By Rob Carbon
Finally finding a way to beat the All Blacks after 68 years of heartache is all in the mind according to Wales’ most capped scrum half, Mike Phillips.
Wayne Pivac’s Welsh side take on New Zealand in the opening game of their Autumn International Series on Saturday with the head coach already having hit the warning light by telling fans to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
You have to go back to 1953 for the last time Wales managed to beat one of their biggest rivals. Since then it has been one-way traffic with the Kiwis winning 31 in a row.
Former Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Ospreys and Racing 92 No 9 Phillips played 28 times for his country against the big three southern hemisphere sides, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, and failed to pick up a win.
He enjoyed success with the British & Irish Lions in South Africa in the third Test in 2009, and was a key man in the series win over the Wallabies four years later, but he never notched a win over the All Blacks.
“It comes down to do you all believe, each and every one of you, that you’re going to win? It does get ingrained in you that they are such a force,” admitted Phillips, who has just published his autobiography, ‘Half Truths – My Triumphs, My Mistakes, My Untold Story’.
“They are more than a rugby team in many ways. They are the most successful team on the planet, a brand and you are up against everything.
“You’ve really got to be on your ‘A’ game and your mindset has got to be that you’re going to win. Maybe that belief hasn’t been there in the past.
“Perhaps we’ve been too nice at times and shown them too much respect. I think the win will come, hopefully provided by the confidence Pivac has instilled in the players with the brand of rugby he wants to play.
“Ireland have played well against them and beaten them. They are a beatable side, so why can’t Wales do it?
“New Zealand made a lot of errors against South Africa. There were a lot of dropped balls and they look a bit of a young side – maybe they can be got at.
“They are an outstanding team and it’s never going to be easy, but the belief is in this younger generation of Welsh players. They won the Six Nations and they’ve got this mindset of ‘Why not?’
“The All Blacks are just a rugby team. Wales will have to be efficient in every way and on the ball to beat them, but who knows what can happen.”
Phillips suffered similar frustration playing for Wales against Australia, losing 11 times in his 94-cap career for his country. Of those matches, seven of the defeats were by six points of less.
Outstanding way to finish the afternoon 👌
🎥: @skysportnz pic.twitter.com/kauuW0HeUy
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) October 24, 2021
“We just couldn’t quite get over the line against the Aussies – it was a mental thing more than anything else. We got close so many times, yet we lost by a couple of points each time,” said Phillips.
“When it comes to the crunch the true world class players step up. You see it in a sport like golf all the time, where the big-name players handle the pressure moments the best.
“It’s important that you have the confidence to keep on playing, not worry about making a mistake. You can make a mistake in the first five minutes of a game and nobody remembers it, but if you do it in the last five you can get pilloried for it.
“The key is to have the confidence throughout the whole 80 minutes of a match. That comes from playing well week in, week out at the highest possible level.”
As far as Phillips is concerned, the other key to possible Welsh success this autumn is for Pivac to hang his hat on who he thinks is his best scrum half. In his eyes, that should be Tomos Williams.
“Over the past two years there have been changes almost every game at scrum half. The time has come for Wayne to pick and stick – and I’d go for Tomos Williams,” added Phillips.
“His basic skills are all there, he can control things, make breaks and he’s got that bit of edge about him. He needs a run of games and it would be nice to see him settle in because we need someone as an out-and-out first-choice before the World Cup comes around.”