Wednesday 2 September 2015 17:34, UK
Wales star Rhys Webb is planning to use the World Cup as a platform to cement himself as one of rugby’s top scrum-halves.
Webb has established himself as a pivotal player in Warren Gatland's Welsh squad in recent times and heads into the tournament as the unquestioned starter at number nine.
The 26-year-old has started nine of Wales' 11 Tests over the past 10 months, scoring five tries in the process including touchdowns against New Zealand, Australia and England.
Despite that success, Webb remains hungry to keep on improving his game and views the World Cup as the perfect opportunity to showcase his talents to the world.
"I've got ambitions and goals," said Webb, whose displays for Wales and the Ospreys last season were recognised this week when he received the Welsh Rugby Writers' Association player of the year award.
"You want to be the best player in the world, but there is a lot of hard work to try to achieve that.
"I want to keep pushing and testing myself against the best nines in the world, and the World Cup is the biggest stage to do it on."
Webb's place in Gatland's 31-man squad seemed assured to many but the player himself found the experience of waiting to hear if he would compete in his first World Cup a nerve-wracking one.
"I tried not to let it play on my mind too much and get on with my life, but it was pretty hard," he added.
"I went out walking the dogs with the family, and then it was back to my parents' house. We all had it (THE squad announcement) on our phones.
"It was read out in alphabetical order so I had a long wait until the Ws. I was almost last - it was a long wait - but I am honoured and privileged to be in a World Cup.
"I was over the moon, and there were tears in the eyes of my family. Now, I can't wait to start."
Wales' World Cup hopes will unquestionably hinge on the outcome of games at Twickenham against England on September 26 and Australia two weeks later.
They will go into the tournament unbeaten on the road since suffering an agonising 31-30 loss to South Africa in Nelspruit almost 15 months ago.
Away-day successes during that period include victories in Dublin, Paris, Edinburgh and Rome, which suggests they will not be deterred by the Twickenham double-header.
"I love the challenge of going away from home," Webb said. "We are all there to win - we are competitors - and it's just about emptying the tank and giving everything.
"Winning in places like Dublin has given us confidence. We know if get the game-plan right and cut our errors, we can go anywhere and win.
"It's about believing, and this group does believe. It's a pretty special place to be right now."
