Chiefs’ Quartet to Go Head-to-Head in England v Wales Clash

This weekend’s England v Wales game at Twickenham will see Exeter Chiefs teammates Henry Slade, Ethan Roots, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Dafydd Jenkins come up against one another on the international stage.

The Anglo-Welsh clash will see Slade, Roots and Feyi-Waboso don the English rose while Jenkins will go to battle for the Welsh three feathers.

Back rower Roots, who moved to Chiefs from Welsh URC outfit Ospreys ahead of the 2023/24 season, took his inaugural steps onto the hallowed Six Nations stage last weekend for his England debut. By the time he stepped back off the turf, he had a Player of the Match medal slung around his neck and the attention of thousands of rugby fans following his barnstorming performance.

His fellow England starter Slade stamped his name back across the centre berth of Steve Borthwick’s side having been omitted from the coach’s Rugby World Cup squad in France. The Chiefs double centurion currently leads the Gallagher Premiership in points scored and he looked no less dangerous to the opposition as he settled back into an international berth.

Emerging off the bench in the 78th minute, many would have understood a quiet debut appearance for Feyi-Waboso, but the winger wasn’t prepared to allow the chance to make his mark pass him by. Immediately confronting his defensive work, a dominant tackle on Monty Ioane had the commentator’s perking up to the Chiefs man’s presence on the field.

Across the bridge, Jenkins took on the Welsh captaincy for the first time – becoming the second youngest man to do so, behind only Sir Gareth Edwards who took the honour aged 20 in the 1968 Five Nations. The Chiefs man had his work cut out for him as he rallied his side to the narrowest of losses against Scotland in a dogged second half comeback. As uncompromising as ever in his method of leading from the front, the lock made 18 tackles in his attempt to secure victory for his side.

Aside from club teammate rivalries, England v Wales is already a storied and turbulent fixture first contended in 1881. In the history of the fierce rivals coming face to face, England have emerged the victors on 68 occasions to Wales’ 61, with 12 draws in their 141 meetings.

With both teams already named – England completely unchanged from their run-out against Italy – the anticipation and draw now begins to ramp into high gear. Who will emerge victorious at Twickenham? Will ‘Bread of Heaven’ drown out ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ or will the men in white be able to guard their home fortress?