Wales captain Lake looks forward to Marx reunion

Men’s world friendly: South Africa v Wales

Venue: Twickenham Date: Saturday, 22 June Kick-off: 14:00 BST

Coverage: Live connected S4C, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru nan BBC Sport website and app, positive unrecorded matter commentary and followed by lucifer study connected nan BBC Sport website and app.

Wales skipper Dewi Lake is looking guardant to rekindling his rivalry pinch South Africa hooker Malcolm Marx astatine Twickenham connected Saturday.

The brace were captured successful an iconic photograph taken towards nan extremity of nan first Test betwixt Wales and nan Springboks successful Pretoria successful July 2022.

Marx was pointing aggressively astatine a smiling Lake and Wales team-mate Tommy Reffell.

"I deliberation it was 29-29 astatine nan time," said Lake.

"Emotions were flying and you are emotion nan crowd astatine Loftus [Versfeld Stadium] pinch 50,000 group there, it was a dispute crowd.

"That's nan measurement I for illustration to play nan game, connected nan edge. That's nan measurement we arsenic a group want to play."

Lake and Marx had some travel disconnected nan replacements chair pinch nan Wales hooker scoring a effort earlier Springboks gained nan precocious triumph pinch a last-minute penalty.

"We've ever had really bully battles," said Lake.

"I've sewage immoderate fond memories of that summertime circuit successful South Africa a mates of years ago."

Lake and Marx are returning to world rugby for nan first clip since past year's World Cup.

Lake, 25, missed nan Six Nations because of a hamstring wounded while Marx, 29, will beryllium playing his first crippled since suffering a superior knee problem successful nan opening World Cup excavation brushwood against Scotland.

"I haven't faced disconnected against him successful a while," said Lake.

"I'm judge he'll beryllium chomping astatine nan spot to get backmost to world rugby.

"It will beryllium breathtaking to spell against him again because he is regarded arsenic 1 of nan champion hookers successful nan world and that's nan type of title we want."

Lake mightiness beryllium nan elder hooker successful Australia pinch Elliot Dee successful threat of missing nan circuit pinch an ankle injury and Ryan Elias being rested for nan summer.

This could time off rookie Cardiff duo Evan Lloyd and Efan Daniel successful contention to travel.

Wales caput coach Warren Gatland name checked Lake and Exeter fastener Dafydd Jenkins as 2 young players who had embraced nan challenges of world rugby.

Lakes insists he loves nan beingness battle.

"That's why I fell successful emotion pinch nan game," said Lake.

"I was ne'er very bully astatine touch rugby aliases sevens! That wasn't my forte.

"That beingness and one-on-one conflict pinch your other number is what I look guardant to.

"The South Africa battalion are known for power and they will ever travel astatine you and I'm relishing nan opportunity to spell toe-to-toe pinch them.

"They are double world champions, you get into Test lucifer rugby to play nan best."

Not galore group are giving this inexperienced and experimental Wales side a chance against South Africa, particularly fixed nan contrasting caller shape of nan 2 sides.

Wales person mislaid their past six internationals and vanished bottommost of nan Six Nations for nan first clip successful 20 years.

"That's connected america to change," said Lake.

"It is not for maine to speak connected erstwhile results. That's parked and successful nan past.

"It's what we do going forward, really we alteration people's cognition of america and what we want to look for illustration arsenic a group.

"It's astir installing winning habits and mindsets and believing successful ourselves, truthful we tin show we tin do it and put those results together."

Jenkins captained nan broadside erstwhile 2023 World Cup co-captains Lake and Jac Morgan missed nan Six Nations done injury.

Flanker Morgan has since suffered different setback and been ruled retired of nan summertime programme pinch a hamstring problem.

Jenkins is unavailable for nan South Africa fixture arsenic England-based nine players are ineligible because nan lucifer falls extracurricular World Rugby's world window.

Gatland says he will make a last determination connected nan captaincy for nan circuit of Australia aft nan Springboks game.

At Twickenham, Lake is happy to skipper Wales for a 4th time.

"It's a immense honour for maine personally to beryllium asked to lead nan side," said Lake.

"It's a squad pinch plentifulness of leaders not conscionable myself."

Lake says he feels for Morgan aft his latest setback.

"I americium gutted for him and that is an understatement," said Lake.

"We spent each past twelvemonth together, happened to beryllium injured astatine nan aforesaid play together again this twelvemonth truthful we spent moreover much clip together.

"To spot him spell early is gut-wrenching for america arsenic a squad and for him also.

"Hopefully Jac tin get backmost quickly."