Friday 21 November 2014 07:46, UK
Leigh Halfpenny says beating New Zealand would be the crowning glory of his illustrious Welsh career to date.
Halfpenny has won back-to-back Six Nations titles with Wales and is fifth on his country’s list of points scorers, with 399 in all competitions.
But the British & Irish Lions full-back admits a win against the All Blacks would eclipse all of his achievements so far in a Wales shirt.
Such a result is well overdue for the Welsh, who have lost their past 25 matches against New Zealand and have not beaten them since 1953, conceding more than 800 points in the process.
"It's a huge challenge, but one that we are very excited about," Halfpenny said. "We will have to be at the top of our game to be in with a shout of winning.
"We need to play for the 80 minutes and cannot afford to have a lapse of concentration against a side as good as the All Blacks.
"We have to believe that we can win, right from the first minute. There is respect for them, but we have to treat them exactly the same as other opponents.
"There is a buzz and excitement and the fact that we haven't beaten the All Blacks for so long means there is an opportunity for us.
"There have been some great victories during my career in a Welsh shirt, but to beat the All Blacks would be at the top of them."
Model Professionals
Shaun Edwards, meanwhile, believes Wales’ record-breaking back row of ‘model professionals’ will continue to be part of the country’s international pack for many more years to come.
The breakaway trio of Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton and Taulupe Faletau will start their 19th Test match together in Saturday's All Blacks Test.
We have to believe that we can win, right from the first minute. There is respect for them, but we have to treat them exactly the same as other opponents.
That means they remove a revered back-row that played during Wales' so-called 1970s golden era - Dai Morris, John Taylor and Mervyn Davies – from the record books.
Wales captain Warburton and Lydiate both made their international debuts in 2009, while number eight Faletau followed two years later.
But they have already collected more than 120 caps between them, and all three are Lions Test players.
"They all came through together, basically," Wales defence coach Edwards said.
"They have been very, very good and proficient for us over the years, and hopefully a lot more years to come.
"They are all model professionals, they work hard at their game and their lifestyles are excellent. We are lucky to have them."
