WALES coach Steve Hansen wants talisman number eight Scott Quinnell to carry on playing - but it looks like a forlorn hope.

"We would like him to keep playing, but at the end of the day it'll be his knee which dictates that, and his mind," said Hansen.

Rumours began circulating yesterday that Quinnell would announce his decision to retire from international rugby on Sunday after bench duty for Wales against Canada tomorrow.

Later Hansen made his plea to Quinnell, but having left him out against Fiji last week and against Canada, the writing is on the wall.

Quinnell's long standing knee problem looks to have got the better of him, and he is set to call it a day at 30 after 51 caps and starring for Wales and the British Lions.

Meanwhile, Hansen has told the Welsh team to forget about the All Blacks. He insists the Welsh team have got to keep their momentum going after their two autumn series victories.

And that means concentrating on Canada first at the Millennium Stadium before the All Blacks in eight days time.

"Canada will be very difficult, especially after the tremendous performance last week which is when a team is at its most vulnerable, so momentum will be difficult," admitted Hansen.

"There is a lot of talk about the All Blacks game, but Canada need to be respected in their own right. They'll be physical, they want to take us on and we have to meet that.

"We've got to keep the momentum going, but there are a couple of questions we still want answered.

"Of course, the All Blacks are on everyone's mind. It is a dangerous one which we've talked about as a team. "But hopefully we have got control of it or we are not paying Canada the respect they deserve."

Hansen permits a rare moment of satisfaction when he looks back at the Fiji game.

"It was huge, and it was well overdue," he said. "We're working really hard and we needed a good reward.

The players can now see they can get it.

"We went out to frustrate them in the first 20 minutes. Stephen Jones played superbly and the front eight did their job.

"As they tired, we took advantage with two tries and it opened out for us, but we were probably too loose late on. We've got to put that behind us."