Shaun Edwards has defended under-fire coach Rob Howley by insisting Wales autumn campaign will be judged on how they fare against South Africa on Saturday. Marlon Humphrey Jersey . Wales have not claimed three autumn victories since overcoming Japan, Canada and Romania in 2002.Howleys side are in position to do that after bouncing back from their opening defeat to Australia with narrow wins over Argentina and Japan. Sky Sports Black Friday sale Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price! But the nature of Saturdays 33-30 victory over Japan - they won it when Sam Davies landed a drop goal with nine seconds left - has led to questions over where this Wales team is heading with Warren Gatland currently away on British and Irish Lions leave. Jamie Roberts goes over for the second Wales try You know when you are in this position as a national coach, you have to block everything out, defence coach Edwards said. You continue doing your job, what you are trying to do.Rob has only been in one Six Nations [when Gatland was on a similar sabbatical ahead of the 2013 Lions tour to Australia] and he has won it. Akihito Yamada of Japan scores a try for the visitors He has a 100 per cent winning record, he is an excellent coach with his attention to detail.Wales have only won two and drawn one of their previous 31 matches against South Africa who arrive at their lowest ebb in years, losing six of their last seven matches, the latest of which was their first ever defeat to Italy.But Wales triumphed when they last met in Cardiff two years ago, with Leigh Halfpenny kicking four penalties in a hard-fought 12-6 victory. South Africa players trudge off after their demoralising defeat to Italy The success or relative failure [of the autumn] will depend on whether we win on Saturday, Edwards said.Its been said in the past weve played Australia many times and lost by one point. Weve played fantastic, but weve lost. Its all about winning and weve won two tight games.Have we played as well as wanted to on Saturday? No, we didnt. But were going into a cup final this week against a team ranked higher than us and theyve got what we want, which is that fourth ranked position.Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Hurry, offer ends December 4! Also See: Italy stun Springboks Wales deny brave Japan Jones: Wales complacent Howley wary of Boks backlash Sam Koch Jersey . The freestyle skier from Calgary finished sixth in the qualification round with a total of 82.00 points. Groenewoud won a silver medal at the X Games last month, just over five weeks after undergoing double knee surgery. Marshal Yanda Jersey . The Jays responded to the three-spot Detroit placed on Casey Janssen the evening before with an attack on the Tigers Achilles Heel, its bullpen, tying the game in the ninth and winning the game in the 10th. The result absolved Marcus Stroman, brilliant once again, of a tough luck loss while at the same time robbing Max Scherzer, brilliant once again, of a deserved win. http://www.customravensjersey.com/custom-javorius-allen-jersey-large-523d.html . Ferguson told Uniteds in-house TV channel on Saturday that he has no immediate plans to walk away from the game, and that he still hungers for more trophies even after 25 years in charge of the club. OTTAWA -- Hayley Wickenheiser doesnt put much stock in the flag-bearers curse. The womens hockey star, who will carry the Maple Leaf into the opening ceremonies of the Sochi Olympics, says the idea that she and her teammates could be under any more pressure is absurd. After all, they play a sport that many in Canada consider religion. So any sort of cosmic jinx pales in comparison to the weight of an entire countrys expectations for the womens team to win a fourth straight gold medal in Sochi. "I think theres just too much emphasis to put on that," Wickenheiser said Thursday via conference call from Austria. "The pressure that we feel is the pressure that always comes with playing hockey as a Canadian hockey player, whether youre male or female. "The country expects a gold medal. Whether I carry the flag or not, Im pretty sure our team doesnt feel any extra added incentive that theres more pressure to perform, because we already feel that already." Not all athletes see it that way. Diver Alexandre Despatie felt it would be a distraction and said hed decline any offer to carry the flag at the 2012 London Games. Kayaker Adam van Koeverden carried the flag at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and finished a disappointing eighth in the 1,000 metres -- although he did win a silver medal in the 500. Moguls skier Jean-Luc Brassard blamed his disappointing performance at the 1998 Nagano Olympics on being the flag-bearer a day earlier. Wickenheiser and her teammates hope the same thing doesnt happen to them. Hockey Canada says the women will march in the Feb. 7 opening ceremonies despite playing their first game the following night versus Switzerland. Brassard, the assistant chef de mission for the Sochi team, was on the panel that selected Wickenheiser along with chef de mission Steve Podborski, assistant chef France St. Louis and one athlete representative. Hockey Canada nominated her for the honour. "Throughout her successful career, this Canadian athlete has demonstrated true Canadian grit, patriotism and sporttsmanship," said Podborski, adding that Wickenheiser will lead the Canadian team with "the utmost pride and class. Bernard Pierce Jersey. " Wickenheiser is embracing the opportunity to put her sport centre stage. "What I think it does is it shines a very positive light on the sport of womens hockey and just on our sport in general for the world to see," said the 35-year-old forward. "Thats a great responsibility and expectation that every nation in the world has to carry in and I think should really embrace." The Shaunavon, Sask., native, who is at a pre-Olympic camp in Austria and wasnt able to attend the formal announcement Thursday on Parliament Hill, will be making her fifth Winter Olympic appearance. But for the first time since 2006, she wont be Canadas captain. Caroline Ouellette has been handed that job, while Wickenheiser will be an alternate. But she remains Canadas biggest womens hockey star and a pioneer of the game. She and teammate Jayna Hefford will be the only players in the 2014 womens hockey tournament who have played in every Olympic Games since female hockey made its debut in 1998. Her stewardship extends beyond hockey as a spokesperson for Right To Play, Clean Air Champions, KidsSport, Spread The Net, Plan Canadas Because I Am A Girl and Classroom Champions. Wickenheiser read the athletes oath in the opening ceremonies at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and she is running for election to the International Olympic Committees athletes commission in Sochi. Veteran speedskater Clara Hughes carried the flag at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics while womens hockey player Danielle Goyette was the flag-bearer at the 2006 Games in Turin. "I remember we were joking, like Dont trip and fall when you come in," Wickenheiser said of her conversation with Goyette before the opening ceremonies eight years ago. "Thats sort of the same thing we were talking about today. Geez, Id better watch some YouTube videos and figure out how the athletes have done this before." --- ' ' '