NEWPORT Gwent Dragons duo Dan Lydiate and Luke Charteris will have English fans cheering them on if they make the Wales side for their showdown with Martin Johnson’s men at Twickenham next week.

Mid Walian Lydiate’s father is from Salford in Greater Manchester while Cornish-born, Carmarthenshire-raised Charteris studied and lived in Bath for eight years.

Both are banking on their relevant family and friends from over the border becoming Welsh for the day when Warren Gatland’s side clash with England in the World Cup warm-up game at Twickenham on August 6 and again at the Millennium Stadium for the return a week later.

Blindside flanker Lydiate, 23, who has won 11 caps, said his father John has no divided loyalties: “Blood is certainly thicker than water when it comes to the rugby for my dad,” he said.

“There is never any question of split loyalties when he watches me play or when he watched my brother, Jack (who played for Ebbw Vale and Pontypool) for that matter.

“We were both born and bred in Wales and, actually, my dad didn’t really get into rugby union until the two of us starting playing it, so it’s probably been quite easy for him.

“He was a football fan in his youth and supports Manchester United and, coming from Salford, the rugby he watched was rugby league.

“I don’t know what he does at anthem time when he is watching me, but I know he sings the Welsh one when we are together and I imagine if I’m playing in either of the games this summer he’ll sing them both.

“But it’s probably the same for dads the world over, if your son is playing you support them, so there is no dilemma there for him at all really.”

But lock, Charteris, 28, looking to win his 24th cap at Twickenham, has to use coercive tactics when it comes to persuading the English pals he made at Bath University, while a sports science undergraduate, to change allegiance.

“I’ve told them, if I make the squad, not to bother coming to watch me unless they are wearing Welsh gear, so there won’t be an English rose in sight,” he said.

And so he’s concocted an ingenious plan to ensure his mates become turncoats by giving them some of his old Wales kit to wear to the games. But there is a fly in the ointment.

When you’re 6ft 9in tall and weigh in at 20st 4lb, you’re going to be slightly larger than the average guy.

“I’ve dished out a lot of my old kit, just to make sure there aren’t any excuses, although it doesn’t exactly fit them all that well,” Charteris explained.

“It’s a case of once a student always a student, making them very susceptible to bribery, but they are all genuinely supportive of me.”

Apart from the 2009/10 season, Charteris has never nailed down a regular place with Wales and an elbow problem limited his game time at international level this year to a solitary cap in the defeat to the Barbarians last month.

And he knows he has to produce something special to break up the Bradley Davies and Alun Wyn Jones partnership in the second row.

“Bradley and Alun have been going well, but all I can do is work on my own form and fitness and not give up hope,” Charteris said.

“You want to make the (World Cup) squad, but everyone wants a starting spot and I’m not going to give up on that either, personally, I’m feeling good at the moment and happy with the way I’m playing.”

Tickets for Wales v England at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, August 13 (kick off 2.30pm) are £30.

Tickets for the Wales v Argentina, also at the Millennium Stadium, on Saturday, August 20 (kick of 2.30pm) cost £25 and are on a buy one get one free promotion.

Fans can buy tickets online at www.wru.co.uk/tickets, by calling 08442 777 888 or 02920 230130 or from Tesco stores.