Alex King believes Wales need to have a “no fear” approach when they face England at Twickenham on Saturday. Wales last toppled their fierce rivals in a Six Nations game on English soil 12 years ago. They have lost on seven successive occasions at English rugby headquarters since beating England there during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, although five of those defeats were by only six points or less.

Wales will head to London after coming unstuck in a Cardiff classic against Scotland, although 26 unanswered points from being 27-0 adrift meant they almost completed the biggest comeback in Six Nations history. England, meanwhile, were pushed hard by Italy in Rome before recording a 27-24 win after trailing at half-time and being outscored on tries.

“[England] have got a decent team – finishing third at the World Cup is testament to that,” the Wales assistant coach and former Wasps fly-half King said. “I think we need to show a no-fear game going down there, and put the pressure back on them. We’ve just got to take the game to England. We can’t wait for them to see what they do, especially with 70,000 people shouting for them. We have got to present ourselves as we want to play, and not wait to see what England can do before we start responding.

“It is important to show the lads that England are a good team, but they are not unbeatable. That is the reality. They have obviously got good players and they are well coached, but Twickenham is just another stadium. I am looking forward to going back there. I’ve got my Welsh hat firmly on there. They won some important games at the World Cup, and they pushed South Africa close. They won some close games at the World Cup – they were able to get over the finish line in certain games. Like every team, they have got their weaknesses. It is up to us to exploit them on Saturday.”

The Wales head coach, Warren Gatland, meanwhile, will have to make at least one change from the Scotland match as flanker James Botham has been released from the squad because of a knee injury. Botham, who is the grandson of the England cricket great Ian Botham and scored Wales’s opening try against Scotland, will rehabilitate at his club Cardiff. Botham’s Cardiff colleague Seb Davies has been added to the squad, while the experienced Harlequins prop Dillon Lewis also gains a call-up.

The fly-half Sam Costelow went off before half-time in the Scotland game, and King said: “He is being assessed for a neuro issue with his neck. The positive thing is it wasn’t a concussion. He is up for selection, but it is a question of whether he gets through his medical protocols.”

The former Bristol back Ioan Lloyd, who replaced Costelow with impressive effect against Scotland, would be favourite to wear the No 10 shirt if a change is made.

Meanwhile, Scotland have encountered further injury woe after the forwards Luke Crosbie and Richie Gray were ruled out for the remainder of the Six Nations. The Edinburgh back-rower Crosbie went off in the second half of the 27-26 victory in Cardiff on Saturday with a shoulder issue, while the Glasgow second-rower Gray was forced off in the first half with a biceps problem.

The injuries have now been assessed and Scotland confirmed on Tuesday morning that the pair, who both started in Cardiff, will miss the rest of the tournament. Scotland were already without some key players going into the opener last weekend as the co-captain Rory Darge was not deemed fit enough to feature because of a knee injury sustained at the end of December, while the Toulouse full-back Blair Kinghorn and the Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham were ruled out of at least the first two matches with knee and quad problems respectively.

The Scots are hopeful that Darge will be fit enough to return on Saturday in the Murrayfield showdown with France, which would offset the loss of Crosbie in the back row, while the Edinburgh lock Grant Gilchrist is available after suspension to take the place of Gray.