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Winning ‘non-negotiable’ for Wales with unwanted history looming

By PA
Wales' players (red) react after their defeat during the rugby union Test match between Australia and Wales at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on July 6, 2024. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --

Owen Watkin says it is “non-negotiable” that Wales win Saturday’s second Test against Australia in Melbourne.

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Wales face the Wallabies for a second time in eight days, having lost 25-16 last weekend.

That defeat was Wales’ eighth on the bounce and they have not won a Test match since beating 2023 World Cup pool-stage opponents Georgia.

Another defeat against Australia would leave Wales one short of their worst Test run, which was a 10-game sequence in 2002 and 2003 under New Zealander Steve Hansen.

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Wallabies centre Hunter Paisami and back rower Rob Valetini on Wales

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    Wallabies centre Hunter Paisami and back rower Rob Valetini on Wales

    Wallabies centre Hunter Paisami and back rower Rob Valetini have spoke to media in Melbourne. Both started in the side’s 25-16 win over Wales last weekend. The pair were both raised in the Victorian capital and played their junior Rugby together at Harlequin Rugby club in the city’s east.

    Wales boss Warren Gatland has just a 30 per cent success rate during his second stint as Wales boss, with 14 defeats since he took over from Wayne Pivac for the 2023 Six Nations.

    “We were massively disappointed with the (first Test) result because we went into the game fully believing we could win,” Wales centre Watkin said.

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    “We left a lot of opportunities out there, but we weren’t happy with the penalty count and the errors we made.

    “There is still a positive vibe in the camp and it is now non-negotiable – we need a win on Saturday.

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    “We put ourselves in a position to win last weekend, but the penalty and error count let us down. We will try to put that right for Saturday.”

    Watkin looks set to win his 41st cap, lining up alongside Mason Grady in midfield and he is a key part of Gatland’s machinery, especially now that George North has retired from international rugby.

    Only four players in Wales’ tour squad – full-back Liam Williams, scrum-half Gareth Davies, prop Dillon Lewis and number eight Aaron Wainwright – have played more Tests than the Ospreys centre.

    “It was only our second game together,” Watkin added, on his combination with Grady. “He is a massive bloke, so the more times we can get him on the ball the better it will be for us as an attacking team.

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    “Hopefully, we can build a partnership into the future.

    “They have put a lot of faith in me to lead by example and I am loving taking a senior role. I am enjoying setting the standards and the pressure they have put on me.

    “Australia can feel as confident as they like after last weekend’s win. We just concentrate on ourselves. We just fell short last weekend and we don’t want that to happen again.”

    Wales’ latest loss saw them drop to 11th place on World Rugby’s official rankings list – their lowest position since its launch 21 years ago.

    That comes just five years after Wales briefly held the world number one spot, which underlines their current plight.

    Wales assistant coach Rob Howley said: “We keep challenging our players to improve individually and collectively.

    “We back our players’ decisions. We hope at some point through that experience of these players playing more international games, we will get over the line.

    “We have to keep knocking at the door, working hard, trusting the systems and keep believing.”

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    Comments

    4 Comments
    F
    Flankly 227 days ago

    Because they are prepared to negotiate the outcomes of other games? Funny.

    T
    Thomas 227 days ago

    What a silly bombastic statement.

    J
    John 227 days ago

    How is it non-negotiable? What happens if Wales lose? Will anybody be dropped? Will any of the coaches lose their jobs? No. It’s just another routine day at the office with no consequences at all.

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    J
    JW 2 hours ago
    Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

    Players like Prendergast and Finn Smith already have a few seasons at top club level under their belt and are now test players, at an age when NZ players make their debuts in SR.

    That’s just a difference in standards. You’re confusing SR for being their local domestic comps, where it’s more accurately comparable to Champions Cup, apart from that teams are happy to throw games as it’s in a bit of a limbo in terms of importance atm.


    All these kids have been playing for a comparable NPC team for years now. Sam is no where near ready for tests but he has a great temperament, much like Sextons, that makes it a good choice to speed up his development. He wasn’t even a comparable Super Rugby starter before playing for Ireland, so not a great comparison.


    Fin would be much better example, but then England don’t have 3 world class Test tens in front of him (not that I’d put Beauden their but obviously in terms of young NZ players chances, he is). Would he otherwise have debuted at the same age as Fergus Burke (injury and leaving withstanding), around 24, a couple of years later? England also aren’t as pedantic to who they give jerseys to, in NZ a test jersey is very hard earned for the most part.


    In general I think the effects are as you say, but the only difference is the money involved, as you yourself said, their paths are just as all over the show being loaned out playing for clubs etc. My solution to that, and what you perceive as the problem, would be to introduce university football that utilitizes the large investment they have into high performance sport.

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