the contest wears on.