Four years ago the Cardiff Blues flanker and his team emerged victorious against Ireland. This time it is the two-time winners from South Africa who stand in Wales’ way in a game what will test the already stretched Welsh resources to its limit.
The Springboks have recovered well from their shock first game defeat against Japan in Brighton and look a completely different side to the one forced to hang its head in shame after the 34-32 defeat. They went on to win Pool B and now have the look of a side capable of making it three World Cup titles.
But let’s not forget that this is a team that was beaten by Australia in the Rugby Championship and who lost to Wales in the last meeting of the two countries. And when we last met at the World Cup, in the opening Pool game in 2011, there was only one point between the two sides in a 17-16 win for the Boks.
That Wales has reached the stage is an achievement given the injuries and the teams they had to face in Pool A. But nobody in the Welsh camp is ready for the journey to end just yet. Two more matches beckon for the team that wins at Twickenham and Warburton is in no mind to miss out on a second successive semi-final.
“When you think about getting out of a pool as hard as we faced, to then reach the semi-finals would be an even greater achievement than four years ago. We didn’t beat a southern hemisphere team at the last World Cup, so that’s a target — to beat one of those teams when it matters,” said the Welsh skipper, who will equal the record of 11 games as a captain at the Rugby World Cup currently shared by Will Carling, Martin Johnson, Raphael Ibañez and John Smit.
“Players never talk about history or psychological matters and I am always the optimist. If it’s Tottenham against Manchester United, then I always think Tottenham will win. We’ve had some good tough games under our belt to prepare us well and have an excellent chance of winning.
“We may only have beaten the Springboks twice in 106 years, but the players don’t really talk about history – it’s irrelevant. There is always a chance to win. It’s going to be a really big physical challenge; it is a big job up front.
“We’ve had Sunday and Monday off and rested up, so we have a full tank to go again. We know all the calls, so we have to be physically and mentally right.”
Wales have already won at Twickenham once during the tournament, against England, and went down narrowly to Australia in last weekend’s Pool decider. Wales’ most capped player, Gethin Jenkins, and flanker Dan Lydiate, come into the pack and Dragons centre Tyler Morgan gets a second start in the tournament as Jamie Roberts’ centre partner.
Lock Alun Wyn Jones will join the 100 cap club when he makes his 94th appearance for Wales (he has played six Tests with the British & Irish Lions) and if he can inspire the Welsh pack to keep the Springboks’ eight at bay then anything is possible.
