Stand-in Wales captain Gethin Jenkins admits he doesn’t know if he’ll still be on the international scene in four years’ time and as a result is desperate to end the 2011 World Cup on a high.
The Cardiff Blues prop will skipper his side in Friday’s third place play-off against Australia following Sam Warburton’s controversial sending off in the 9-8 semi-final defeat to France and his subsequent three-match ban.
Jenkins is 30 but with youthful exuberance coursing through the Welsh side, he’s among the older heads in Warren Gatland’s squad.
The third place play-off is often considered a dead rubber at the World Cup – in 1999 South African prop compared the game to ‘kissing your sister’ – but Jenkins insists the Welsh will be firing on all cylinders.
“I don’t think the boys are going to need much motivation,” said Jenkins, who missed Wales’ first clash with South Africa with a calf problem.
“Any Test match is a massive game for any player and at the end of the day you are representing your country.
“I’m sure the boys won’t have any worries about getting up for it.
“To get to the semis was a big achievement and after last week’s disappointment we’ve really got to push on to try and get third.
“It’s been a long road to get to the World Cup and gradually got fitter and better with every game as it’s gone on.
“We’ve got four years to prepare for the next tournament and [we’re] probably going to have to identify who is going to come through and who is going to hang on.
“You always bring a couple of players in [when] people reach their sell by date.”
