Alex Mann believes the opening weekend of the Six Nations provides the perfect platform for this Wales squad to show their true identity, as preparations continue for Saturday’s Six Nations Championship opener against England at Twickenham.
It has been a demanding period for the players, moving straight from URC action into a busy national training camp. However, Mann feels the preparation ahead of the tournament has brought clarity and purpose to the group, sharpening focus ahead of one of rugby’s most iconic fixtures.
“It’s been a really good week and a half for us as a group,” Mann reflected. “England is always a massive game and when you get them first it gives you a real opportunity to set the tone early. The boys are genuinely excited for it. Everyone understands what the fixture means and we’re really looking forward to getting out there on Saturday.”
Despite Wales being written off in some quarters following a challenging autumn, Mann insists belief within the camp has remained strong and unwavering.
“We know what we can do, we know the calibre of players we’ve got, and that gives us real self-confidence. We feel we can go out, put in a performance and turn teams over, and that’s the exciting part for us.”
“We also all understand the calibre of players they’ve got, especially up front,” he admitted. “We’re not shying away from that at all. It’s a challenge for us and, if selected, it’s about facing it head-on and being smart in how we go about it. That’s something we’re really looking forward to.”
Twickenham is a venue that holds positive memories for the Cardiff back-rower, who crossed the whitewash on his last Test appearance in London in 2024. That experience, he feels, has only heightened his appreciation of the occasion and the responsibility that comes with wearing the famous red jersey.
“I was thrown in at the deep end when I was a bit younger,” Mann recalled. “I remember scoring there and just how big an occasion it is. It really hits you how much it means to the Welsh people and the Welsh fans. We understand that responsibility and now it’s our job to go there and put in a performance for Wales.”
“Looking back, we probably should have won that game, but it was two years ago now,” he added. “It shows how close it can be. We’ve got belief in this squad that we can win every game we go into, and that won’t change on Saturday. It’s a massive game for the country and we’ll do everything in our power to make it count.”
While the autumn campaign proved a difficult one for the national side, Mann feels the period also played an important role in the squad’s development as they look to build momentum in this year’s Championship.
“We’ve been really focused on how we can get better every day and how we accelerate to become the team we want to be,” he said. “It’s about drilling into the little details and holding ourselves accountable. I think we’ve developed well as a group and there are a lot of learnings from the autumn that are going to benefit us moving forward. Credit to the coaching staff as well – buying into what they’re driving has been massive. There’s no better tournament than the Six Nations to go and show what we can do.”