GWENT-BORN centre Matthew Watkins plays at inside centre for Wales against England at Twickenham on Saturday, not his customary Scarlets club position of outside centre, but that doesn't bother him one jot.

He said: "Because the positions intermingle now, it doesn't really matter which number you have on your back, especially the way Wales want to play.

"I love to play anywhere for Wales and though I haven't played 12 for a while (the beginning of the season against the Blues), just to get on the field is a dream come true."

And the confident player, whose is 28 tomorrow, believes he can amply fill the boots of banned superstar Gavin Henson.

He believes he's as good, if not better, than Wales' hero against England last season Henson and injured outside centre Tom Shanklin, and he intends to prove it on Saturday.

The former Oakdale Compre-hensive School pupil, Crumlin Youth and Newport player makes his first Six Nations and Twickenham appearance at the weekend but is completely undaunted.

It was only a few months ago Watkins was named in the provisional sevens squad for the Commonwealth Games and was expecting to be on the plane to Melbourne later this month.

But injuries to Henson and Tom Shanklin, who played throughout Wales' 2005 Grand Slam, meant a call up for the Autumn Series after appearances against the USA (as a replacement) and Canada on the summer tour.

And though Mark Taylor, Ceri Sweeney, Sonny Parker and even skipper Gareth Thomas also figured at centre in the Autumn tests, Watkins played in the final win over Australia.

However Parker's retirement, Taylor's Sale commitments and Sweeney's loss of form means he is now involved in another new partnership, with Dragons' Hal Luscombe, and he expects it to do well.

"Obviously, it's a shame people like Gavin Henson and Tom Shanklin are not involved, but I think I'm just as good as them, if not better," said Watkins.

"I'm happy in my own ability and hopefully I can prove that at the weekend.

"Having Tom and Gavin there would make the squad a bit stronger, but I believe the boys we've got are good enough to perform.

"Hal and I have trained together all this week and last and it has gone quite well. "I haven't started with Hal before, but he's an exciting player who has played well for his region and I think it should be a good partnership."

"It will be my first game at Twickenham and my first start in the Six Nations, so it will be a huge game for me, my biggest so far.

"The Commonwealth Games was always there as something nice to fall back on, but now hopefully I can prove myself."

Regarding England and particularly the opposition centres, Watkins added: "They have big guys in the pack, but if we can win enough set piece ball, move them around and play the Welsh way, as we did last year, then I think we can perform well against them.

"Their centres are big guys and strong, dangerous runners but we know what we can do against them. "We were just off a little bit in the Autumn internationals but we are building and working hard to add that little bit extra that will make us a better side.

"Against Australia we had a few issues in the defensive area, but we have tightened that up now and I think we can go on and beat England."