THE Wales team of 2008 can emulate the class of 1988 and break their 20-year Twickenham hoodoo, says former dual code star Adrian Hadley.

The two-try winger was the hero the day Wales last beat England at HQ' when their 11-3 win paved the way for a first Triple Crown in almost ten years.

Hadley, who left union just months after to join rugby league outfit Salford for a then world record fee of £100,000, believes Wales can match England up front on Saturday.

Hadley also said Wales should be inspired by the Cardiff Blues forwards who tamed a powerful Bristol pack during their 17-0 Heineken Cup victory at the Memorial Ground last weekend.

Reeling back the years, Hadley, who works in Newport as operations director for St David's Foundation Hospice Care, remembers little about that last win at Twickers: "It's just bits and pieces of the build-up to the two tries really and I have to check who was playing that day.

"We had beaten England at the World Cup quarter-finals the previous summer and we went into the game with a lot confidence."

The ex-Cardiff winger, who won 27 caps for Wales, said: "I always loved playing at Twickenham and only lost there once to a Rob Andrew drop goal (21-18 in 1986) - it had the best surface around.

"And it always used to wind me up walking through the car park to the changing rooms where you had all the hoity-toities having their barbecues and picnics.

"When we won 20 years ago, I remember a woman asking someone if Terry Holmes was playing? Terry had gone North' about two years before so it just showed you how much they knew about rugby."

Focussing on Wales' Six Nations opener, Hadley said: "I think we can win. If you put it on paper - our first XV against their first XV - then we've got nothing to fear.

"Nobody usually plays well in their first Six Nations game, we've got nothing to lose and everybody is expecting them to win."

Hadley thinks the Welsh eight can get parity with England up front: "I think we can take a leaf out of Cardiff Blues' plan against Bristol.

"They put pressure on their lineout and Mark Regan (Bristol's England and Lions hooker) was shocking.

"But they do have Andrew Sheridan (loose-head prop) who's a big lump, George Chuter (hooker) who's no mug but it's a bonus if Simon Shaw (lock) is not playing because he's a real pain.

"For Wales up front, Alun Wyn Jones is a brilliant athlete, Ryan Jones has missed so much rugby but will be really up for it - I don't think the captaincy will get on his back - and Martyn Williams just keeps going, he's always there like Neil Back. There's no reason we can't win - but we've been saying that for the past 20 years!"