Dewi Lake has urged Wales to “flip over a brand new leaf” after they start their Autumn Nations Collection marketing campaign towards Fiji on Sunday.
The Wales captain leads a workforce determined to keep away from struggling a record-equalling tenth successive Check defeat that might match an all-time low of 2002 and 2003.
It’s approaching 400 days since Wales final posted a Check triumph – a 43-19 World Cup pool-stage victory over Georgia – since then they’ve completed backside of the Six Nations and not using a win and likewise misplaced to Australia (twice), South Africa and Argentina.
“We’re all massively motivated to show issues round, having been concerned in a nine-game dropping streak,” Lake mentioned.
“It’s not one thing you ever wish to occur. Now, it’s our job to alter it and get again on to the correct aspect of the outcomes.
“We’re again in Cardiff, again in entrance of a house crowd, and we have to flip over a brand new leaf with this group. We have now to set the document straight, put the losses behind us and begin constructing momentum into the Six Nations.”
Wales head coach Warren Gatland welcomes again greater than 230 caps’ price of expertise – Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams, Will Rowlands, Adam Beard and Aaron Wainwright – that he didn’t have for a second Check defeat towards Australia in July.
And that collective enter may show essential when it comes to driving a workforce that additionally options 5 gamers with single-figure caps, plus a Check debutant in Scarlets wing Blair Murray.
Fiji are harmful opponents, however Wales have discovered a option to get previous them in 12 of the international locations’ 14 earlier conferences, together with an epic 2023 World Cup conflict that simply ranked among the many match’s finest video games.
“We have now all put stress on ourselves coming into this marketing campaign – and there’s exterior stress as effectively – however we’re excited in regards to the problem forward,” Lake added.
“There was a little bit of a grace interval round outcomes, the expertise of the gamers and attending to grips with worldwide rugby. However that has gone now, given the expertise we now have on this group, and it’s all about outcomes.
“We have now simply bought to be scientific. In the summertime Assessments (towards Australia) we needed to work actually exhausting to attain our tries and possibly gave away just a few gentle ones.
“On the opposite aspect of the coin, Australia didn’t should work too exhausting for his or her factors. We conceded six factors from kick-offs after we had simply scored tries.
“We all know Fiji are a harmful outfit. The final time we confronted them was on the World Cup and it got here all the way down to the 82nd minute.
“Everybody was on the sting of their seats watching that, and we all know what they’ll convey and the firepower they’ve coming again into their aspect.
“We’re absolutely conscious of their risks and the way good they’re, however now we have to deal with ourselves and simply be scientific.
“We might like to placed on an unimaginable sport, and I’m certain will probably be towards Fiji as a result of that’s the model of rugby they play.
“However in years to come back once you look again on a sport you usually don’t bear in mind what a sport seemed like or what the scoreboard mentioned. If it says 6-3 after we look again, then we will probably be pleased.”
The important thing man for Wales might be Cardiff again Ben Thomas, who impressed at fly-half towards Australia however now fills the within centre position and carries excellent regional kind with him.
Gatland mentioned: “I feel he has bought steadiness to his sport. He’s not afraid to hold the ball to the road and assault inside shoulders.
“The pleasing factor about him is he appears to be like like he’s a participant who has time on the ball. That undoubtedly helps his selections and with the ability to shift the ball.”