By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2024-11-14 22:46:29 | Updated at 2024-11-23 01:55:30
1 week ago
Autumn Nations Series: Wales v Australia
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Sunday, 17 November Kick off: 16:10 GMT
Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds; live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app
Centre Ben Thomas says Wales are "looking forward to righting some wrongs" when they take on Australia on Sunday.
Thomas, 25, said he and his team-mates were "past the disappointed stage" after losing at home to Fiji for the first time in their history.
The result also equalled Wales' record for the longest international losing streak with 10 Test defeats.
But Thomas said there were plenty of positives, including a slick backline move which led to the opening try for Blair Murray.
"I think the first 20 [minutes] was pretty much everything we spoke about pre-game. It went to plan, we played pretty good heads-up rugby," he said.
Thomas will be hoping Wales can hold onto the ball for longer than 20 minutes when they take on the Wallabies who are fresh from beating England in a barnstormer last weekend.
The Cardiff playmaker said results will come from "being able to handle those high pressure moments".
"It's about staying in that moment and it's something we probably didn't manage to do against Fiji," Thomas said.
"We had two or three key moments in the last 20 of that game when we weren't switched on or engaged and we let Fiji off the hook."
Asked if the players felt under pressure going into the weekend's game, Thomas said: "I think the fact that we're a young squad probably helps in that case because we haven't got the burden of expectation that the team before probably had.
"But nobody wants to lose a rugby game, so the focus for us is to definitely get results.
"Last weekend was one that we definitely let slip and it was a tough one to take, but I think the focus going to this week is a results one."
Thomas made his first Wales start against Australia in the summer series at fly-half.
He is now wearing the 12 jersey, something he admits he is "pretty comfortable" in, given the familiarity of the backline.
"I think I have played with Max (Llewellyn) plenty of times and then obviously Chicken (Gareth Anscombe) and Tommo (Tomos Williams) are ex-Cardiff players, that definitely helped the transition a little bit," he said.
Australia fielded a new look back line against England, including their newest superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii who impressed on his debut since transferring from rugby league.
Reports suggest Suaalii will be on the bench in Cardiff with Samu Kerevi back in the Wallabies' starting midfield.
Thomas says Suaalii "probably showed just what class of athlete he is".
"I have watched a lot of him playing with the Roosters, so I knew a fair bit about him already," added Thomas, who says Wales will have a plan for the former rugby league star if he takes the field on Saturday.
Thomas added: "It's on us to limit his time and space."
