After sluggish starts in their first three World Cup games Colin Charvis insists Wales must land the first punch in tomorrow's showdown with Fiji or face a World Cup knock-out.
The Welsh came from behind to beat both Canada and Japan but there was no way back against Australia after the Wallabies had surged into a commanding 25-3 half-time lead and Charvis knows Wales cannot afford another slow start against a Fiji side who can pounce on the smallest mistake.
The winners tomorrow will secure a quarter-final against South Africa in Marseille. The losers go home.
"I think the coaches need to somehow install in us that attitude of hitting the ground running," said Charvis today. "As much as we have tried that as a team, it hasn't really come off for us. Part of the reason is that everyone has come with a stronger attitude than us.
"It's like a boxer's mentality of getting the first punch in. Fortunately for two of our games we have managed to get the next few in, but against Australia that didn't happen.
"We go into games wanting to start well, it's certainly not a plan of ours to start poorly, lull teams into a false sense of security and then run over them!"
Charvis believes Wales are improving all the time but he is acutely aware they will need to match the Fijian ferocity and passion to secure passage into the last eight.
"I think we have got better. During the August Tests we struggled to score against England, we couldn't score against France. Against Argentina we had a very good first half and then couldn't score again," he said.
"In our last few games we have been managing to score more tries and create pressure in the opposition 22. We are improving but there is no doubt we still have a very long way to go."
Charvis will win his 93rd Test cap against Fiji but insists he has no plans to join Gareth Thomas in the 100 club and he puts little stock in his try-scoring record either. Charvis has scored 21 times for Wales - more than Gerald Davies and Gareth Edwards - and needs one more to hold the world record for a forward.
"We can think about records some other time, it's got to be put aside for the moment," said Charvis. "Of those 21 tries probably more than half of them I've fallen across the line when someone has given me the ball!
"There is no huge merit in things like that.
"But things like Neil Jenkins' points tally or Jonny Wilkinson's for England are things which should be respected. Those players have achieved a lot."
