“Last week was a setback but it will be put into context by this weekend’s performance,” said Dallaglio. “I am very confident that the performance you will see in subsequent games will be very different.”
Dallaglio said he expected standards to be considerably higher than those on show during the 19-13 loss to Ireland in the RBS Six Nations earlier this month.
“We made too many mistakes against the Irish. We could have lost by a lot more given how poorly we played, but we recognise that and aim to put it right against Wales,” he said. That defeat ended the World Champions’ twenty-two game unbeaten home run and cast a cloud over what should have been a day of triumph as they played their first game at Twickenham since lifting the Rugby World Cup in November.
Dallaglio said the defeat had served as a wake up call to the team, and warned that Wales, who led England 10-3 at halftime in last year’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final before England ran out 28-17 winners, will be ready to exploit any weakness in their game.
“If we are not at our best we will create problems for ourselves and they have the ability to create problems for us,” he said. London Wasps skipper Dallaglio took over as Captain from Martin Johnson after the Rugby World Cup, in partnership with former Wales scrum-half Rob Howley he guided his side to the Zurich Championship and the Parker Pen Challenge Cup.
