Wales looking to upset Australia – Rugby News Update
Wales is set to play Australia at Brisbane tomorrow, Saturday June 9, in the first of three test matches, with their confidence sky high.
Rob Howley, the interim coach of Wales in place of Warren Gatland, said, "We feel we have got an opportunity. We've arrived where we'd like to be and we can't look forward enough to Saturday."
Australia go into the match at a back of a loss against Scotland, who had not won a test match in 7 games, while Wales won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2012. However, Wales does not have history on their side and they have not won a game on Wallabies soil
for 43 years. They have to go back till 1969, when Gerald Davies bagged a 19-16 victory for Brian Price's side in Sydney.
Howley is also mindful of the fact that Australia will want to seek revenge for their loss against the Scots, and history also suggests that Australia will come back strong.
"We don't underestimate Australia. We know the quality of player they have," Howley said.
He further added, "The last time they lost to Scotland we played them the week after and they beat us by 30-odd points. We are very mindful of their psyche."
They also have unhappy memories of Brisbane, where they lost 63 – 6 in 1991. But this time, Wales has a fully fit squad and their mercurial captain, Sam Warburton is back in the reckoning.
Warburton has been out with an injury and is excited to get back on the field to make up for lost time. He wants his team to give their best, come on top, and finally win achieve a scalp in the southern hemisphere.
On his own form he said, "I feel fine, I have been training hard with Wales for the last four weeks and I probably feel fresher than I was before the World Cup, back in September."
Australia is going to make changes from the squad that played against Scotland, but there is still no place for Quade Cooper, James O'Connor, Kurtley Beale and skipper James Horwill.
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