Ugo Monye has responded to Mike Brown’s headline-grabbing comments by identifying the Welsh stars who would make his combined England-Wales team.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, former Test full-back Brown maintained Wayne Pivac’s Wales don’t have a single player who would get into the England side right now.
He said the current Welsh team isn’t anywhere near the quality of some of their recent line-ups and that Eddie Jones’ England should beat them comfortably.
Inevitably, his words have provoked a huge reaction and added to his status as something of a pantomime villain with Wales fans.
Now fellow ex-England international Monye, a leading TV pundit these days, has given his thoughts on the subject ahead of next Saturday’s Six Nations clash at Twickenham.
Speaking on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight show, he said: “Wales are missing Tipuric, North, Alun Wyn Jones.
“When you discard all of that and take eight British & Irish Lions players from your squad, it is going to look weak.
“So I think he (Brown) does have a point to a degree and the headline is there to attract attention and create a debate.
“In the forward pack, there aren’t many I would swap from a Welsh side into an England side if Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury are fit.
“You look at the front row and England are pretty well stable.
“Where Wales are very good and where you would potentially make some changes is their back three.
“Liam Williams, Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams is a British & Irish Lions back three. I think they would probably have a best chance if you are doing a Wales-England combined XV.”
England World Cup winner and fellow BT pundit Ben Kay chipped in to say: “I agree totally with that.”
Giving his take on Brown’s contentious comments, former second row Kay said: “Now he doesn’t really have to consider what he’s saying because he’s not involved.
“I think maybe there’s just an element of revenge. I don’t think he’s ever been the most popular player in Wales and I think maybe this is an example on how to play on it.
“There has been a lot of chat on social media from Welsh people saying this Welsh team aren’t particularly good at the moment.
“They just wouldn’t like it when Mike Brown says what he has!”
The two former England stars also gave their thoughts on whether the fit-again Taulupe Faletau should be drafted into the Wales team for Twickenham.
Lions No 8 Faletau played 80 minutes at blindside flanker for Bath against Leicester on Saturday on his second game back following a long lay-off with an ankle injury and has now been called into the Welsh squad.
“He has to be involved,” said former Lions wing Monye.
“He is a big game player.
“You are going away from home where you need to be an aggressor against the physical pack which will be bolstered by Lawes and Launchbury.”
Kay commented: “He is probably the ultimate big-game player, particularly with the Welsh jersey on, with his ability to get back up to speed.
“It was great to see him get those amount of minutes in on Saturday. That’s crucially important. He looked pretty good.
“I think, particularly with the bodies that are missing for Wales, he has to be in there, they have to find space for him.”
Looking at the game as a whole, Monye said: “England will be playing against a depleted Wales. They will be firm favourites, regardless of who is trying to play the underdog this week.”
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