The Ospreys player has captained his country previously but this one is extra special for the Trebanos man who spent over a year on the sidelines as a result of a shattered scapula. Tipuric worked extremely hard to get back on to the pitch, and tomorrow’s clash against the All Blacks is just rewards for his efforts.
“It will be nice to be back out at the stadium with a full house,” he said. “We are trying to play the best rugby we can, and we are making sure we can keep our eye on the ball,” he said.
“In the past you probably take it for granted where you cherish these moments and really enjoy it. I’m looking forward to being part of the team, running back out there and trying to do the job.
“I’d have liked to have played some more rugby but hopefully experience will help, and the knowledge will come along with it. We know it is going to be a tough game.
“We know there are going to be some sticky periods out there where we are going to have to dig in, and dig deep.”
Tipuric will line up in the number six shirt tomorrow with the outstanding Tommy Reffell starting at openisde. With Taulupe Faletau starting at No 8 Tipuric believes there is a nice balance among the loose-forward trio.
“I’ve obviously played there (blindside) a couple of times before,” he said. “I’m just trying to work out different roles we do in the team really and trying to gel well as a back-three with Christ (Tsihunza) adding energy off the bench.
“He’s (Faletau) great. He’s obviously great to have in and around the squad as well especially with his experience but what he brings on the pitch just speaks for itself.
“Every time he plays, he’s always 8/10 or above. He’s massive for us.”
The All Blacks have experienced a turbulent season but recently won both the Bledisloe Cup and the Rugby Championship. And Tipuric is expecting a stern challenge in Cardiff tomorrow.
“It’s going to be a tough old game,” said Tipuric. “The back-row is looking good.
“It’s going to be a tough physical game, and it will be brutal in areas. We know what they are going to bring.
“It’s one of those things every time you play the All Blacks you ask is it the perfect time or is it not. It’s happened many times over the last couple of years that we’ve been in there.
“They obviously had a good win over the weekend against Japan. It’s never a good time to play the All Blacks let’s be honest.
“It’s always a tough game no matter what team you are coming up against we’ve got to make sure we put our best foot forward and make it a good game for us.”
Wales have come close to beating New Zealand in recent years but have fallen away in the final quarter of the game. And Tipuric has warned his teammates it will require a complete 80-minute performance to get one over on the men in black.
“New Zealand always finish strong,” he said. “That’s one thing that’s obvious and people notice every time you play New Zealand they finish strong.
“That’s the one big thing we need to make sure we get right. We’ve got to repeat everything.
“When you are out on the field you can’t switch off otherwise they take advantage of it. In the past we started well against them and then they pull away in the last 20 minutes.
“The big thing is whether we can stick it for the full 80 minutes.”
