England v Wales
Wales hate England says Jack Nowell
ESPN Staff
March 5, 2014
Jack Nowell on the charge, Wales v England, Six Nations, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, March 16, 2013
Jack Nowell on the charge against Wales last year © Getty Images
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England wing Jack Nowell has said that Wales "hate" England and want nothing more than to beat them up in the game. His comments are likely to further spice up what is traditionally a no-holds-barred contest when the sides meet this Sunday at Twickenham.

"You're going out to play against a team who hate you and want to do anything to beat you in the game," Nowell said, and his view was backed by Danny Care.

"There is obviously a huge history between the countries and we have had some great battles against them," Care said. "You know when you play Wales that they don't like you, which you get used to as an England player.

"Wales are a very physical side, they like the confrontational side and we know they'll come at us with that. But we've got a pack who can match anyone and they will be chomping at the bit to get stuck into this game. We look forward to that physical aspect of the game."

Dylan Hartley denied that the players were seeing this as a chance for revenge after last March's hammering at the Millennium Stadium. "This is being hyped up as an emotional revenge game, but as a team we haven't talked about that," he said. "That day in Cardiff was the complete, all-round poor performance and we haven't seen anything like it since.

"The lesson has been learned and we don't need to prove it against Wales because since then we have performed really well. I'm very aware that there's a massive rivalry between England and Wales, and it's very historical. As a barometer this is a good game for us."

Care brushed aside suggestions the Welsh had more national pride than the English. "You hear a lot about how proud Ireland, Wales and Scotland are and we kind of get forgotten. We are an unbelievably proud country. Stuart [Lancaster] has done a lot to reconnect everyone with grass-roots rugby and see the heritage side of things; the lads who have played before us in the shirt and given their lives in the wars.

"We have gone on that journey, looked at stuff like that and seen how much it still means to people who are getting older and how much they still want to be part of the team. We are playing for them and playing for the whole country and any time you play against anyone it is a great feeling."

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