Wales rugby captain Dewi Lake has issued a stirring call to arms, vowing to 'reignite the flame' of Welsh rugby passion this weekend, inspired by the national football team's historic 7-1 thrashing of North Macedonia.
A Nation Buzzing with Sporting Pride
On Tuesday night, the Welsh football team, under manager Craig Bellamy, secured a resounding 7-1 victory, a scoreline not seen since 1978, with Harry Wilson netting a hat-trick. This triumph secured home advantage for their upcoming World Cup play-off semi-final and sent a wave of excitement across the country.
The rugby squad, who share the same training base at the Vale Resort with the footballers, were captivated spectators. "We were all down around the TV watching them play last night," revealed Lake, who is preparing to lead his team against New Zealand on Saturday. "We bump into each other through the hotel and chat. Massive congratulations to them."
Channeling the Feelgood Factor Against the All Blacks
Lake emphasised the duty he and his teammates feel to replicate that electric atmosphere. "The way they played excited the nation and that's something we've spoken about as a group," he said. "It's our job to reignite the flame in supporters' bellies – for them to feel energised when they're in that stadium or at home watching us. That's something the football did very well, so it's on us to repeat that this weekend."
The challenge could not be greater. New Zealand have won their last 33 encounters with Wales, and Steve Tandy's side only narrowly defeated Japan 24-23 last weekend. Lake steps into the captaincy with usual skipper Jac Morgan out with a dislocated shoulder suffered against Argentina.
Drawing on Past Glory for a Daunting Task
While this will be the hooker's first senior cap against the All Blacks, he possesses a unique piece of history. In 2019, Lake skippered the Wales Under-20 side to a famous 8-7 victory over the Baby Blacks at the Junior World Cup in Argentina. Several current All Blacks, including Quinn Tupaea and Leicester Fainga'anuku, were on the opposing team that day.
Despite being 35/1 outsiders, Lake is defiant. "Facing New Zealand is something you dream about as a kid," he admitted. "We know they’re an excellent team, so we’ll have to be on it from the start. There’s no point being in the building if we thought we couldn’t win."
New Zealand, heavy favourites, are looking to bounce back from a 33-19 defeat by England. Both teams will name their line-ups on Thursday morning, with Wales' head coach Tandy forced to plan without the banned wing Josh Adams.
