Ralph ready as Wales eye up a World Cup place
WALES take on Ireland at the Racecourse Stadium in Wrexham on Sunday (3pm) and the winner will secure qualification for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
After making his debut against the Irish in the final group match of last year’s World Cup in Australia, Josh Ralph has featured in both of Wales’ European Championship matches so far.
If he plays a part on Sunday, however, it will be the first time he has pulled on the red jersey in front of a home crowd.
“The game’s in Wales so it doesn’t get any bigger than that,” Ralph said.
“The winner goes straight through to the World Cup so it’s really important we put in a good performance and get the result we need.
“I’ve got my dad and pop here as they’ve both travelled over from Australia.
“My dad actually hasn’t been over here since he was five, so it’s a really big match for me on a personal note as well.”
Following defeat to France in their European Championship opener, Wales put in an impressive display in their second outing, beating Scotland 50-12 in Galashiels.
Ralph is hoping they can carry that form into Sunday’s clash with Ireland.
“I think it has taken us a gameand-a-half to really click,” said Ralph, who plays for East Brisbane Tigers.
“When we went out in that second-half against Scotland, I think the penny dropped and it goes to show that, when we do what we’ve practised as a team, how easy it can be.
“We got to our spots, we did the right things in attack, we did the right things in defence and we got our kicking game together. It all worked out. If we can carry on what we did in the second-half last week, I hope we can take home the win.”
Although he qualifies to play for Wales through heritage, the 21-yearold is proud to play for the Dragons and is excited by what the future holds.
He added: “When you came into camp, you looked around and there were a lot of young blokes, even compared to the World Cup last year.
“You see everybody training and I guess we’re all just hungry to play.”
“You’ve got to prove yourself and I think everybody else new is doing that.
“It is exciting to see what rugby league in Wales is going to be like in a few years’ time.”