'If I can lead on the pitch, I will. I am not the biggest of speakers'
Aaron Wainwright believes that Wales’ Twickenham appointment with South Africa is an important staging post on the road to the 2027 World Cup.
Wales’ resources have been severely tested for Saturday’s encounter with several players either unavailable because the game falls outside World Rugby’s summer Test window so England-based players cannot be considered, injured or rested.
The list of absentees features established performers like Dafydd Jenkins, Tommy Reffell, Jac Morgan, Adam Beard, Tomos Williams, Will Rowlands and Josh Adams.
And it means that Wales’ matchday 23 has an inexperienced look to it, featuring four uncapped players – Ellis Bevan, James Ratti, Eddie James and Jacob Beetham – and eight others whose Test match appearances are in single figures.
“If we want to get better, this is the game to test ourselves and find out where we can get better,” Wales number eight Wainwright said.
“We have talked a lot about being brave and us being the aggressors in the game and being confident.
“If I was one of those guys coming in for the first time, I would just try and get myself into the game nice and early, be confident, put your hand up and try to make something happen.
“The more guys that can get experience at international level, it is going to be better for us as a whole squad.
“Warren (Wales head coach Warren Gatland) has talked about trying to get to 2027 with as many people with around 50 caps as possible, and there is no better way of doing that than by exposing guys new into the team with international rugby.
“Once they get a taste for that, I am sure they will want to get more. It is just about building that strength in depth.”
Wainwright, who made his Wales debut six years ago, is only two appearances away from a half-century.
He is an established member of Gatland’s starting XV and will be a key figure not only against South Africa but on Wales’ two-Test Australia tour in July.
He is comfortably the most experienced Wales forward on show this weekend, but Wainwright added: “I haven’t really read into that too much.
“I am just trying to concentrate on my own job for the weekend and hopefully pull the boys along with me in the game.
“If I can lead on the pitch, I will. I am not the biggest of speakers off the pitch, but hopefully my actions can help guide us.
“I am feeling good. I love playing rugby, and the more games, the better. I am feeling fresh going into the game and looking forward to it.
“There are a lot of big names playing for them. It is an exciting challenge, and hopefully we can get stuck into the game nice and early and put our mark on them.
“I think any time you come up against the world champions it is going to be a tough test. We are looking forward to that and hopefully prove some people wrong.”
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Good, Charles II of England is actually the King in some of the territory of your team. So again less of the righteousness.
Go to commentsSame England, same story for a decade. Kick well, set piece well, defend aggressively, no idea how to score tries.
England were kept in the game by NZ penalties and handling errors, aside from an interception we got nowhere near scoring a try. England's attack is AWFUL. If Argentina can tear holes in the ABs ball in hand, there is no excuse for England's inability to create. Coming so close in these games means a) we're doing some stuff very well and b) plastering over the fact that our attacking play is the worst of any top tier team in the world.
We're focusing on missed kicks and what could have beens because we just missed out when if we were able to execute in the red zone and came away with a few tries instead of those penalties we would be winning these tight games by 10-15... The players have the skill, they showed it against Ireland, but they're so focused on the prescribed gameplan that they're devoid of instinct.
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