Shanklin eying overdue score

12 April 2012

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 with 34 tries in 50 Tests, five adrift of captain Gareth Thomas.

Shanklin has 17 Test tries for Wales but has scored just once this season and said: "I am due a try. I haven't scored for ages and would really love to score some tries soon, because I want to move up that list."

He added: "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."

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.

"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."

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