Wales v New Zealand
Faletau ready to take on Read
ESPN Staff
November 19, 2014
Wales' Toby Faletau throws the offload, Wales v Italy, Six Nations, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, March 10, 2012
Wales' Toby Faletau is ready to take on Kieran Read and the All Blacks © Getty Images
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Wales No.8 Toby Faletau believes his All Blacks opposite number and 2013 IRB world player of the year Kieran Read has 'no obvious weaknesses' ahead of their clash at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Read has beaten Wales five times in his career and British and Irish Lion Faletau is well aware of the threat he poses.

"He has been up there among the best number eights in the world for a long time," Faletau said. "He is someone you look up to and someone you can learn from. He has so much to his game - there are no obvious weaknesses. He does everything really well, and he can create something out of nothing."

Wales have lost to Australia and pipped Fiji so far this autumn but will have to be at their absolute best to topple the All Blacks for the first time since 1953, a run of 25 matches.

"They are the number one side in the world, and they will be a good challenge to anyone," Faletau added. "But that is what you play for - to measure yourself up against the best. It was pretty much a disappointing performance (against Fiji). We got the result, but the performance wasn't good enough and everybody knows that. We have to keep hold of the ball, go through the phases and hopefully that will open up spaces out wide. If we make that many mistakes again, New Zealand will take advantage of those opportunities more than Fiji did."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

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