Leigh Halfpenny ready to attack as Warren Gatland refreshes Wales' midfield for autumn internationals

Exclusive interview: The Scarlets fullback is determined to prove his offensive worth to Gatland as Wales switch up their game plan for Tests against Australia and New Zealand

Wales being their Under Armour Series with a match against Australia (Getty)

Wales begin this month’s autumn international campaign with an unwanted record that they will want to get rid of.

If Australia win this Saturday at the Principality Stadium, their unbeaten streak against the Welsh will stretch to a decade by the time the Rugby World Cup comes about next year, where the two sides will meet in the pool stage.

It’s something that has haunted Warren Gatland’s side whenever the autumn internationals arise, yet this time around there is genuine optimism that Wales have the game plan to thrive against the Wallabies.

Gatland’s squad selection for the Tests against Australia, Georgia, New Zealand and South Africa suggests a change in tactics to play two play-making fly-halves at 10 and 12 in order to unleash the wealth of attacking options outside them.

One of those is the Saracens wing Liam Williams, who lit up the summer for the British and Irish Lions and created one of the most mesmerising tries in the touring side’s 129-year history.

But another hoping to prove his worth to Gatland as an out-and-out attacker is the full-back Leigh Halfpenny. This might raise a few eyebrows, given the metronomic goal-machine is more known for his kicking from the tee and his last-line defence rather than his ability to unlock defences in a split-second.

The 28-year-old is third on the all-time scoring list for his country behind Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones, with the trio all good enough to taking on kicking duties for just about any side in the world. But running rugby and scoring tries has never really been a key part of his game, and he knows that if he is to prevent Williams from permanently ousting him from the 15 shirt, he needs to up his game – starting this month.

Liam Williams was electric for the Lions in New Zealand (Getty)

“For me, something that I’ve come into this season looking at personally is to bring that attacking game into my own game, and I’m really looking to make gains and improvements in that,” Halfpenny told The Independent.

He is certainly in the right place to do that. After returning from the Lions tour, Halfpenny upped sticks and returned from Toulon to join the Scarlets back home in Wales. That he arrives a few months after their Pro12 success is no surprise given the beautiful rugby on show at the Parc y Scarlets under Wayne Pivac.

“I’ve been working hard at the Scarlets, and at the Scarlets we play a really exciting brand of attacking rugby which I’m really enjoying playing in and I’m looking to continue that attacking game and that mindset,” he adds.

The full-back has been in good form for the Scarlets (Getty)

“You want to make good decisions on the ball – especially given the defence in front of you – but when the opportunity arises we’re looking to make the most that chance.

“I’m loving being back home in Wales and really enjoying it at the Scarlets. The boys and the coaching staff really made me feel welcome and help me settle in pretty quickly, and we’re pretty happy with how we’ve started in the Pro14.

“Obviously what the Scarlets achieved last season was outstanding and that’s something that since joining we want to continue and achieve again. There’s expectation there, but it’s what we expect of the squad ourselves by working hard each day in training to keep improving and keep going forward as a team.”

Wales have plenty of kicking options (Getty)

While Halfpenny has his own targets to hit over the next month, there’s also a very big priority for the Wales team as a whole. Head coach Gatland has wasted little time in settling back into the role after a year with the Lions after he claimed last week that his team are capable of challenging for the World Cup in two years’ time.

They have the perfect chance to put that claim to the test as they take on the Southern Hemisphere’s ‘Big Three’, and having not beaten the All Blacks since 1953 along with the unwanted streak against the Wallabies, there are genuine tests that need conquering before Welsh minds can dream of World Cup glory.

Halfpenny knows that, and while the allure of beating the All Blacks will soon be in his mind, he will not allow himself – or any member of the squad – to think ahead of Saturday’s Cardiff crunch match with Australia.

Wales play New Zealand on November 25 (Getty)

He said: “Obviously it’s a big campaign this autumn series for us as a squad and it’s been great to join up this week and start preparations for the big games ahead. We’re really looking to put a marker down in this campaign.

“As a squad we want to go into every game with the goal and belief that we can win, and it’s a case of taking it one game at a time, so up first it’s Australia.”


 Halfpenny will start for Wales against Australia 
 (Canterbury)

Asked if minds could go wandering towards the All Blacks clash on 25 September, Halfpenny answered: “No I don’t think that’s the case at all really. For us we want to test ourselves against the best in the world but we want to be competing against the best in the world and this campaign certainly gives us that opportunity to do that. We’re looking to really put a marker down and for it to be a successful campaign for us as a squad.

“They’re the All Blacks, they’re a top quality side and they’ve got quality all across the park. For us, we know it’s a huge challenge to come up against them, but there’s guys that have experience playing the All Blacks and it’s a huge game, one that like all the games that we’re playing in in this campaign we’re looking to be successful in and win.”

Leigh Halfpenny was speaking ahead of the Under Armour series. Visit www.underarmour.co.uk to find out more