Forward Aaron Shingler says Wales must go out to bully the Wallabies on Saturday as the real possibility of suffering an autumn Test series whitewash is “almost unthinkable”.
Shingler’s words mirrored the sense of desperation for Rugby World Cup semi-finalists and Six Nations champions Wales as they go into their final Test of 2012 on a six-Test losing streak.
A fourth successive home defeat of the autumn campaign would see Wales drop out of the world’s top eight-ranked teams and into tier three for next week’s 2015 World Cup pool draw.
“Everything is on the line,” said Shingler, who replaced the poleaxed Bradley Davies just three minutes into Wales’ 33-10 defeat by New Zealand on Saturday.
“It’s important we don’t come away with four losses. It is a massive, massive week.
“We’ve got to be very accurate, very aggressive and look to bully them (Australia).
“A whitewash is almost unthinkable. We’ve trained well every week, our preparation has been good, it just hasn’t gone as we would have liked on the field.”
Wales have lost seven Tests in a row to Australia, but four of those reversals were by six points or less.
Injury worries that have stalked Wales since before the autumn internationals began when prop Adam Jones and flanker Dan Lydiate were sidelined by long-term problems and remain an issue.
Tighthead prop Aaron Jarvis injured his knee against New Zealand and left the Millennium Stadium on crutches, while centre Jamie Roberts suffered hip trouble and flanker Ryan Jones was concussed.
Another prop, Paul James, and Perpignan-based utility back James Hook are unavailable because the Australia game falls outside the International Rugby Board’s autumn Test window and clubs are under no obligation to release players.
France-based trio Mike Phillips, Gethin Jenkins and Luke Charteris are all available, though, after an agreement was reached between the Wales management and their respective clubs.
Having lost to Argentina, Samoa and now New Zealand this month, which followed a 3-0 summer Test series defeat in Australia, Wales are experiencing their worst run of results since the 2002-03 season.
Wales hooker Matthew Rees said: “It’s a massive game next week and we have got to win. At the end of the day, international rugby is all about winning.”
kane
Guest
its not the job for players and coaches to come out and apologies. Thats why you have a citing commission. You don't see coaches of the top rugby nations come out and apologize for an incident of foul play don't you?
TheGreyGhost
Roar Rookie
The Welsh looking to "bully" anyone? I thought all of Wales was in uproar (again) about thuggish bully boys from the southern hemisphere rough-housing their hardmen. I'm not sure they have any bullies left standing after the pumelling they took in the weekend. My feeling is they should look at this Spala malarkey. Given the attrition rate in the first 10 minutes last weekend it looks like their players are too brittle for rugby. Perhaps they hadn't thawed out properly?
Way
Guest
Hardly the same as the blatant attack from behind as in Hore's offense. If someone had done that to MCaw. The Kiwis would be whinging and rightly be screaming for blood. But you see how no one in the NZ camp has come out and even said sorry to the Welsh player. Now they are saying that in the wide angle video view of the play leading up to the incident that the Welsh player was running interference, almost implying that he deserved to be nailed and taken out from behind. Hansen seems always make excuses for his players.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Coles coming on is irrelevant. The NZ pack would have been down to 7.
GWS
Guest
Don't like it don't read it. Just stop whinging about it. It ain't naplan
kane
Guest
no surprises here. The welsh trying to make excuses for their thugs while they whinge about how the entire history of AB rugby is based on foul play. Try reading the comments on Wales rugby online. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/ The hypocrisy and whingefest is just out of this world. I though kiwis were bad at it but the Welsh seem to have overtaken the English by a long shot.
sledgeandhammer
Guest
Intelligent readers skim read, which makes punctuation irrelevant. Apologies to all the plodders.
Carnivean
Guest
Forums are for communication, and grammar, spelling and punctuation are the tools of communication. If you can't be bothered putting some effort into trying to put your communication into a commonly accepted form, then you can expect others to ignore you. You don't have to get it right, you just need to get it right enough that everyone can understand what you wrote on the first attempt. I know that I've ignored Johnno on almost every occasion because my time is limited, and I don't care to waste it trying to decipher his comments. That said, Johnno is at least trying to contribute. The commenter above is offering far less.
Wales15
Guest
They do say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It seems the Cuzzies have inherited it. You can hardly compare that with Andrew Hores incident. If that was the case, then the entire team of Samoa would be dirty with the amount of Andy Powell tackles they do. Anyway, no one likes Andy Powell, he is a knob.
Nick Cross
Guest
Yeah well if my aunty had balls she'd be my uncle But if youre keen on what ifs... i didn't notice Wales dominating scrums when Coles came on. And I think only the ABs scores when Jane was in bin and they were down to 14 for ten mins. Wales haven't beaten abs for 60 years. I'd be backing Wales to be coming up with other excuses for losing to 14 men if Hore had been binned (which he probably deserved)
Tommygun
Roar Rookie
Are we all numpties? Johnno and Oikee are streets ahead with their lack of punctuation and I don't think they fit the criteria of GenY. But does it worry me? No. Even a Gen Y person like me can read between the lines and work out what they meant . It's a forum not a spelling contest.
Wales15
Guest
You lot down here make me laugh. Of course, a red card would have changed the match. Wales could have dominated the scrum and got penalities, it would have helped with overlaps, etc. If it was rugby league, the TMO would have reviewed that incident in the break and took action by communicating with the ref. It looked like the refs and useless touch judges didn't want to cause an upset.
GWS
Guest
Don't tell me. Show me. Talk is cheap...
Geoff Brisbane
Guest
GWS arrogance ? Stupidity and underhanded by Hore for sure and deserves a decent penalty for it .I do not condone thuggery be it Hore, thomson or huggembottom etc. All Blacks are not reflected by dumb actions of individuals or any other team. Wales will be fired up for this weekend and the Wallabies will need to front up and expect an onslaught of Welsh passion. For me I am picking Wallabies to win by 12. And RD to get a shot at Lions.
Albo
Guest
"Misspelled, unpunctated, stream of consciousness" doublespeak is by no means an uniquely Gen Y limitation here on The Roar.
The Battered Slav
Guest
Oh the joys of communicating with gen y numpties. Whatever message some of them have gets lost in a stream of misspelled, unpunctuated, stream of consciousness garble.
Paul
Guest
you should ask Andy Powell. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT2LnhR6mhY&list=FLnvu_x712_vwD9X1LQhrZmA&index=10&feature=plpp_video The Welsh seem to be cool with thuggery
Snow
Guest
Speak English not?
Bazza Allblack Supporter
Roar Rookie
The All Blacks are that good - live it, learn it, love it.
garth
Guest
New boy Liam Williams looks good though. And that tackle he smashed Dagg with, damn near felt it here.