Roberts: We want to win this autumn
Wales international Jamie Roberts has come out and said that Wales will be going for some high profile wins this autumn.
New Zealand, Australia and South Africa will all be visiting the lands of the United Kingdom within the next two months and this represents a great chance for the Home Nations to test themselves ahead of the World Cup next summer.
Roberts is a firm believer that Wales can cause some upsets if they play as well as they can do. However, he admits it will be difficult based on the recent form of particularly New Zealand.
Wales will have a lot in their favour and it's very important that they use it to their advantage. However, the size and power of the teams they are about to face could be all too much.
Stacked in their favour
Wales and the other Home Nations have a lot of things stacked in their favour. Firstly, the fact that the home countries will be playing matches at home means that they will automatically have more support and the vocal noise that fans creating during big games can inspire players on the field.
The home nations are used to the conditions that appear playing in a British autumn. All three sides about to come to the UK have just played in an Australian and New Zealand winter, which is far warmer and humid than a British autumn. It's unlikely to trouble the better sides but the Home Nations can be one step ahead at the start of a game.
Roberts said: "It's a very big year for us leading up to the World Cup and I'm sure we will be firing in the autumn. It's a great testing environment for us and we're at that stage now where we need to get results, not just give performances, and it's important we look to win some of these matches in the autumn."
Size and power
Teams from the Southern Hemisphere have traditionally had very big and very powerful teams. This makes them intimidating to play against, difficult to break down and even more difficult to tackle and stop.
Although Wales' record against these sides has been poor in the recent past, losses have only come with very narrow margins. Their last defeat to Australia was 21-18 and their last defeat against South Africa came at 34-31. This suggests that the gap may not be as big between the teams as everyone will automatically think.
Roberts added: "It's a great opportunity against the top three sides in the world and Fiji who are going to be in our group in New Zealand next year. I will be out for five months which is disappointing but every player has been through it and now it is my turn. You have to treat it as a lesson in disguise and come back fitter, faster, stronger than ever."
Betting advice
Wales are well worth backing when they are playing at the Millennium Stadium in front of 80,000 fans who want nothing more than for them to crush the opposition. They have routinely seen off the likes of England and France at this ground in the recent past.
Roberts could be a good player to back in each game but you will not be able to judge his early season form due to injury. He is still on the rehabilitation course, which means there will be other players taking on challenges and trying to make an impression over the next couple of months. Always back the kickers against big sides because they always score points.
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