There are no meaningless international games between now and the World Cup, such is the alarming rate at which it is approaching. This autumn represents another step on every side’s preparatory road to the finals, but for one team it holds more importance than any other.
Wales’ woeful form against the sides from the Southern Hemisphere is well documented – but if you needed a reminder, they have not beaten any of Australia, New Zealand or South Africa since November 2008. It does not make for pretty reading for Welsh fans, players or coaches.
For captain Sam Warburton, however, there is no reason to think that this autumn shouldn’t be the time to bring that run to an end.
“Once you’ve done it once, you know you can do it again and again,” says the flanker. “It’s a great opportunity for the Welsh players involved to be a part of history and make it happen, and use that as a stepping stone to kick on again.”
Speaking of the record itself, Warburton is surprisingly patient and even a little philosophical – a bit of a shock, given the amount of times he has no doubt had to answer the question. No point crying over spilt milk, and so on.
“The history books aren’t great, but that’s sport – there’s always upsets – one team can’t always win otherwise no one would watch it, or put a bet on it. There’s every chance Wales can win this autumn, and I’m confident that will happen.”
After such a drought, the pressure to get a win against one of the ‘big three’ would be acute enough in a normal year, but the presence of the World Cup on the horizon intensifies it even further. And with the presence of Australia in their pool next year, that game takes on particular importance.
Warburton, however, insists that Wales won’t put any extra pressure on themselves for that game, but rather are setting themselves a more realistic target.
“In the past we’ve struggled against the Southern Hemisphere,” he says, “so a step forward would be to beat any of them. I wouldn’t care which one [it was].
“Obviously you want to win all your matches, but if we can win at least one of them, that’s definitely a step in the right direction. It’s great that all three are coming to town this autumn, and to get a win against one of them would be an achievement for the Welsh.”
What makes things even more frustrating for Welsh fans is that they have watched their side come so close over the past few years. Few will forget the last minute try from Australia that denied them in 2012, the two agonising defeats Down Under earlier that summer, nor the desperate defeat to South Africa in the 2011 World Cup.
Fresher in the memory still is the gut-wrenching last minute loss to the Springboks over the summer, a catastrophic rush of blood to the head from Liam Williams costing his side victory at the cruelest of moments.
Warburton, however, is confident that the positives of pushing one of the world’s top two sides so close in their own backyard will outweigh the negatives of yet another close-but-no-cigar defeat.
“I wasn’t involved in that game – I had to sit out with a shoulder injury – but the guys that were involved will have huge confidence, and being in front of a home crowd will hopefully be that 1% that we need to push over the finish line.
“We did everything right apart from literally the very last play of the game. It’s about having that ability to think clearly in the last few minutes of the game.
“It would be a big psychological boost to know that next time we face each other, particularly Australia, [that we can win]. Hopefully this is the year it’ll happen.”
If they do not win against at least one of the big Southern Hemisphere sides this autumn, it is incredibly difficult to see Wales doing anything more than scratching the surface of next year’s World Cup. Psychologically, the gulf will be too big. It is do or die time for the men in red.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
Sam Warburton is an Ambassador for GUINNESS. To view GUINNESS’ new ‘Made of More’ campaign, celebrating the character and integrity of some of rugby’s greatest heroes, visit www.youtube.com/GUINNESSEurope.
5 replies on “Sam Warburton: Welsh can make history this autumn”
Yes I am sure Roger’s Gimp is right as Wales ………….extend their losing streak against major SH nations yet further in 2014.
The stats don’t make good reading so why anyone would part with their money to watch this lot I simply do not know.
1: No wins over New Zealand since before the days that meat rationing ended!
2: Another defeat against SA making it one win in 29 attempts!!
3: Yet anther defeat to chalk up against Aus, making it 23 defeats to Aus in 26 matches going back to 1991!!!
Never mind the Welsh rugby public are gluttons for this annual seasonal humiliation that shows no signs of abating.
I think I’ll watch Eng v NZ and then Ire V SA on Sky instead.
Afterall Gats and the Wales squad don’t come to see me when I bard in bed under the doctor, so I shall respond in kind.
Jamie, I understand the thinking behind “If they do not win against at least one of the big Southern Hemisphere sides this autumn, it is incredibly difficult to see Wales doing anything more than scratching the surface of next year’s World Cup. Psychologically, the gulf will be too big. It is do or die time for the men in red.” but I believe we had a poor record against most teams before the last WC and barring a slightly undercooked penalty kick we’d have made the final. So I wouldn’t write us off even if we don’t do the business this autumn.
Wales are so far beyond analysis that it’s too difficult to say much meaningful about these games before we play them. We undoubtedly have some of the best players in the world. We have Euro titles galore in the last decade. We made the semis of the last WC. We battered England 18 months ago.
Yet in amongst that we’ve been beaten by Samoa, lost our heads umpteen times against Aus and couldn’t control possession (which we had, I don’t blame Liam for the SA win, I blame the 2 mins of play before) against Aus when 6 points up with 2 mins left.
We are a total basket case of a team and hence you’d be fine saying we can win this weekend, we will win, and we can lose, and we will lost. We’ve got the players. We’ve got the videos of us playing well enough. We’ve got memories of those same players sucking the big one.
I’m off to the match – loads of cheap tix flying around. There is a bit more riding on this autumn than WC prospects – another dire run of performances and there’ll be a need to rethink the rugby saturation and the ticket pricing as the fans are starting to lose interest, relatively speaking.
Typo, … “against Aus when 6 points up with 2 mins left.” should be “against SA when 6 points up with 2 mins left.”
Ok me being a South African it hurts to say… Wales can beat the boks, New Zealand and Aus… But the one problem is they don’t really believe it… Wales are amongst the most Successful teams in Six nations, but haven’t beaten Southern Hemisphere teams regularly… Wales I will support you against Aus… Prove me right…
It does annoy me somewhat that we (Wales) bill this as ‘making history’. We’re talking about beating an opposing rugby team – regardless of who it may be. Why do we feel the need to build it up as potentially something historic? If we win, great, our record is a little less crap than it was.
The way Sam is talking gives it the air of some sort of David vs Goliath match up. As if we’re expected to lose but it’ll be historic if we win.. nonsense. Treat it as a 1 off match, execute to plan, and reap the rewards, that’s all it needs to be! Why do you want to carry the weight of history around with you as well?
It gives the impression, which Wales have given off for far too long, that we don’t actually belong in this company, that we’re not equals.