WELSH hooker Ken Owens has played down suggestions that Warren Gatland’s side will look to target England skipper Dylan Hartley.
Northampton Saints hooker Hartley was a controversial selection as England captain, given his poor disciplinary record, which has seen him banned in total for 54 weeks of his career.
Prior to a Six Nations fixture five years ago, Welsh coach Warren Gatland openly criticised the England man’s temperament.
However, there was no such provocation this time, with Scarlets hooker Owens complimentary of his opposite number.
“I don’t think you ever go on the pitch to try and wind an individual up, you just try and concentrate on your own game,” said the 29 year-old.
“I’ve played against him once this season. He’s a slightly different character, but that’s how he plays the game.
“He’s right on the edge, and that’s what makes him the player that he is in terms of a ball carrying threat and a big tackler.
“You can’t really take that out of his game because that’s what makes him slightly different to other players.”
Despite being a key member of Warren Gatland’s squad since 2011, Scarlets captain Owens has struggled to hold down a starting place having being seen primarily as an impact player.
However, Owens has not given up hope of forcing his way into the starting fifteen.
“You’re always hopeful, you work hard in training, to try and put performances out on the pitch,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve been so successful as a squad – there’s so much strength in depth and competition for places.
“Scott Baldwin has been playing well, and I’m just trying to do as good a job as I can coming off the bench, and hopefully I get an opportunity to start.”
While last Friday’s victory extended Wales’ unbeaten record over the French to five, however even that has not halted the criticism of their attacking game.
Owens was adamant there was still a lot of improvement to come from a Welsh side chasing its fourth Six Nations title of the Gatland era.
He said: “We are always working and all the other boys say work hard before training and work on the individual skills after. It’s just about executing them under pressure.
“Going back to the World Cup and the early parts of the Six Nations, we’ve created chances and just haven’t finished them off.
“Take one or two of them and they are completely different games.”
Before contemplating such milestones Wales must first overcome an England side that remain in contention for a first Grand Slam since 2003.
“They are not top of the Six Nations for nothing, they’ve had three good wins and two away from home and they are improving game on game,” said Owens.
“You can see how they’re slowly evolving, and improving under Eddie Jones. It’s going to be a real tough and physical match at Twickenham and we are looking forward to that.
“We are going to their home patch so they will probably be favourites, but we are taking it game by game and concentrating on ourselves.”
