Jamie Roberts: Wales are long overdue a win against Australia

I look at the two team sheets for tomorrow’s game at the Millennium Stadium and there’s no player in the Australia XV that I’d pick over any single player in Wales’ starting line-up. That’s the belief I have in our players.

It’s finally time we got a scalp over a southern hemisphere side. We haven’t beaten New Zealand, Australia or South Africa since 2008, and that’s a long time – especially considering the amount of times we’ve played the Wallabies, them winning our last eight encounters.

This is a golden opportunity to beat Australia after a very long season. They’ll be looking to end the season on a high but the boys will just be focusing on the here and now, and I believe we have the strength in depth to deliver. We have to deliver; it’s that simple.

Warren Gatland’s given out a very positive message, backing Wales to win, and that’s not just mind games from him. He genuinely believes Wales will win, as do I.

As a side we’ve experienced some big defeats in recent seasons. There have been some tough losses, none more so than against Australia this time last year, actually the last three times we’ve played them. On each of those occasions we’ve gone into the final five minutes in contention only to lose the game at the death.

Last year’s loss was particularly galling when Kurt Beale ran that try into the corner with 30 seconds left on the clock. I think that’s one of the toughest results I’ve ever had to take as a player. I remember speaking to the guys afterwards in the dressing room and we all agreed it was just the most brutal way to lose a match.

But all credit to Australia, who fought for the full 80 minutes; they’re the comeback kings, aren’t they? As a side, you know exactly what you’re going to get from them. Put simply, they’re just such a proud sporting nation that they put absolutely everything into winning.

Looking back at those Wallaby defeats, we’ve got the key moments wrong in those games. Hindsight is a wonderful thing – you don’t know in advance what those key moments are going to be. The players just need to realise the serious consequences from a missed tackle, a kick to touch or whatever.

In some ways, there’s the Lions factor in this game, with a lot of their players looking to get one back, certainly considering the number of Welsh players that were in the Lions squad. But at the same time, this isn’t the Lions, it’s Wales versus Australia, and the Lions tour has been put on the shelf now; it’s in the back of our minds.

Across the park, Australia are renowned for their attacking prowess. From the first and second phases, as a defensive side you have to be on the money. I know Wales will have spent a lot of time with Shaun Edwards this week working on their defence for that first phase. They’re very clever with that from the scrum and line-out.

Of the attacking threat, you’d have to say the biggest comes from Will Genia. He’s shown over the last three or four years that he’s consistently one of the best No 9s in world rugby with the way that he dictates the pace of the game, his work rate around the rucks.

He certainly did that against the Lions and he was a constant threat. His head-to-head against Mike Phillips will be pivotal, and I know it’s a battle that Mike’s really looking forward to. Mike’s played very well this autumn and, for whatever reason, playing against Genia seems to bring out the best in him. So Mike will be looking to make his side tick.

The other big threat from the Wallabies is Quade Cooper and it’s good for the game that he’s back in the fold, as every rugby fan knows how much of a threat he can be. The battle of the No 10s with Dan Biggar will again be key in the machinations of this game.

Dan’s got the nod and he has to take responsibility from the kick-off, particularly as he knows that Rhys Priestland is breathing down his neck on the bench and, if it doesn’t work, Rhys will be on. Both are incredibly talented players; I’ve played with both, and there’s not too much between them. I think Rhys is a bit more of a threat with the ball in hand, which will make him an exciting addition from the bench, whereas Dan guides the pack moving forward, has a great kicking game and is strong defensively.

In some ways in that back line, it’s attack versus attack. In the rival backs you’ve got George North, Alex Cuthbert and Israel Folau and they won’t mind me calling all three of them freaks.

It’s great to have Alex back. OK, it might be a risk putting him back into action in such an intense game after five or six weeks out but he’s clearly rehabbed very well. He’s such a deadly finisher and he’s grown so much as a player over the last couple of years. His pace is fantastic and, if he’s near the try line, he’s just so incredibly dangerous. He’s clearly ready to go.

Alongside him in that back three will be Leigh Halfpenny. It’s great to see him getting nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. I know all the rugby boys will be voting for him on the night. We’ll try to get him the win but I see he’s up against it with Andy Murray 1-33 with the bookies after his Wimbledon win.

Just to be nominated is a fantastic honour for Leigh, and just reward for what he’s achieved this year. Knowing Leigh, he won’t have given it a moment’s thought the past few days, such is his focus going into Test- match rugby.

Wales will need to lift themselves from last Saturday against Tonga. It wasn’t a great spectacle, was it? People might not think of that game as all that important but it’s vital, with the young guys having got the chance to grow in that international environment, taking one more step towards the World Cup in two years’ time.

Wales have to win this weekend, to end the autumn on a high. I back them to be leading 18-16 with five minutes to go – and this time take that to the final whistle.

Just a little longer to wait for my return to action

Racing Métro’s game against Montpellier this weekend I think is just a week too early for me. I have to be patient; there’s no point risking it unless I’m fully fit.

I only started rugby training this week with a first run-out on Monday, and I’m not quite there yet. But half of it is mental; you can’t really come back unless you completely trust the injury, that you believe the problem has gone.

Of course, when you come back from surgery – whether it’s on your ankle, shoulder, wrist or whatever – there are going to be moments early on in games when you’re thinking about it. I think that’s human nature.

But I’m looking forward to having my moment back on the field of play again.

I wouldn’t say I’m apprehensive, despite being out for 11 weeks as of yesterday. It’s been a while and I’m excited to be back very soon.