By Graham Thomas

Taulupe Faletau expects England’s thirst for revenge to be stronger than any cousin love that may flow his way at Twickenham tomorrow.

The Wales No.8 will re-create the Pontypool bike wars of 2002 when he used to race Billy and Mako Vunipola around the streets after their Tongan mothers got them together in the hope they would drain each other’s energy.

Mako, just two months younger than Faletau, would sometimes win but usually the future Wales international would have enough strength to see off Billy, two years his junior.

The bike duels ended soon after when the Vunipola family moved to Bristol and since the contests switched to international rugby matches, the score is one apiece between Faletau and Billy, who will wear No.8 for England. Prop Mako – who Faleatau calls “little cuz” may have a chance to help his big brother, but he will need to come off the bench.

Billy was on the losing side in the World Cup last October and Faletau says: “They would not have been too happy with losing at home at Twickenham – especially in a World Cup, as well. They will have been working hard to put things right.”

A victory for Wales would put Faletau, still only 25, just one match away from his third Six Nations title, following the triumphs of 2012 and 2013.

“To win it again for a third time would be great. We are here to win games and win competitions and hopefully we can do it a third time.”

The Faletau connection with Wales could have been lost if his father Kuli had also opted to move across the border when Taulupe was just 11. Instead, the lay preacher – who used to conduct Sunday services for every Tongan then playing in Wales – was enjoying life in the second row for Ebbw Vale and so the family stayed.

Before he was joined by his wife and children from the South Seas, Kuli used to share the caretaker’s house at Eugene Cross Park with the club’s other Tongan recruit, Josh Taumalolo. Any visitor was struck by the absence of furniture, the only thing in the living room apart from the TV was a small table that housed a bright red phone. In the pre-Skype days, most of the money they were paid that was not sent home was spent on phone calls.

The rest of the Faletau family arrived in 1997. Soon after Billy and Mako’s dad, Fe’ao, followed to join Pontypool.

“The only thing I can remember,” says Faletau, “is just all this green land and lots of hills. There was a lot more than I was used to from back home. We moved over to the UK and we played with each other as cousins until the age of 11 and then Mako and Billy’s family went to live in England.”

Whilst the dynamic Newport Gwent Dragon has become the undisputed first choice No.8 for Wales since edging Ryan Jones aside in 2011 – tomorrow will be his 56^th Wales cap – Billy Vunipola is his fifth English adversary in the same shirt. He follows on from James Haskell, Nick Easter, Ben Morgan and Tom Wood.

Vunipola has been outstanding for Saracens all season and in a Six Nations tournament low on individual excellence, the cousins have set the bar for back row play.

Faletau – who is leaving the Dragons to join Bath at the end of the season – says: “It’s nice to go up against Billy – fun but tough. He’s done so well with his ball-carrying and is a hard man to stop but he is also a very good player at the breakdown. Once he is on the ball he is tough to move.”

Their confrontation may not decide the destiny of the championship, but it will be a factor and according to Wales hooker Ken Owens it will be heard by those not even inside the stadium.

“They have played against each other plenty of times now,” Owens says. “A lot has been made of Billy’s carrying, and Toby has been absolutely phenomenal in defence.

“It will be an interesting battle that could get the ground shaking. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Toby have a bad game.”