Shanklin eyeing overdue score

Tom Shanklin is determined to break his scoring drought in Wales’ World Cup eliminator against Fiji – if only to stop his team-mate Shane Williams from hogging the limelight.

Williams scored twice in last Thursday’s victory over Japan to move above Ieuan Evans and into second place in Wales’ all-time try charts.

He now has 34 tries from 50 Tests and is second behind Wales captain Gareth Thomas, whose 39 have come from 99 Test matches.

Shanklin has 17 Test tries for Wales. But 11 of them came in 2004, and he has scored just once this year, against France in the Six Nations

“I am due a try,” he said, looking forward to Saturday’s match

“I was desperate to come on against Japan and score. I eventually came on with 10 minutes to go and was sniffing everywhere to try and get on the end of something, but nothing came my way.

“I haven’t scored for ages and would really love to score some tries soon, because I want to move up that list.”

The loss of some personal glory does not worry Shanklin too deeply. His main concern at present is making sure Wales are still in France this time next week.

Wales must beat Fiji in Nantes to secure second place in Pool B and a quarter-final clash against South Africa. Defeat will, unthinkably, send them crashing out of the tournament before the knockout stages.

But the Wales squad is the most experienced in the tournament, with seven of Saturday’s likely starting XV boasting more than 50 caps.

They all have experience of high-pressure situations too.

In 2005, Wales clinched the Grand Slam on home soil with a victory over Ireland - and they pulled out a win against England earlier this year to avoid the ignominy of the wooden spoon and a Six Nations whitewash.

On both occasions the pressure to deliver was huge, and Shanklin is confident that experience will stand the squad in good stead as they enter the game with their World Cup futures on the line.

“This is a huge game. It’s do-or-die for us – if we lose we’re going home. It’s hit home that we can’t lose any more games, that this is it,” he said.

“The pressure’s on, and we want to perform. We don’t want to go home now.

“We want to go through to the next round, so we’ve got to make sure we perform. This is where the Six Nations should stand us in good stead.

“We’ve got good experience throughout the side, mixed with youth, and these guys have been in situations before like the England game in the Six Nations as well as the big games in the Grand Slam.”

Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins will confirm his side today, and it is set to include captain Gareth Thomas – who is recovering from rib cartilage damage - and Dwayne Peel at scrum-half ahead of Mike Phillips.

The notion that winger Williams should be dropped because he concedes too many turnovers, proposed by Barry John at the weekend, is also set to be rejected.