THERE won't be as much tension in the air when Wales run out at Twickenham for the fifth time this season tomorrow but this is no knockabout fixture.

Warren Gatland has taken his team to 'HQ' for the World Cup encounters with England, Australia and South Africa plus a Six Nations title showdown with the hosts.

They have left the field with smiles on their faces just once thanks to the memorable backs-to-the-wall success that helped knock the English out of their own tournament, a feat that ultimately led to the demise of Stuart Lancaster.

The feeling was different just a couple months ago when, with Eddie Jones at the helm, England tore into Sam Warburton & Co and were worthy winners on their way to a Grand Slam.

Wales were awful for an hour and their late comeback that meant the scoreboard read 25-21 at the final whistle only added to their frustration.

They will head to London fuelled by the pain of that defeat and keen to close the gap with the famous fixture currently standing at played 128, Wales 57, England 59, 12 draws.

Make no mistake, this fixture IS a money-spinner.

It has been slotted into the saturated Test calendar by the Rugby Football Union to compensate for the World Cup disrupting the Aviva Premiership clubs' season, replacing the usual uncapped encounter with the Barbarians.

However, it is of use to both Jones and Warren Gatland ahead of trips Down Under; that is not just rhetoric.

Both face daunting tasks, albeit England appear to have a better chance of summer success when they take on Australia while Wales will be hard pushed to end their hoodoo against New Zealand.

But both sides would be in for a tonking if they headed to face the Wallabies and All Blacks completely cold with a number of their respective parties having endured a lengthy spell without rugby since the end of the Premiership and Guinness Pro12 regular seasons.

Test training can be tough but there is no substitute for the real thing and a bruising encounter with another strong European foe can be a useful step towards the pace and intensity that will be needed against the two World Cup finalists.

And a number of 'fringe' players will head out onto the London pitch with a point to prove with four individuals in the Wales 23 looking to push their case for Test involvement. Nobody wants to only feature in the midweek fixture against the Chiefs.

Hallam Amos gets the chance to stake his claim for the up-for-grabs spot alongside Liam Williams and George North in the back three in the continued absence of Leigh Halfpenny.

The Newport Gwent Dragons speedster was slightly harshly treated when he won his sixth cap in the Six Nations finale against Italy, hauled off with half an hour left when the game was starting to open up.

The 21-year-old can put himself in pole position, ahead of Tom James and Gareth Anscombe, to go up against the All Blacks with a strong display out wide against the extremely lively Anthony Watson.

Elsewhere Scott Williams, Jake Ball and Ross Moriarty will be aiming to catch the eye – centre Williams looking to thrive in the absence of Clermont's Jonathan Davies, lock Ball hoping to put the heat on Racing 92's Luke Charteris and flanker Moriarty chasing that spot on the bench as back-up to the nailed on trio (fitness permitting) of Sam Warburton-Dan Lydiate-Taulupe Faletau.

One imagines that even if they have stormers it will take something special to be starters rather than impact players in Auckland in a fortnight's time.

England are missing five key individuals in Owen Farrell, Jack Nowell, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola because of the Premiership final but their strength in depth and huge player pool is well documented.

Nonetheless, the side that Gatland has named – the strongest available – should have enough about them to record a first win away from Cardiff since the pre-World Cup trip to Dublin.

With the Chiefs looking pretty sharp in Super Rugby, failure could make it a summer that leaves them grateful that Euro 2016 will be centre of attention.

England: M Brown, A Watson, J Joseph, L Burrell, M Yarde, G Ford, B Youngs, M Mullan, D Hartley (captain), D Cole, J Launchbury, C Lawes, T Harrison, J Haskell, J Clifford. Replacements: T Taylor, E Genge, P Hill, D Attwood, M Kvesic, D Care, O Devoto, E Daly

Wales: L Williams, G North, S Williams, J Roberts, H Amos, D Biggar, R Webb, R Evans, S Baldwin, S Lee, J Ball, AW Jones, R Moriarty, T Faletau. Replacements: K Dacey, G Jenkins, R Jones, J Turnbull, J King, L Williams, R Priestland, G Anscombe

Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)