the England scrum-half made in Wales

There will be some conflicting feelings in west Wales on Saturday when the Welsh travel to Twickenham.

The desire to beat England in the Six Nations will be there, but one of the many internationals in the area will be playing for the other side.

Harry Randall was made in a Welsh rugby factory and is on the verge of international stardom with England, starting ahead of Ben Youngs for his fourth cap.

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones and wing George North are alumni of Llandovery College.

Iestyn Thomas will be one of several Welsh people struggling when the young English player makes his second successive Six Nations start on Saturday.

Thomas will desperately want Wales to win and keep alive their hopes of a back-to-back Six Nations titles, but he is happy for Harry to play well.

Thomas isn't the only one. Randall moved to Wales when he was four years old to play rugby.

He joined Llandovery at 14 and left for Hartpury College three years later, but Thomas says he still has a lot of fans in the area.

Thomas says that he is so popular. People will be willing to help him if he does well.

'People were nervous about his size'

Randall would have qualified to represent Wales on residency if he'd played for Wales at under-16 and under-18 level.

He went on to play for England Under-18s and Under-20s and, before being capped for the senior side, the Bristol back left little room for doubt as he often stated in interviews that he saw himself as English.

Randall would have ended up playing for Wales if he stayed in Wales past his 17th birthday, according to Thomas.

The scrum-half moved to Hartpury College in England after being unable to progress in the Scarlets academy.

Randall is slight for an international rugby player at 5ft 8in and 11st 5lb, but his size has only improved his ability to nip through the slimmest of gaps, something Wales will have to watch out for.

Randall was given special permission to play in the Welsh Colleges League a year younger than usual because of his skill.

The former coach can only laugh when asked if he watched Randall play as a teenager, saying it was a special day when he arrived at the school.

People were nervous about Randall playing against older boys.

It was easier to smash him than it was to destroy him.

He was a livewire. He was always moving. You couldn't pin him down.

As a coach, you were about to put your hands on your head and think that he was going to get absolutely hammered, but the next thing you know, he is emerging out the other side making people look stupid.

Eddie Jones says the increased pace offered by Randall is the reason he is starting ahead of the more experienced Youngs.

Thomas never doubted this either, ordering a speed gun to prove how fast Randall's passing was for anyone who might question it.

'No issue' playing against Wales

Even a proud Welshman like Thomas believes that the combination of Randall with the equally creative and unpredictable Marcus Smith at fly-half will change England.

While the news may be bad for Wales, the ex-London Welsh and Quins player and coach is happy his former student is doing well.

Randall had a Welsh accent in school, which has become a West Country twist now.

He is a fluent Welsh speaker. His family runs a roofing business in west Wales.

Randall will not be deterred despite the fact that he may be a bit conflicted on the west side of the Severn Bridge.

The scrum-half was asked if he would be comfortable doing that against Wales in order to keep England's Six Nations hopes alive.

He will be focused on doing the best he can. I don't think there is an issue there.

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