Leigh Halfpenny will not be risked against England on Saturday unless the Wales full-back is fully convinced he is ready for this first game in three months.

Forwards coach Robin McBryde has confirmed that Halfpenny has returned to full contact training following the concussion problems that have sidelined him since November.

But as the Wales coaches weigh up whether or not to take the gamble of picking Halfpenny without anything in the way of a warm-up game, McBryde has said the player himself has to believe he is ready to resume in such an unforgiving fixture.

“With Leigh, it is an individual case, and those discussions would take place with the medical team, the coaches and Leigh himself,” said Halfpenny.

“There is no way that we would put somebody in a position that he is not comfortable with. Those discussions will take place during the week.”

Halfpenny and Dan Biggar are both in training with Wales ahead of Saturday’s showdown in Cardiff. Scarlets full-back Halfpenny has not played since suffering concussion when Wales beat Australia on November 10, while fly-half Biggar went off with his knee heavily strapped during Northampton’s Gallagher Premiership victory over Sale Sharks three days ago.

Wales released Halfpenny back to the Scarlets for last weekend’s Guinness PRO14 appointment with Benetton, but he was not included in their match-day 23.

McBryde added: “They are training with us, so hopefully they will be fit enough for selection.

“Leigh was released, but didn’t play, last week. We just felt that he needed a little bit more contact, so that is what he is going to have. We will measure both of them as the week goes on.

Both Wales and England are unbeaten after two rounds of the championship, with Saturday’s clash being billed by many as a title eliminator.

Wales are also on an 11-match undefeated run, with one more victory required to break their all-time record set between 1907 and 1910.

McBryde added: “It’s a big game. England are riding high on the back of two very good performances.

“We’ve had the results, but maybe not the performances, so we have got a bit of work ahead of us.

“They (England) have started really strongly (against Ireland and France), so we have got to be able to weather the storm.

“Obviously, they have got a big kicking game that we have got to contend with, but we have got to focus on ourselves. It is a big test, and we are going to have to be at our best.”

Asked if he agreed with the verdict of England coach Eddie Jones – that Warren Gatland’s team are the best Wales side of all time – the former Wales and Llanelli hooker opted to steer around the question.

“I am not going to enter into those games. We know it will be a step up, and we’ve got to match it.

“The World Cup is around the corner as well, the bigger picture, but one game at a time. England are riding high coming to Cardiff. They are going to be confident enough in their own ability, and we’ve got to match that.

“We have got to really stand toe to toe and go at it with them. We know that we haven’t been at our best in the opening games. It’s fine margins in these close games, they can go for you or go against you.

“Maybe they have gone for us in the first two games, but we are going to have to earn everything on Saturday against what is a formidable task in England.”

One point that McBryde was to prepare to concede was that the loss of Mako Vunipola was a blow for England, who are weakened without their influential Lions prop.

“Obviously, he is in top of his game and to lose a player like that, he can walk into any team. But they have got strength in depth in all positions.”