Wales captain Lake excited by Springbok challenge

Dewi Lake has insisted underdogs Wales will relish the challenge of taking on world champions South Africa at Twickenham om Saturday.

The Ospreys hooker will captain a Wales side who have lost their last six Tests, which included a Six Nations wooden spoon, against the Springboks.

Saturday’s game will be South Africa’s first since they won a record fourth World Cup title in France last year.

Club commitments, injuries and a suspension left mean only 10 of the Springboks’ World Cup final matchday 23 have been chosen to face Wales.

But a starting XV led by Pieter-Steph du Toit still has 343 caps more than Warren Gatland’s team.

Nevertheless, Lake told a pre-match press conference on Friday: “You get into Test match rugby and you want to play the best. We are happy with the challenge this weekend.

“We are all excited to play, to get on the field and to face off against the best in the world because that is what you want to set yourself against.

“That (physical challenge) is why I fell in love with the game. I was never very good at touch rugby or sevens.”

The 25-year-old added: “You know with the pack South Africa have got and what they are known for is dominance and coming at you. I am relishing the opportunity to go toe to toe with them.

“We want to be physical and we want to be in people’s faces and be in challenges. We are not going to shy away from that.”

Wales defeated South Africa in Bloemfontein two years ago when Wayne Pivac was their head coach, but only Liam Williams and Gareth Thomas remain from that XV.

Lake and his team-mates travel to Australia next week for two games against the Wallabies and a match with the Queensland Reds.

Wales have not won a Test match since beating World Cup opponents Georgia in October and Lake, asked about losing becoming a habit, said: “That is on us to change… It is about installing the winning habits and mindsets and believing in ourselves, because we can do it, and it is on us to show we can do it and put those results together.

“We understand the challenge we face from South Africa, and we are not ignoring that, but sometimes when you look too much into an opposition and delve too deep you forget about yourself… We have just got to be the aggressors.”