Today's rugby news as Wales star says there is 'edge' around camp and Welsh club announce Maori addition

Here are your rugby morning headlines for Saturday, November 16.

Wallabies coach expecting Wales challenge

By PA

Australia head coach Joe Schmidt feels that Wales will be “incredibly hard to beat” in Sunday’s Autumn Nations Series encounter at the Principality Stadium.

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The odds favour a Wallabies win following their thrilling victory over England last time out, while Wales have lost a record-equalling 10 Tests in a row.

“Obviously, this time last year, Wales put 40 points on the Wallabies (in the World Cup),” Schmidt said.

“They got very close to a number of teams in the Six Nations, losing by one score to England and Scotland, as well as Fiji last week.

“I am expecting them to be incredibly hard to beat. They are dogmatic with the way they go about their defensive work and are very hard to break down.”

Asked about Wales being under pressure, Schmidt added: “You live in this bubble, really. I am too busy worrying about our team.

“It’s funny, I feel under more pressure than I was last week.

“Last week, no one expected us to win. Suddenly, when expectations shift and you are up against a team that are on a losing run, you are expected to win.

“But it doesn’t actually mean anything in terms of the players running out and getting the job done. I think everyone feels pressure.”

Schmidt has made six changes from the side that accounted for England, including exciting midfield prospect Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii moving out of the starting XV and joining Schmidt’s replacements.

Samu Kerevi replaces Suaalii, while prop Allan Alaalatoa starts as captain with Harry Wilson being sidelined due to concussion.

Wilson’s absence from the back-row means a first Test start for flanker Seru Uru, with Rob Valetini moving across to number eight, while lock Will Skelton, scrum-half Nic White and wing Max Jorgensen also feature.

On Suaalii, Schmidt added: “We have only got three midfielders with us, and it is about sharing the load between the three guys.

“It was a whirlwind for Joseph for the last two weeks, so for him just to be able to take a breath and watch a bit of the game before entering, it is a great opportunity for us to change it up if required.

“There was that temptation to keep him there to a degree.

“Anybody who plays four consecutive Tests against the ranked countries we are up against, that’s a big challenge for anybody, particularly playing the full 80 minutes.”

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Wales captain says players take responsibility for losing streak

Wales captain Dewi Lake insists the players take responsibility for their losing streak as pressure grows on Warren Gatland.

The head coach has faced growing criticism as Wales equalled their worst ever run at Test level, losing 10 internationals on the bounce. They take on Australia on Sunday, aiming to avoid setting the record outright.

However, Lake is adamant only the players can pull Wales from the mire, saying: "Yes, of course. Gats isn’t on the field is he?

"They [the coaches] give us the best platform to go and perform and we should have comfortably won that game against Fiji.

"The pressure is on all of us as a group when we’re on a losing run like we are. We’re all feeling it.

"Of course it hurts. We don’t go out to lose but at some point we need to flip that."

He added: "We’ve spoken as a group about still trying to enjoy the moment and playing with the shackles off," said Lake.

"But it is difficult because you can't help thinking if anything goes wrong, that’s going to come back on me.

"There’s always an edge around camp with boys fighting for places and for every inch.

"Nothing has changed from our work from last week but we need to tighten up our discipline and be more clinical."

Half-Welsh, half-Māori star to turn out for Ospreys

Ieuan Cornelius will feature off the bench for the Ospreys in their development fixture against the Dragons today, having linked up with the Welsh side.

Cornelius was born in New Zealand and is half-Māori, half-Welsh. With his dad hailing from Swansea, he spent some time in Wales growing up, but the majority of his playing career has been spent in Australia.

The utility back was previously part of the Queensland Reds setup. He spent some of his childhood living in Swansea, his dad being a Swansea native, but the majority of his playing career took place in Australia.

Speaking on his move, Cornelius said: "Being here, back home with the Ospreys, feels right. I get to train amongst some of the best players in the world. The likes of Jac Morgan, Dewi (Lake) and Beardy (Adam Beard), it’s an awesome experience.”

World Cup-winning coach slams England's lack of 'toughness'

Jake White, the man who led South Africa to Rugby World Cup glory in 2007, has slammed England for a lack of toughness.

England have narrowly lost their opening two matches of the Autumn Nations Series against New Zealand and Australia, respectively, to pile the pressure onto head coach Steve Borthwick. And former Springboks boss White believes England can't scrummage and lack toughness.

“I actually asked one of my Bulls players this week, who had played in the Premiership, ‘why can’t they transfer how tough and attritional that league [is], week-in, week-out, into how they front up when they pull on the Red Rose’,” he wrote in his RugbyPass column.

“I don’t see the toughness – and I want to emphasise that word – and resilience and it’s a mystery why. I know I reference my generation regularly, but you can reel those legends off without missing a beat; Vickery, Thomson, White, Johnson, Grewcock, Dallaglio, Hill, Back, Dawson, Wilkinson, Tindall, Greenwood and so on.

"Right now, I don’t see any England player making that team. They can’t blame naivety either.

"This is a professional team that has been together for a while. They fielded 861 caps in that 23-man squad against Australia, nearly 40 caps a man, so they can’t waive the inexperience card.

“Maro Itoje had 85 caps, Jamie George 94, and Dan Cole 116 caps – there should be no lack of leadership on the park.”

Historically England have been renowned for having a strong set-piece but their scrum fell apart against the All Blacks while they could not achieve more than parity when facing the Wallabies.

“I’m also worried about their scrum," said White who now coaches the Blue Bulls. "It’s funny, in the Southern Hemisphere, when players are left to play for a French or Premiership club, the one thing you were guaranteed they’d improve overseas is their scrummaging and mauling, you know fundamentals of the set-piece.

"That’s why players go there. When I look at this England team, the one thing they can’t do is scrummage.

"They are going to get demolished on Saturday by the Bok scrum they can’t stop and they could have 10 training sessions this week, swot up on video analysis and talk about it until the cows come home but I don’t think it will make a difference.”