Cohen stunned by hate mail

England wing Ben Cohen has been sent abusive letters from so-called Welsh fans over his scheduled appearance in next week's international in Cardiff.

The letters, some posted after the death of the player's father two months ago, were provoked by Cohen's dismissive 'Shane who?' jibe when asked about his opposite number, Shane Williams, after England's 46-12 win at Twickenham last year.

Williams, who considered the remark to have been 'arrogant,' warned Cohen what to expect from a Wales team anxious to get their own back against the 'gloating English.' He said: 'I don't think Cohen will get a great reception if he comes to Cardiff.'

The England wing's only run-in with Welsh opponents since then, at Northampton's 31-28 European Cup semi-final win over Llanelli last May, coincided with hundreds of Welsh fans waving 'Ben Who?' cards at the player who responded by scoring a crucial try in the Saints' narrow win.

'Ben took that in good part and he accepted that he deserved it,' said Allan Bateman, Northampton's Wales centre. 'But he has been receiving abusive letters and that is unacceptable.

'Ben was shaken by some of the letters, especially for a comment he made without much thought.

'He knows he will get some stick in Cardiff but I hope he does not receive a hostile, abusive and aggressive reaction because that will not reflect well on Wales as a nation. We should be above all that.'