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England look to dish out wooden spoon

England play Wales in their final Six Nations game in Cardiff today with an outside chance of winning this season's title, while the hosts are staring down the barrel of finishing winless and with the wooden spoon.

England will start the match at the Millennium Stadium as favorites after their impressive 26-18 win over France at Twickenham last weekend, with their sole loss of the tournament coming in the record 43-13 defeat to Ireland.

But it has been a Six Nations that has thrown up some shock results and England players were quick not to write off Wales's chances, especially playing at home after a disastrous run of three losses in three back-to-back away games.

"They are a very proud team, especially in Cardiff," said center Mathew Tait, in for Mike Tindall (knee infection) and preparing to return to the ground where he made his nightmarish Test debut two years ago.

"We are under no illusions and we are not underestimating the Welsh team at all. They are littered with quality players, so we take them very seriously," he said.

Coach Brian Ashton has called up Mark Cueto at full-back in place of Josh Lewsey while Wasps flanker James Haskell was also named as a late starting replacement for the injured Nick Easter (neck).

Captain Phil Vickery (concussion), fly-half Jonny Wilkinson (hamstring) and center Andy Farrell (back) were not considered for selection.

Under-pressure Wales coach Gareth Jenkins, who has yet to record a victory over a side ranked in the top 10 in the world, drew more fire after he named an unchanged team from the one that lost 23-20 to Italy last weekend.

But the embattled coach was forced -- much to the delight of the majority of the Welsh public -- into rejigging his backline after skipper Stephen Jones pulled out with a previously unreported wrist injury.

The impressive James Hook will play at number 10 with talismanic Toulouse back Gareth Thomas taking back the captain's armband at inside center.

Should Wales, who won the Grand Slam only two years ago, beat England they must hope that France dispose of Scotland in convincing fashion today to have any hope of avoiding the wooden spoon.

France may have seen their dreams of the perfect World Cup morale booster of a Six Nations Grand Slam shattered by England last weekend but in Paris on today they will be aiming to seal their second successive northern hemisphere title by beating the Scots.

The French will have a fair idea of what they have to do as Ireland, who are also on six points but trail on points difference, will have already played Italy while world champions England play wooden spoon candidates Wales later, but with a vastly inferior points difference, and have only outside hopes of landing the title.

Nevertheless France still have something to prove after their wake up call by England, whose makeshift team of youth and old heads somehow froze out France and stormed to a stunning victory.

No one is more aware of this than their captain Raphael Ibanez, who issued a warning to the squad this week that they should focus more at the task in hand than thoughts about would they make the World Cup squad.

Fly-half David Skrela, who injured his right lower leg, will miss the match to hand Lionel Beauxis his first Six Nations start.

Biarritz fly-half or center Damien Traille, who was made the squad's 23rd man while waiting for the Skrela decision, moves on to the bench.

Stade Francais's Skrela, who has started all four matches so far in the championship, had a non-conclusive fitness test early on Thursday but is now deemed not fully fit.

"I would have loved to be at 100 percent and be able to play this match but the pain in the leg is preventing me feeling at ease," Skrela said in a French rugby federation statement on Thursday. "I would rather concede my place and I'm very happy for Lionel who will start a Six Nations match for the first time."
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