Dragons aim to soar in Nations
Wales plan to climb another level after crushing Boks
VICTORY over South Africa provided a positive flourish to an otherwise indifferent year for Wales and interim coach Rob Howley admitted they needed to raise their game further to challenge for the Six Nations title.
“There’s another level in us and we will have to go to another level if we are going to get near to the likes of England and Ireland. It’s a challenge to look forward to,” he said after Saturday’s 27-13 win in Cardiff.
Wales finished the northern hemisphere autumn internationals with three wins in a row for the first time since 2002 but the build-up to the final game had been characterised by lingering criticism of the side after several disappointing results earlier in the year.
“I don’t tend to read or listen to anything like that. It’s that internal and external perception we all talk about. The internal perception is that we are a very good team. I think we showed that,” Howley said.
“All the white noise and all that, we just concentrate on performing and trying to be the best that we can as coaches and players on a Saturday. I thought we achieved that [against South Africa].
“We set a goal of bettering our 70% home record.
“Three wins out of four is 75% if my maths is right, so we bettered it. We have beaten South Africa for only the third time, by a record margin. We will take it.
“But we play England and Ireland at home in the Six Nations and that’s where we need to go to the next level.”
Wales outscored South Africa by two ties to one to beat the Boks for only the third time in 110 years of matches between the two countries.
“I’m delighted for the players. We said back at the hotel, if everyone could see all the hard work and the endeavour and the attitude the players have given the national jersey in terms of training over the last five weeks, we would win every game,” Howley said.
“But the transfer from training, for whatever reason, hasn’t been to the standard that we all expected. That was the challenge. I thought we were comfortable.
“We were able to stress South Africa more times than they were able to stress us and beat them quite comfortably. At 20-6, we don’t make it easy for ourselves. We never have and we never will. That’s the challenge. We were probably two tries short out there.”
Wales open their Six Nations campaign away against Italy in Rome on February 5. — Reuters