WE must not fear the All Blacks and we must make New Zealand and England respect us, says Wales coach Steve Hansen, who has guided the team into the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Wales play both Super Powers on the next two Sundays, starting with the All Blacks in the final group match in Sydney this week and then England in Brisbane - unless the unthinkable happens and Uruguay beat England, securing a bonus point as well, while Samoa beat South Africa.
But Wales will go in without loose head prop Duncan Jones, who fractured a fibula against Italy, and is out of the tournament, returning home this week.
Hansen has replaced him with Wales under-21 captain Paul James, also from Neath, who arrives on Thursday and is another player for the future - though he will not feature in this World Cup other than in an emergency.
"The first aim is complete, the job has been done," said Hansen the morning after Wales beat Italy 27-15 on Saturday to secure their quarter-final place.
"Now that we have qualified we have got to go on and earn New Zealand and England's respect, which is important," Hansen said.
"England respected us after the last Six Nations game, but we might have lost a bit after the game in August.
"It would be disappointing if we had two hidings, but that's not the aim. We have got the talent, and the fact that we have now qualified for the next World Cup will lessen the burden.
"People like Stephen Jones have had their first win in a Wales jersey since September which weighs heavily on the mind as a proud Welsh-man.
"Now we will learn how far we have come in the next two weeks. We have got to go out there and get the best results we can, perform and get the process right.
"We can't go in and attack the All Blacks, we must respect them. We must not live in fear - pride will be on the line."
Now that Wales have achieved their minimum requirement of reaching the quarter-finals, Hansen reveals that the 11-match losing run was hard to take but that he never allowed the pressure to get to him and neither will he reconsider his decision to finish at the end of the Six Nations.
"It was hard at times, we lost 11 in a row, but I didn't take the criticism to heart," he said.
"It's part and parcel of being the Wales coach. I would prefer it not to happen, but it happens in other countries, too. It's not about sticking my fingers up to the critics now, it's about getting the job done.
"You get satisfaction out of a plan working, all the coaching staff feel that way. The reason there has been only one major injury is that the medical and conditioning staff are doing a great job, too.
"I'd love to stay on, but I promised the girls (his two teenage daughters) I would do two-and-a-half years. This is an important time in their lives, and family I more important than rugby."
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