EXCLUSIVE: England legend David Duckham warns against direct Welsh route

“By that I mean trying to evade a tackle with a sidestep, attacking space or just trying to get half through a tackle rather than ploughing straight into a defender, which is what the majority of players do.

“The key in the modern game is pace. Whether you’re a back or a forward, you have to have it.

“I really like the look of Jonny May because he has real pace, he’s light on his feet and he’s unorthodox. It’s that bit of unorthodoxy in the backs which can turn the tide. You just need one piece of individual brilliance to turn a game.

“Luther Burrell is also a real star of the future – he has pace and a physical presence. But I’d like to see him creating space, because it’s at such a massive premium these days, and then getting our tricky runners into it.

“I’m sure that’s what Stuart Lancaster is trying to do and I believe he’s starting to achieve it.”

Duckham, though, says England cannot be as profligate against Wales as they were against Ireland, when they butchered several overlaps.

“There were chances missed against Ireland which really shouldn’t have been. New Zealand would never have wasted them,” he said.

“There are so few chances at the top level to break the defensive line – tries are hard to come by – so there’s absolutely no excuse whatsoever for squandering opportunities.

“But England matured as a team in that match. To come back from 10-3 down against Ireland, who have been firing on all cylinders, took some doing. They showed real character and I felt very proud of them.

“For that reason, I think England will topple Wales. It will be close as Wales won’t give way without a hell of a fight, so it will be by six points maximum.”

EXCLUSIVE: England legend David Duckham warns against direct Welsh route