As much as the England management have attempted to play down the sense that Saturday’s match is a final trial game before the selection of the World Cup squad, there are a handful of players who will no doubt see it just as that. And the name that stands out of the starting XV bound for Cardiff is Alex Dombrandt.

The Harlequins No 8 is a mercurial talent, capable of doing things that not many other forwards in the English game can match. He was one of the first forwards that Steve Borthwick, the England head coach, turned to when he was rebuilding the team from the ashes of the Eddie Jones regime, promoting him ahead of Billy Vunipola.

But the unshackling Dombrandt on the international stage failed to have the kind of impact Borthwick wanted. Sure, he could make ground when carrying out wide, but what England desperately needed during another faltering Six Nations campaign were forwards who could carry hard when the yards were tough, particularly off the scrum-half.

The dismantling of England’s back row effectiveness was most painfully evident in the 50-point defeat by France, with Dombrandt coming under heavy fire for conceding a penalty after receiving a kick-off only to turn his back into contact in the face of the French kick chase and go straight to ground.

Further criticism ensued when he lacked urgency in chasing a chip by Gael Fickou, allowing Damian Penaud to overturn a 10-metre gap to gather and score.

He kept his place for the final match against Ireland, but although finishing the tournament as the English forward with the most carries and metres made, it was not long before Borthwick had made it clear that Vunipola would have a big role to play at the World Cup if he proved his fitness.

Willis is ahead in race for World Cup squad

To make matters more grave for Dombrandt, he now also has Tom Willis breathing down his neck, a No 8 who may not have the same galloping broken-field ability but is more than happy to roll up his sleeves when the going gets tough.

Willis may have been named on the bench for Wales, but at this stage in the race to make the World Cup squad, he would appear to have the edge.

Which is why Saturday will be so compelling. The back three and the back row are the two remaining areas where selection remains unsettled, with Borthwick all but confirming on Thursday that the vast majority of his squad is already pencilled in.

The battle for No 8 is the defining pick that will have knock on effects on the remainder of the back five. Dombrandt can have few complaints. Borthwick has handed him his dream combination of playing with his club half-backs of Danny Care and Marcus Smith.

His barn-storming runs are so often fed by either Care or Smith and their collective ability to locate space and Dombrandt’s ability to hit those lines at full pace.

Against a callow-looking Wales side, this could be the stage for England to see the best yet of the 26 year-old. But first he must seize the opportunity.

“The link Alex has with Danny and especially Marcus is very intuitive, they find each other,” said Borthwick. “Alex finds running lines off Marcus really well.

“I thought Alex’s last game in Cardiff he played really well, creating that try down the left-hand side early in the game. I think he has got a lot of strengths and has that familiarity having played so many games at 8, 9 and 10 and with Joe Marchant there as well there are players that have played a lot of games together in this team this weekend.

“That familiarity with players around you is really important and really valuable.”

Yet while Dombrandt has his best chance to thrive alongside Care and Smith, the most significant improvements must come when carrying when there is little space or momentum.

“Alex and I have been pretty clear, and I have been clear in communication with him, what his role is and what we are looking for,” added Borthwick.

“As I have with every player. If you asked them, and what they choose to share is perfectly fine – for me, Alex has a great number of strengths in his game. His ability to find space, his ability to offload out of the tackle, his ability to find the ball is special. Something not often spoken about is his tendency to be able to jackal the ball at key breakdowns to stop opposition momentum is something not many people talk about, but he does very, very well.”

With Willis likely to play the majority of the second half, Dombrandt must know this represents his last chance saloon in terms of making this World Cup squad.

It is clear that Willis has caught Borthwick’s eye, as a player who can offer a similarly impactful role to Billy Vunipola.

“I spoke to Tom prior to the Six Nations,” added Borthwick. “I have been a big fan of Tom’s for a long period of time. He’s been a really good player. I tracked him through his time in France last year. He came in for a day during the Six Nations - he carries the ball aggressively, wants the ball in his hands, and he did that time and time again in the Top 14. When I spoke to coaches in the Top 14 they would talk about Tom Willis, tell me about Tom Willis. You’ve got coaches saying that this guy is a stand-out player. There’s something about him and he’s done really well in camp.”