Dragons centre Nick Tompkins has warned that England’s Saracens stars are up there as the ‘world’s best players’ and will be coming for Wales this weekend.
Tompkins helped Wales end a run of six successive defeats with an 18-0 victory over Georgia in Llanelli on Saturday.
The centre will now be hoping to line up for Wales against his former Allianz Park team-mates in the Autumn Nations Cup.
The 25-year-old believes it will be a lot tougher when Wales complete their group games against England this weekend. The Six Nations champions overwhelmed Ireland 18-7 at Twickenham on Saturday to top Group A, with six Saracens
players – captain Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly, Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola, who are all British and Irish Lions– in Eddie Jones’ starting line-up.
“I know a lot of their boys and they always come with that competitiveness, especially Faz (Farrell),” said Tompkins, part of a Saracens squad who won four Premiership titles and three European Champions Cups between 2015 and 2019.
“To watch those guys bringing it in training just like they do in games, there is no drop-off. “I think that’s what makes some of them the world’s best players. That’s a credit to them as they bring it day-in, day-out.
“Their competitiveness on the pitch is just as much on the training pitch. That’s what makes them so good.”
The defeat of Georgia was Wales first victory since the 2020 Six Nations opener against Italy in February, with boss Wayne Pivac describing the win as “a step in the right direction”.
However, England’s trip to Llanelli on Saturday will provide a far greater measure of how far Wales have travelled.
“It would be silly to say we don’t have to rise, we know what’s coming,” Tompkins said.
“It’s nice to win against this Georgian side, but we need to challenge ourselves to up it again to the next tier – that’s a no-brainer.
“You look at this England side and we’re desperate to put in a good performance and keep this good vibe going. That’s what we need as a team, we know we’ve got it in there.”
Tompkins will be looking to earn his eighth international cap this weekend by joining fellow Dragons stars Aaron Wainwright, Leon Brown, Elliot Dee and Jonah Holmes in putting their hands up for selection.
It’s nice to win against this Georgian side, but we need to challenge ourselves to up it again to the next tier – that’s a no-brainer...
