Pivac:we need a miracle

WALES BOSS ADMITS IT COULD TAKE A DOUGLAS v TYSON STYLE UPSET FOR HIS INJURY-HIT SIDE TO BEAT MIGHTY KIWIS

WALES coach Wayne Pivac admits it will need an upset of heavyweight proportions if they are to take New Zealand’s scalp in tomorrow’s Principality Stadium sell-out.

Their odds of doing just that receded yet further with the loss of Ken Owens.

The hooker withdrew with a back problem shortly after being named in the team yesterday and now faces a scan to see whether he can play in the Autumn Series.

Already without their English-based contingent and a glut of injured players, the loss of Owens (inset, above) leaves Pivac praying for a rugby miracle against his fellow Kiwis.

But he has certainly not given up hope. “I could rattle off upsets like James ‘Buster’ Douglas and Mike Tyson,” said Pivac. “Every now and then, you get a massive upset.

“It’s been a difficult build-up, but challenges bring out the best of people and hopefully that will happen on the weekend. It’s a big blow to lose any player that you’ve initially selected.

“We’ve selected a certain side and trained a certain way. It’s a disruption, but it’s a big chance for Ryan Elias.

“For two years, we’ve been down to play New Zealand, but haven’t been able to do so. And there is a feeling of excitement and ‘let us loose’.

“We’ve got to make sure we bring physicality, we’re smart in how we approach the game and our game management is good, so it gives us every chance.

“The timing of the game, the people available, is irrelevant to us – 75,000 people have been starved of this, so we’ve got a job to do to make it a great occasion. It’s a great fixture and we want to go out and prove people wrong.”

Wales are now missing six of their summer Lions tourists, but captain Alun Wyn Jones is on hand and will win his 149th cap for his country, overtaking Richie Mccaw’s mark of 148 for New Zealand.

At the other end of the scale, flanker Taine Basham, 21, starts his first Test as part of an all-dragons back-row.

“This will hopefully be a big stepping stone in his career,” added Pivac.

“At some stage you have to put them in a big match to learn. All of our great players started off as young players at some stage, were put under pressure and learned from it.”

There is no more testing baptism than against the All Blacks – their aura extends before them. But prop Jones says Wales must not make the mistake of playing the myth rather than the men.

“We need to make sure we don’t show them too much respect,” he said.

“We can’t stand off them, we have to get at them and take the game to them.”

HIT AND MYTH Pivac says Wales must not be fazed by the history of the All Blacks