Faletau focus is on Six Nations

Toby Faletau says Wales are targeting a third straight Six Nations title
1 December 2013

Toby Faletau has underlined Wales' desire to make history in this season's RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Wales brought the curtain down on their autumn campaign by suffering another defeat - an 18th in succession - against major southern hemisphere opposition as Millennium Stadium visitors Australia toppled them 30-26.

With South Africa succeeding in Cardiff three weeks ago, Faletau and company are left to reflect on only a 50% winning November return through triumphs against Argentina and Tonga.

Attention, though, will now switch to Six Nations business, when Wales can target a title hat-trick and potentially achieve what no team has managed in the tournament's 13-year history.

"We have to look forward now and concentrate on the Six Nations," Wales number eight Faletau said.

"We have to look ahead to what is in front of us and try to defend our title.

"I don't think there has been a team to win three Six Nations titles in a row, and that is what we have to target. That is a motivation as we try to make history, so if you can't get up for that then you shouldn't be playing."

Australia once again left their calling card at the Millennium Stadium, scoring tries though Israel Folau, Christian Leali'ifano and Joe Tomane to fire a shot across Wales' bows building towards a 2015 World Cup pool meeting.

It was the Wallabies' ninth successive victory against Wales, and Faletau added: "It was a tough game, a really fast match.

"They have a really good back-line, and you could just see what they did out there. They can strike from anywhere.

"It is frustrating because we have played them so many times and just lost. We just have to go back and look at the game and then see what happens when we come up against them again."

Wales were left aggrieved by Tomane's second-half try, which was awarded by referee Wayne Barnes despite Folau's scoring pass appearing to have been forward.

The television match official could not make a conclusive call on it, so Barnes made the decision himself.

Wales coach Warren Gatland said: "We thought it was forward. The referee made the decision himself without the TMO.

"I doubt he would have made that decision himself if it was the All Blacks playing.

"He made the call himself just looking at the big screen. I haven't spoken to him about it. It is not going to change the result.

"You know how close it is, and you just need one of those calls to go your way.

"Australia were smart in the way that they played. It was frustrating. Of the 18 penalties we got, 14 of them were at the breakdown. It stopped some of the momentum we were trying to create.

"It was a great game of rugby if you were a neutral or an Australian. It was a real Test match out there.

"We are knocking on the door, and at some stage we are going to knock it over.

"The thing is with the southern hemisphere now which is different to the past is that they are coming here fully loaded and not making changes.

"We dug deep, and we showed courage to come back. Our fitness looked good in the second half, and we put ourselves in a position where we had a chance to win it."

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