BRENT Cockbain has twice played against the All Blacks - and been on the winning side on both occasions.

That's more than any of the Wales squad have achieved, and he's hoping that will prove a lucky omen for the Welsh team which goes into Sunday's full-on test against New Zealand in the final World Cup pool game in Sydney.

Neither game Cockbain (pictured) featured in was against the senior All Blacks team, and he wasn't playing for a Welsh side either.

They were both some time ago when he was in his native Australia without a thought of moving to Wales.

The first occasion was for Australia Under-19s and the second for the Under-21s when a member of the opposition was none other than Jonah Lomu.

Cockbain did nothing much in his own country after that, or even during his first few years in the UK, initially with London Irish and then with Pontypridd.

But he hopes that success against New Zealand teams rubs off on Sunday's Welsh XV.

"We have to go out there believing we can do it. It's a mammoth task, they are a fantastic side, but it's a matter of lifting ourselves on the day and giving it a crack," said Cockbain.

"Things have progressed nicely, we've built since Canada and we're a lot tighter side. Now we need to spend time together and win some games."

Cockbain was nowhere in the pecking order until this summer. For a start he wasn't even qualified for Wales until then on residency grounds, but first the big lock made the Wales World Cup training squad, then he played against Romania in August before being a somewhat controversial inclusion in the final squad for Australia.

He has put all that to one side and played against both Canada and Italy in World Cup pool games.

He has now forced himself right into the running to take part in the World Cup quarter-final, almost certainly against England, a week on Sunday in Brisbane.

When I suggested to him this week that one of the World Cup stories was all about the rise and rise of Brent Cockbain he replied: "You can go down in a screaming heap if you don't do well."

Moving on, he said "Everyone wants to match themselves against one of the best sides in the world.

"New Zealand are a very physical side, strong in every facet, their line-out and tight phases are good, they drive well and they are all ball players and athletes.

"It's always difficult playing against the All Blacks, it's all about raising your game to beat them.

"They've been outstanding so far, nothing seems to faze them and it's very difficult to go in with a plan because they are so comfortable with each other.

"If you kick to them they run it back to you and you are in all sorts of trouble. We have got to try to stop their drives, take the ball off them and get stuck into them."