Wales v Australia, Millennium Stadium, November 28
Peel excited by Jones link-up
Scrum.com
November 25, 2009

Dwayne Peel will take a trip along memory lane at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday when he links up with Stephen Jones in a Wales starting line-up for the first time since February 2008.

The former Scarlets halfback partners will start Wales' final November Test against Australia, with Peel having impressed from the bench against Argentina last weekend. The duo starred as a combination in Wales' 2005 Grand Slam and played a part in all three Tests of the British & Irish Lions tour the same year.

Peel has been playing for Sale in the Guinness Premiership for the last two seasons, while Jones is helping to bring through a new batch of talent in Llanelli.

"We haven't played together for a while, so it will be good to get back to old ways," said Peel. "Obviously, I've known Stephen for a fair time. It would probably be about 1999 when we played together for the Scarlets for the first time.

"I was lucky enough to play with Stephen for about seven or eight years, so it's good to get back and pass him a few balls again. As the years go by, the partnership gets stronger the more games you play. It has definitely grown over the years.

"We know what each other wants, and that becomes a habit. You know how each other likes certain passes, or whatever, and that's important. It has become an instinctive understanding. It helps if you are used to playing with someone because you can talk about things a bit more and take the pressure off each other, and that is what we will aim to do."

Peel missed Wales' appointment with the All Blacks earlier in November due to the fixture falling outside the IRB Test window, meaning that Sale were not required to release him, but he is now looking ahead to making a mark on Saturday and securing a place in a competitive Wales squad.

"I have just tried to focus on my own goals, enjoy it and not get too caught up in the emotion of things. Enjoying it is the biggest thing," he said. Over the last couple of years we've grown a good squad of players - it is definitely one of the best I've been involved in - with players in every position who can step in and do a great job.

"We've also developed a pattern of play, so we would probably expect to win every time we play at home - and rightly so. In the past, perhaps when we've played the likes of New Zealand or Australia, we were happy to compete.

"But we need to step up and win games like this one if we are realistic of going on and being successful in the (2011) World Cup. These days, the internationals against the southern hemisphere sides seem to be coming around every year, and it's a massive opportunity for everyone to play and pit their wits against these players. I think it is a game that will suit my style because it tends to be quite fast and open when we play against the Wallabies. I am sure, given the opportunity, we will spread the ball around."

© Scrum.com

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.