Lake would love to continue as Wales captain

Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake says he would emotion to clasp nan Wales captaincy aft starring nan broadside successful Australia.

Wales mislaid nan Test bid 2-0 but Lake impressed aft taking complete arsenic skipper from fastener Dafydd Jenkins, who led his state during nan 2024 Six Nations.

Lake's chap 2023 World Cup co-captain Jac Morgan is fresh again aft missing nan Six Nations and summertime circuit done wounded and nan flanker has been named arsenic nan Ospreys' caller imperishable captain.

With Wales facing Fiji, Australia and South Africa successful November, Lake says he would for illustration to support nan nationalist domiciled arsenic caput coach Warren Gatland ponders his decision.

"I'd emotion to continue, I'd ne'er move it down," said Lake.

"It's not my determination to make. There's plentifulness of bully leaders successful that squad and plentifulness to travel backmost arsenic well.

"If it's there, I'm ne'er going to move it down but it could beryllium anyone."

In Australia, 25-year-old Lake had nan captaincy domiciled connected his ain aft sharing nan work pinch Morgan past year.

While Morgan was first prime successful his position and led Wales successful nan important games against Fiji, Australia and Argentina, Lake was skipper his for nan Portugal and Georgia games arsenic he battled pinch shape and fitness.

"I recovered retired a batch astir myself successful that World Cup and astir that activity domiciled successful general," said Lake.

"It's reliable because I had not nailed myself down to beryllium starting.

"I missed that first crippled against Fiji disconnected nan backmost of wounded and didn't play my champion rugby against Portugal, truthful didn't get backmost successful nan squad for Australia.

"It's reliable to consciousness for illustration you've sewage to beryllium a leader aliases skipper of a squad wherever you're not really really nailed down arsenic a starter aliases a chair player.

"So I astir apt didn't put my champion ft guardant successful that domiciled astatine nan World Cup.

"It was a reliable acquisition but 2nd clip astir I felt overmuch better, a batch much comfortable, sewage connected pinch it, played my crippled and fto things return attraction of themselves.

"In nan summertime I felt for illustration I recovered my feet, was accordant successful my domiciled and I conscionable loved doing it."

Lake, who for illustration Morgan missed nan Six Nations because of injury, excelled connected his return to nan broadside successful nan summer, contempt conclusion against South Africa astatine Twickenham and 2 losses against nan Wallabies.

"It was amazing," said Lake.

"Any clip you get to play for your country, it's an honour.

"We would person liked a consequence to spell our way. I deliberation we should person had it, particularly successful nan 2nd Test against Australia.

"We outplayed them and were a amended team, but a fewer costly mistakes awarded them tries.

"The summertime connected nan full was astonishing pinch nan group of boys and nan acquisition I had being successful Australia for nan first time."

Wales person slipped to 11th successful nan world rankings and person mislaid 9 consecutive internationals.

"The nationalist are correct to want results, that's why we play nan crippled and we should beryllium putting immoderate of these teams away," said Lake.

"We're not acold away. Some of nan rugby we created successful Australia was good, we conscionable didn't decorativeness it off.

"It's that past 5% we request now and nan much clip we person together, nan amended we're going to get.

"But we can't support utilizing it arsenic an excuse for results that should person gone our way.

"At immoderate point, we person to commencement winning these games and seeing affirmative results.

"It's ever going to beryllium nan aforesaid message. We mightiness play bully rugby but if we don't get results, it doesn't matter."

Lake pointed to learning nan lessons from nan Wales broadside that were number 1 successful nan world successful 2019 aft winning nan Grand Slam earlier that year.

"If you spell to nan play wherever Wales were nan astir dominant, wherever they won 14 games successful a row, they had forgotten really to suffer astatine that point," said Lake.

"It wasn't that nan rugby they were playing was unbelievable aliases they were untouchable.

"They were conscionable a squad that was truthful assured successful their expertise that by 80 minutes they'd beryllium successful front.

"They ne'er sewage worried aliases chased nan crippled because they knew really to win.

"That's wherever we request to get to. That comes pinch acquisition and being a portion of thing for illustration that wherever you study to win.

"You person to triumph to cognize what it feels for illustration and really to do it. That's why it's truthful important, we get that triumph connected nan board."

Wales managed to get a last-gasp triumph against Super Rugby broadside Queensland Reds successful a friends successful nan last crippled of nan play successful July.

"Although it wasn't a Test match, that Reds crippled successful nan 3rd week was immense for america because that monkey's disconnected our back," said Lake.

"I cognize astir of nan nationalist won't spot it arsenic an important triumph aliases thing for illustration that, but for america arsenic a group internally it is.

"We trained and played nan aforesaid arsenic we did for a Test match, we still pulled connected nan jersey.

"To triumph successful nan Wales jersey is what we needed for assurance and we tin build connected that going forward.

"So it whitethorn not count outside, but for america it does."