The Ospreys star will make his 63rd appearance for Wales this weekend as Warren Gatland’s men target a third straight win over a much-changed Springboks side led by former Munster coach Rassie Erasmus. And Davies is determined to head into the Test matches against Argentina with winning momentum.
He said: “It’s good to be out here, it’s pretty warm which we aren’t used to. We’ve been training outside a few times and it’s gotten pretty intense. There’s a great feel for the sport out here and we’ve been very welcome, everyone’s been really nice to us. But it’s all about the weekend now and how we perform and hopefully we can get a win to start the tour well.
“Any time you get a chance to play for Wales is a big occasion and Saturday is no different, it’s unfamiliar territory playing against South Africa in Washington but it will be a good experience going into a World Cup where you play at different venues at different times of the day.
“It’s all building for that but this a Test match and we want to win and start the tour right to get some momentum going for Argentina.”
Davies is the oldest member of Wales’ starting XV despite being only 31 years old. He admits nurturing the young talent in the squad is not something that comes naturally, but he hopes to help them stamp their authority on the international stage.
He added: “I’m one of the oldest in the team now, I thought George was older than me but he never seems to age. I’m probably the oldest, and the wisest!
“I try to use my experiences to help the youngsters but it’s difficult for me because anyone who knows me knows I’m a bit of a joker. It’s good to be involved and it’s unique for me to be in a squad with so many younger guys. It’s a new challenge and one I look forward to.”
“A couple of the boys will be making their debuts which is great, the boys are desperate to play for Wales. This is their chance to show the coaches they deserve to be starting regularly. South Africa have come over here with a new coach, they want to play an exciting brand of rugby which should make for a good game.”
