Wales and England can show just how far they have come since last year's Rugby World Cup when they go head to head in the Six Nations this weekend.
With injuries abating and confidence high after a win at Ireland and a fitfully impressive 27-13 victory against Scotland, Wales is in the unfamiliar position of favourite to win at Twickenham against a side that narrowly beat Scotland and Italy.
A second win at Twickenham since 1988 would keep Wales in contention for the grand slam and build on the promise of fourth place at the World Cup.
"As much as we are trying to calm ourselves down and keep a lid on it emotionally, this is a massive game and I'm sure the country is going to go a little bit mental," prop Adam Jones said.
Wales attracted praise and plaudits for its performances at the World Cup, where it followed a single-point defeat against South Africa with wins over Samoa, Namibia, Fiji and Ireland.
But progress was stymied by an injury to playmaking flyhalf Rhys Priestland ahead of a semifinal against France, which Wales lost after a harsh red card to captain Sam Warburton. The injured Priestland and suspended Warburton then missed the third-place playoff loss to Australia.
The match against England offers Wales the ideal chance to deliver on the promise it showed in New Zealand.
Warburton returns again at openside after missing the 27-13 victory over Scotland on February 12 because of a thigh problem. The captain's recall is one of three changes, with World Cup lock Alun-Wyn Jones returning to the second row after a toe injury and Ken Owens starting for the first time instead of injured hooker Huw Bennett.
Matthew Rees remain out injured but Wales' injury problems are slowly clearing up. Wing George North has overcome an ankle injury and will start in an unchanged back division.
"A fit-again Alun-Wyn Jones is selected based on his Rugby World Cup form and his experience as an international lock," Wales coach Warren Gatland. "He gave us a selection dilemma but it has been a great problem to have.
"This is just that kind of competition for places we have been striving for."
Having endured a dismal World Cup, changed coaches and overhauled its squad, England is at a different stage in its team-building exercise.
England won tricky away matches at Scotland and Italy but scored just one try in each. After fielding the same starting lineup for both matches, interim coach Stuart Lancaster has made four personnel changes and two positional switches for Saturday.
The back line is brimful of potential with Manu Tuilagi recalled at outside centre for his first appearance since last year's Rugby World Cup. Owen Farrell moves to No. 10 and Brad Barritt to inside center, replacing Farrell and accommodating Tuilagi.
The switch - facilitated at least in part by a hand injury to flyhalf Charlie Hodgson - means England should have a distributor, an accomplished stopper and a line breaker in the key positions of 10, 12 and 13.
"We assessed him this morning and he cannot grip fully," Lancaster said. "Owen has trained throughout and knows our patterns and plays so we are fully confident in his ability to run the game from 10 - and we are looking forward to seeing how Brad and Manu gel together in the center."
Scrumhalf Lee Dickson, No. 8 Ben Morgan and lock Geoff Parling will all start for the first time.
Ireland is unchanged to face Italy in Saturday's other match, the first of its grueling run of games on four straight weekends. Flyhalf Jonathan Sexton is fit to start after recovering from a thigh injury sustained before the postponed match against France, which has been rescheduled for what should have been a tournament rest weekend.
"We were tempted to make changes to the team. We had a long discussion about it," coach Declan Kidney said. "But this team was good enough to play France so it's good enough to play against Italy as well.
"We need to approach this game by game, rather than as a block of four fixtures."
Tournament favourite and World Cup runner-up France has stuck with the team that should have played against Ireland to take on Scotland on Sunday.
"Nobody played against Ireland, so nobody had a bad game," coach Philippe Saint-Andre said Thursday. "Everyone had prepared for the Ireland game properly, so there's a certain logic to that."
Scrumhalf Morgan Parra starts ahead of veteran Dimitri Yachvili, who was not selected for the Ireland game because of a sore back. Parra will be partnered by flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc and, with Yachvili rested, Parra will take kicking duties.
Parra and Trinh-Duc starred for France when it won the Grand Slam two years ago under former coach Marc Lievremont.
