England must keep their cool

Johnson today finishes a 35-day ban for rearranging the ribs of Saracens outside-half Duncan McRae and will be under the spotlight throughout a match that will test his anger-management to the limit.

Wales are going to target him from the kick-off.

England's most obvious failures to deal with the Cardiff challenge came in 1987 and 1989.

In 1987, England captain Richard Hill, tired of seeing English packs taken apart by the Welsh, delivered an infamously inflammatory pre-match speech in the dressing room which triggered all-out warfare.

It led to his sacking and the suspension of Wade Dooley, Gareth Chilcott and Graham Dawe.

When England returned two years later, they were under orders not to lose their cool and Wales exploited this with relish.

From the kick-off, England hard-man Mike Teague caught the ball and was immediately buried under eight pairs of boots.

He emerged with a nasty gash in his forehead and took no further part in the contest.

England had lost their most important line-out support player - and the war before it had even really begun.

In the aftermath of that loss, I spoke to an England forward who was slumped across two chairs outside the after-match dinner.

With real anger in his voice, he said: "I am never going to allow myself to come to Cardiff again and not be able to fight back."

True to his word, two years later England ended their 28-year run of defeats in Cardiff with a famous victory in a Grand Slam season under Will Carling, thanks to a pack that tore into the Welsh.

It will take another exhibition of controlled aggression for Johnson to launch his bid for Slam glory by defeating Wales in their new hi-tech stadium on the banks of the Taff.

Although England have introduced the exciting pace of full-back Iain Balshaw and Will Greenwood's guile to midfield, the match will be settled up front and it's difficult to see how the Welsh pack can generate the kind of sustained driving play necessary to eclipse Johnson & Co.

Welsh locks Ian Gough and Christ Wyatt are built in the modern form - light and athletic - while the back row has been redesigned to try to negate Lawrence Dallaglio, Richard Hill and Neil Back, the most settled unit in world rugby.

For Wales coach Graham Henry, the challenge of facing an England team that have won four straight games against southern hemisphere opposition meant a pragmatic approach to selection. Welsh rugby does not have the same strength in depth and Henry must rely on the individual excellence of Neil Jenkins, Scott Gibbs, Rob Howley and Scott Quinnell tomorrow.

New Zealander Henry, who is also the Lions coach for this summer's tour of Australia, said: "I think in Wales, people are a little bit romantic at times in that they look for players with flair, who might not have the form.

"We've gone for the percentage selection - players who we know will produce it on the day.

"When we had success against England at Wembley two years ago, I think that our discipline was better than the opposition's."

It's a theme England have been keen to talk about with team manager Clive Woodward adding: "Giving away penalties is criminal, especially when you have on the pitch in Cardiff the best two kickers in world rugby - Jonny Wilkinson and Neil Jenkins." It would be nice to think that the game might be won by tries and not by the kicking of Wilkinson and Jenkins, but perhaps that's just me being an old romantic.