Williams knows Welsh set for a battle

THEY haven't won a Test in Australia since 1969, and Wales legend Shane Williams has already warned his former teammates to expect more of the same.

Wales-rugby

THEY haven't won a Test in Australia since 1969, and Wales legend Shane Williams has already warned his former teammates to expect more of the same against the Wallabies.

Williams says the true ability and character of the Six Nations champions will be exposed if they lose the first Test in Brisbane on June 9.

"You've got to learn to play the bigger, the better teams in the world and experience losses, and what's going to be interesting on this tour is I don't think Wales will go there and win 3-0," said Williams, who retired from international rugby after last December's narrow defeat to Australia in Cardiff.

"It's going to be a massive ask. It'll be interesting to see how they go there, perhaps if they do lose their first game, how will they bounce back."

But Williams said of the star-studded young Wales side:

"I think mentally it's the toughest bunch of guys I've been involved with and I think the age [range] is a big sign of that," Williams said.

"Because they're inexperienced ... there's a no-fear attitude. They just want to go out and play. These youngsters were going to [last year's] World Cup to win it and I've never experienced that in a Welsh side.

Wales lost the World Cup bronze medal play-off to Australia and will have played the Wallabies five times in eight months by the end of the tour.

The core group of their team is younger than the Wallabies', with skipper Sam Warburton 23, wing George North 20, fullback Leigh Halfpenny 23, centre Jonathan Davies 24, No.8 Toby Faletau 21 and flanker Dan Lydiate 24.

Star five-eighth Rhys Priestland said there is great belief Wales can break their hoodoo after pulling off a Grand Slam this year.

"There is added pressure now because every time we go on the field, people expect us to win," he said.

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