Dragons back row Aaron Wainwright praised the belief in the Wales camp after the team produced a stunning comeback to defeat 14-man France in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Man-of-the-match Wainwright scored a first half try and was then involved in the game’s big talking point in Oita, when France’s Sebastien Vahaamahina was sent off for the 48th-minute incident for an elbow.
Wales went on to win 20-19 and secure a semi-final place with South Africa this Sunday (kick-off 9am).
Wainwright, 22, and Dragons team-mate Elliot Dee have now played in 14 Tests for Wales in 2019, which is more than any other player for any other nation.
“It was a brutal game and very, very tight. We’re pleased to come away with the win, but there is lots to reflect on,” said Wainwright, who was also joined by regional team-mate Ross Moriarty in the clash.
“We’ve been building for the last 18 months and the belief has always been there. Coming in at half time behind, we came out with belief we could still get the job done.
“We kept pressuring them and we knew we had to get points on the board first and we did that. We built from there and we’re really glad to get the job done. We’re into next week now.
“It shows we can grit it out and get the job done even if it’s not the prettiest. That’s a positive we can take out, but hopefully we won’t have to do that next week and we can play some pretty rugby.
“We’ve been building for a couple of years now and now we have eyes on the semi-final and hopefully the final - hopefully we can come away with the trophy.
“It wasn’t the best performance," he added. "It’s exciting to see what we will be able to achieve when we do perform at our best. That’s something that will be exciting to see and hopefully we can perform at our best next week.”
Meanwhile, Wainwright has explained his 'stag' try celebtration and the facial hair he has be sporting during his time in Japan.
“I’ve got a sevens team back home called the stags – that’s what the celebration was for," he revealed.
"The boys who play for Whiteheads (Wainwright’s boyhood club) play for that sevens team too.
On the moustache, he added: “All my mates went away to Prague on a boys holiday and they said they were all going to grow moustaches.
“They said if I grew one too they were going to crop me into the photo so I didn’t feel like I’m missing out! I certainly don’t feel like I’m missing out now I’m here!
“We’re 160 minutes away from changing the rest of our lives and if we can get to the final it will be pretty special.
“We want to create a legacy and that’s the message Alun Wyn Jones has been driving since the start of the Six Nations.
“In our huddle he was saying how much it will mean to have something at the end of it and to make sure we come away with something.”
We’ve been building for the last 18 months and the belief has always been there... we came out with belief we could still get the job done...
