After leading his side to a 23-9 win over Scotland, Wales captain Colin Charvis suggested that he may have played his last international game in the country. The 59-cap back-row man is currently without a club or regional contract and is only able to go to the World Cup because of a private sponsorship deal arranged with a Cardiff restaurant.
Following an excellent game against the Scots, Charvis, 30, dropped the strongest hint yet that he will leave Wales after the World Cup and take up a contract that will end his international career.
The Lions flanker is expected to seal a lucrative deal in Japan that will start in the spring of 2004.
"I'm just grateful to have won a game here at the Millennium Stadium which could have been my last game in Wales," Charvis told BBC Wales Sport.
"I'll carry on playing after the World Cup, but we'll have to see what happens - I'm just looking forward to the tournament right now."  |  Maybe we can do a bit better in the World Cup than people have been predicting |
Charvis was delighted that the squad had secured a second successive win after ending their miserable 11-game losing streak against Romania in midweek. "The guys are delighted that all the hard work we've been putting in has finally been rewarded," said Charvis, "They showed they could dig deep in the closing 20 minutes.
"It was important to end this series of games with two wins, we needed the confidence for the World Cup - Steve (Hansen) as much as the players.
"We believe in everything he (Hansen) has been teaching us, it was just that today we managed to put it into practice.
"The win takes some of the media pressure off us and off Steve.
| Anyone who questions the players' commitment must either be drunk or in need of hospital treatment |
"We need to up the intensity in our training in the next five weeks, then maybe we can do a bit better in the World Cup than people have been predicting." Hansen himself was keen to round on those who had criticised his team in recent weeks.
"I thought we were outstanding in the second half when we did not have the ball," said the New Zealander.
"Anyone who questions the players' commitment or passion out on the pitch must either be drunk or in need of hospital treatment.
"It was obvious today that there is no question mark over their desire to play.
"There was one stage when Scotland had 14 phases of possession but we still kept them out."
MMIX
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