Aaron Wainwright has not won many rugby matches over the past 11 months.
In fact, you could count those victories on a single finger of one hand.
That’s not necessarily his fault, though. He plays for Wales and the Dragons and even if he were a blend of Gareth Edwards, Dan Carter, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Antoine Dupont then he might find winning difficult in those two teams at the moment.
In fact, it says a lot about the quality and consistency of the Wales back row forward that he is one of the few in the team that will face England on Saturday who can hold realistic hopes of getting anywhere near the Lions squad this summer.
Wainwright has played 20 matches since April 2024, the figure curtailed by injuries suffered at the tail end of last season.
His only victory came playing for the Dragons against Newcastle in December in the European Challenge Cup, when he was on the right side of 22-14 scoreline.
The other 19 games have all ended in defeat.
“It’s not nice to be in a team that’s on a losing streak for that many games,” says the 27-year-old.
“It does stick with you, but it doesn’t stay with me when I go home. It just motivates me for the next training day to try to get every little detail right so we can go out and bring an end to the losing streak.”
Wainwright was surprisingly left out of the starting line-up for the last match against Scotland, an omission that interim coach Matt Sherratt decided to quickly rectify after that five-try defeat.
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So, Wainwright returns to face England in place of Tommy Reffell, but he says the 16-match losing streak for Wales does prompt personal reflection.
“I will think is there more I can do, are there things I can do that will help me contribute more to the team.
“Everyone in the team will be doing that to try to make us better and ensure we don’t lose at the weekend.
“Nobody’s goal is to go out and play a game of rugby and to lose. In terms of extra bits of training at the end of session, the boys have been very good at getting together in defensive groups and doing tackle extras.
“I know we should be doing that anyway, but it enforces good habits.”
The flanker insists, however, that the mood has altered significantly since the change in the coaching set-up after the departure of Warren Gatland.
“The coaches have been really good a starting each week with a clean slate.
“The first game after the change of coaches I thought we performed really well for the majority of the game against Ireland.
“We came in on the Monday and spoke about Scotland, had a fresh start and spoke about what we are going to be doing this week. We go from there.”
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In this final match of Wales’ Six Nations campaign, Wainwright is determined to make a statement at a packed Principality Stadium, knowing it could be a key moment in his push for a place on the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.
"It will be in the back of people's minds, definitely in the back of mine," he admits.
"It has been a frustrating campaign in terms of game time so for me it's about going out there from the start and giving everything I can."
The Dragons forward will join captain Jac Morgan and the Taulupe Faletau in the back row, as they prepare to face England’s formidable trio, which includes the Curry brothers and Ben Earl.
Wainwright believes Faletau’s presence could be a decisive factor for Wales.
"He is a game changer. You could see that on the weekend once he gets his hands on the ball he can make things happen.
"For me and the other guys around him it's about being there on those support lines, so we can be there if he can get his hands free and try and get on his shoulder and keep up with him.
"It is about making sure we control that first 20 minutes. We have probably been passive and we need to make sure we are not making as many mistakes as we did in the opening minutes against Scotland.
"If you look at the Ireland game at home with the crowd in full voice behind us we started well and took it to them.
"If we can do the same and maybe finish the game as we did against Scotland we will be in a good place."
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Wainwright has experienced some unforgettable moments in the red jersey, including a Grand Slam in 2019 and helping Wales reach the top of the World Rugby rankings.
"That win over England [in 2019] was one of the best days I have had in a Welsh jersey. Any time I speak about the atmosphere at the Principality Stadium that is up there with the loudest I have ever heard it.
“The Ireland game at home a few weeks ago was the closest it has been to that for a while. If the fans can deliver something like that, get behind us and give us that energy and edge, it will definitely spur us on.
"The noise is massive, it adds to those moments on the pitch. If you get a couple of carries and the crowd gets right behind you it motivates you to try and make the next one.
"The same as defence. When a couple of boys put in big shots you hear the crowd getting their backs up and it spurs us on."
