England v Wales - who wants it more and why?

First topic message reminder :

In the 6 Nations the margins between all teams are fine. Wales with their excellent passing game, world class back row and backline bohemoths are favourites to beat England on 25th but upsets do happen.

Sometimes I believe that games are decided in favour of the side showing more desire or even desperation to win. I'm sure that we can all think of examples of this down the years - unfavoured sides with powerful motivation who trump their more vaunted opponents and the odds in the process.

I genuinely believe that motivation can make a difference to the outcome of the match particularly if the scores are close in the last lungbusting minutes of the match.

Which of Wales or England want and is prepared to harder work for victory more and why?

Wales

1. Young hungry side, playing for Wales. Enough said.
2. Playing for Triple Crown (sacrilege to say this possibly - but I don’t think that is much of a motivating factor. Beating France is important)
3. Playing to stay in the hunt for a Grand Slam ( a big motivating factor) - anciliary prize - 3rd Slam in 6 years
4. Playing to beat England ( a perrenial big motivating factor - but lessened for this match I feel )
5. Residual feeling of injustice at RWC tiptacklegate quarter final loss to France. (Warburton himself has recently gone into print calling for changes to the way refs deal with this. Gatland is on record saying that because it was a QF it should've been dealt with differently)
6. Cash win bonuses (big motivating factor?)
6. Any particular personal motivating factors for individual players?


England

1. Young hungry side, playing for England. Enough said.
2. If the players are to be believed they're playing not only for themselves but for Lancaster and staff to keep their jobs. In Farrell's case for his Dad's job!
3. Playing to stay in the hunt for a Grand Slam ( a big motivating factor)
4. Redemption after RWC fiasco. ( the most powerful motivating factor I can think of)
5. At home in front of home supporters ( big motivating factor)
6. England are clear underdogs. (big motivating factor)
7. Cash win bonuses (big motivating factor? yes if Easter's alleged gallows humour has grain truth to it)
8. Any particular personal motivating factors for individual players? (see 2 and 4 in particular)


All in all there are powerfull pyschological forces at work for both sides in this game.

I'm biased but I say that England are going to be consdierably more pumped up for this one. They will be full of the rage of the damned and are at home.

That doesn’t necessarily translate into anything more than 100% commitment but I will say this….

IF England are in this match at the end I'm backing them to come home to win on a wave of desire backed by vocal crowd support.

So if that's a fact. You tell me - am i lying?

munkian wrote:England were losing to Italy at half time and looked like losing the game untill a well made charge down.

Italy.....

Munkian, just to clarify; the winner of a rugby match is the team which is ahead at FULL time, not half time. It's logical when you think about it.

Now I do appreciate that any welsh loss by a margin of less 35 than points actually counts as an almost victory for wales, but outside of the principality it is considered as a loss. This explains why the official record books show all those welsh almost victories over Italy as losses instead, despite Italy not winning by a 35 point margin. It also explains why the world outside of wales see NZ as the true world champs

Well played, sir.

Mitey. I admire your confidence. I really do. But my God man, you're living in cloud cuckoo land. God knows there are lots of Welsh posters on these boards who spout rubbish and are guilty of overconfidence. But even the most one-eyed of them are calling this game as a 50:50, which it is of course, as anyone with an iota of rugby knowledge knows. I haven't come across one person who are claiming it will be as easy a welsh victory as you are claiming it will be for England. I've lost count of the amount of comments by you that I am itching to "quote" and hopefully ram back down your throat next Sat. Now for the record I am Welsh, and a generally a bit of a pessimist so I think we're going to lose in a tight game (I've been wrong before though, and was nicely surprised when we won against Ireland and Scotland). I wonder if you've ever been wrong Mitey...............perhaps I'll have a look back at any comments you made before the world cup England v France or Wales v Ireland games.

Tattered, are you being serious? There are plenty of welshmen saying that wales will hammer England. Have a read through some of the comments mate. Some (view, morganngw etc) are predicting 30 point victories! It goes both ways dude and it's easy to see from reading these boards

England will want it more than Wales because they won't want to be humiliated on their home turf by a side named 'Wales'.

Wales will want it more than England because they'll want the bragging rights of humiliating England on their home turf.

I think there is enough motivation to go round and there will be equal ferocious intent to prove a point.

So apparently the "superior" Welsh front row are all pulling out one by one with "injuries". Looks like they're not up to trying to prove their self-instated reputation.

Talk about wanting it more, they're not even willing to take the field.