Wales forward Gareth Llewellyn will turn the clock back eight years when he relaunches his international career against New Zealand at Wembley on Saturday. Harlequins lock Llewellyn faces an All Blacks side showing just one change from the team that beat England last Saturday, with centre Walter Little being recalled in place of the injured Alaama Ieremia.
But Llewellyn knows he is under far more pressure than during his Test match debut on November 4th, 1989, when the All Blacks ran out 34-9 victors in Cardiff.
Dropped by national coach Kevin Bowring following Wales's unconvincing 28-23 defeat of the US in San Francisco four months ago, Llewellyn has won a reprieve. An injury to Moseley's Steve Moore, possibly the most exciting Welsh second-row prospect since Llewellyn, and a committed display as Wales A captain against New Zealand earlier this month, guaranteed the former Neath skipper a 60th cap recall.
"Kevin and I had a pretty high volume discussion after I was dropped, so you could say I am determined to prove a point this weekend," Llewellyn claimed.
"I have been fairly pleased with my Harlequins form, and the Wales A match went well because we were in contention for a long time simply by taking the game to New Zealand."
Llewellyn, still only 28 despite his wealth of international experience, will need to reproduce those high standards because Bowring has made it clear what he expects when Wales take the field before a sell-out Wembley crowd.
"The loss of Steve Moore is a blow because he has impressed me with his work-rate," Bowring said. "But in the last two A team fixtures, Gareth has responded very well to challenges that have presented themselves.
"I have decided to give him a chance against New Zealand, an occasion when I know he will contribute."
Llewellyn has been a virtual Wales ever-present throughout the 1990s, leading his country against South Africa, Italy and France among others, and until this summer, had featured prominently in Bowring's plans.
But Moore earned his chance against Canada last July, retained the jersey when Wales tackled Romania and Tonga as All Blacks warm-up opposition, and left Llewellyn facing a challenge he had hardly expected.
With the prospect of a Five Nations Championship campaign ahead - Llewellyn's ninth if selected - followed by Wales' South Africa summer tour, he has everything to play for this weekend.
"I am lot fitter than I was last season, my work-rate is much higher and I feel ready to face the All Blacks' challenge," he added.
"New Zealand have so many great players, but it is their ability to play effectively as a team that makes them such difficult opponents. They don't rely on individuals - all 15 do their jobs."
New Zealand: C Cullen; J Wilson, F Bunce, W Little, J Lomu; A Mehrtens, J Marshall (capt); Z Brooke, J Kronfeld, T Randell, R Brooke, I Jones, O Brown, N Hewitt, C Dowd. Replacements: S McLeod, J Preston, A Blowers, C Riechelmann, M Allen, S Fitzpatrick.
