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Davies relishing the prospect of facing the All Blacks

Jonathan Davies during training.

Davies relishing the prospect of facing the All Blacks

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Jonathan Davies is confident Wales can put in a good performance when they face New Zealand at Principality Stadium this Saturday.

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The 97 times capped centre is now one of the senior statesmen in the squad at 33 and is an integral part of head coach Wayne Pivac’s plans.

Davies is welcoming the challenge facing Wales this weekend.

“Everyone talks about the record of the last 50 or 60 years against New Zealand, but it’s a great way for us to start our autumn series,” said the Scarlets centre.

“It’s a tough task, but I think the boys are focused and we’ve had two good weeks of preparation.

“We’re focused on getting a performance and accuracy on the pitch to hopefully gain a good result which would be a great way to start this autumn.

“It’s good to be back and it’s an exciting prospect having a full Principality Stadium.

“It’s something the boys are relishing at the moment. I think if you look at the last few autumns leading into the World Cup, we were able to get that win over Australia after not winning for over 15 years.

“We’ve beaten South Africa regularly the last few times so for us it’s making sure we’re accurate and compete at the highest level.

“There are some great fixtures to be excited about this autumn.”

Wales have selected a good mixture of youth and experience this autumn which is a continuation of the hard work put in to blood young players over the past 18 months.

And Davies is hopeful youngsters such as Taine Basham, Owen Lane, and Ben Thomas can make an impact this autumn.

“When the games start, the boys relish that and the excitement levels rise,” he said.

“Louis Rees-Zammit had a great autumn last year and he’s gone from strength to strength.

“I’d like to think a few of us old guard will shine this autumn!

“We’ve got a good crop of boys and we’ve got to make sure we’re all competing in the week and making sure the team is as best prepared for the weekend as possible.”

This weekend’s Test against the All Blacks will be played in front of a sell-out crowd at Principality Stadium and Davies insists the players are chomping at the bit to play in front of a vociferous home support.

“I think it’s one of the reasons why we all play the game,” he said.

“The bus trip in from the Vale Hotel to the stadium and seeing the streets full of Welsh supporters is amazing. Their roar is one of the best in the world.

“We’ve talked about being away from the fans for the last 18 months, but the opportunity to now go out and play in front of a full crowd is something you can’t take for granted.

“It’s really exciting for whoever gets that chance.”

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