Willis Halaholo: Wales centre dreams of facing New Zealand
- Published
Cardiff centre Willis Halaholo has played seven internationals for Wales
Cardiff and Wales centre Willis Halaholo admits he is dreaming of facing the country of his birth, New Zealand, in the autumn international opener.
Halaholo, 31, was born in Auckland but moved to Cardiff in 2016 and qualified for Wales through the three-year residency rule.
After making his debut against Scotland during the 2021 Six Nations, he has set his sights on facing the All Blacks.
"It would be huge," said Halaholo.
Wales join up on Monday to prepare for the opening matches of the autumn international before further fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Australia.
It is the All Blacks game that provides special significance for Halaholo.
"I know a lot of the boys there and just to stand in front of the haka and play against them will be awesome for us," he added.
"In the Six Nations and in the summer, you only get a few people watching from New Zealand but now we're going to be playing the All Blacks so everyone will be watching.
"It's huge for me and my family, with my parents back in New Zealand. Hopefully, if I get the chance and I put in a bit of work in camp — we'll see how it goes."
Halaholo's fellow Cardiff centre Ben Thomas and Scarlets duo Jonathan Davies and Johnny Williams are the specialist midfield options against New Zealand, while wing Owen Lane has featured in midfield for his region.
Saracens centre Nick Tompkins is unavailable because the match falls outside World Rugby's international window and English clubs will not release their Welsh international players.
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