Welsh bad boy 'will deliver'
Wales are backing scrumhalf Mike Phillips to produce a trademark big-match performance against South Africa on Saturday, according to assistant coach Robin McBryde.
Phillips, 31, received the sack from his French club Bayonne for being inebriated when he turned up for a video analysis session last month.
The scrumhalf has launched legal proceedings against the Top 14 side, but he is currently listed as "unattached".
McBryde, however, said Phillips' experience would shine through.
"We can expect a good solid performance from Mike," he said.
"He has probably got to prove his worth, but there is no better big-match player than Mike Phillips. We've seen that in the past.
"When he needs to deliver the goods, he comes up trumps, and I don't expect it to be any different on Saturday.
"He is vocal, he is confident and has got a spring in his step. I have been impressed with him."
Phillips is one of 11 Wales players starting at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium to have played a part in the British and Irish Lions' 2-1 series win over Australia in mid-year, and McBryde said that was an important factor.
"The Lions tour has given the players a big boost. They've gone that step further and won a Lions series against Australia," he said.
"It is a tall order [against South Africa]. Historically, we have always struggled, especially early on in the autumn campaigns, and then got better as the games have progressed.
"However, we've got rid of that as an excuse, especially considering mid-year we had with the players involved with the Lions, and our last match here was a great day against England [to win the Six Nations], so there are happy memories coming back.
"We will be trying to recapture some of that form we showed against England."
But McBryde warned that the Springboks would present a tough challenge, especially after having gone through the Rugby Championship together.
"South Africa have been together for a number of months, they are arguably the second-best team in the world and comfortable with their game," he said.
"It is a tall order, we are not hiding away from that, but also we've got to take confidence from the individuals we have got in our team as well.
"Everyone is on about how big the South African team is and how physical they are, but when you look at some of the individuals we've got, we are not the smallest team in world rugby either."
McBryde added: "South Africa will be keen to recapture their form of the Rugby Championship, but we've just got to focus on ourselves and make sure that we are able to live in that arm wrestle, the intensity and keep our composure and make sure our accuracy is as good as it can be.
"If we can do that we know we are going to be in with a shout."
AFP
