WALES went within a whisker of shocking the rugby world when they all but downed the Springboks in Welling-ton on Sunday, but now they’ve got to back it up when they face the dangerous Samoan team.

The Wales squad are regathering at the picturesque Lake Taupo resort a few hundred kilometres north of New Zealand’s capital city before transferring to Hamilton for next Sunday’s second game.

That now assumes must-win proportions after their setback against the world champions, though to be fair that was probably always going to be the case.

But the way in which they took the game to South Africa for large periods, gaining as much as 60% possession and territory, will give them a great deal of confidence going into the Samoa clash.

Victory is vital to their hopes of making the quarter-finals of the tournament – a minimum requirement – but what cannot happen now is any kind of complacency or even over confidence.

The biggest mistake they could make is to believe that having run the defending champions so close and, indeed, deserving to win the match, the Samoans will be comparatively easy meat.

The Samoans, with players of the calibre of Alesana Tuilagi and Seilala Mapusua, are fresh from a shock victory over Australia, who showed their straps with a brilliant second half spell against Italy prior to Wales’ game, though on the other hand they also got beaten by Tonga in the Pacific tournament.

Nevertheless, if Wales want to be regarded as a world power they have got to get the better of the Samoans and show that their performance against South Africa was no flash in the pan.

Of all the games they have played against the Springboks in recent years Sunday’s was easily the most impressive as they recovered from a shaky opening to rock the world champions with a thoroughly committed performance.

Few would have expected them to take the game to the holders in such a way, to gain the lion’s share of the ball and then test their defence to the limit.

With the pack going so well, with the young back row of skipper Sam Warburton and Dragons pair Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau impressing enormously, and with Mike Phillips and Jamie Roberts rediscovering their Lions form, Wales almost produced the surprise result of the opening weekend.

While changes will be few, if any, for the Samoa game, I still believe one positional switch should be made – and that involves James Hook and Rhys Priestland.

The idea to put Hook at full back was for him to collect the ball from the expected aerial bombardment from Morne Steyn and use Wales’ most dangerous player to run it back at them.

But it didn’t quite turn out that way, partly because Wales won more possession than expected and partly because the swirling wind and rain meant that Hook was rarely able to do much anyway.

Not only that, though, his defence was found a bit wanting, like in the opening try when he went too high on Francois Steyn and couldn’t prevent his opposite number from crashing over.

Maybe he shouldn’t be blamed too much for that because he is not a full back but is being played out of position again.

I have little doubt that he would have landed that late dropped goal which Priestland unaccountably missed from bang in front having steadied himself and received the ball in plenty of time.

Priestland has played more at full back than Hook, he has greater physical presence and when there is less need to try to play such a tactical game against Samoa Wales coach Warren Gatland ought to play Hook in the position which suits him best.

At least Gatland was honest enough to admit on Sunday that Wales had missed the boat, that they didn’t take their chances, while he was also understandably proud of a terrific effort by the team.

Now they really do have to deliver, no more narrow misses.

They will go in as favourites against Samoa and they have to live up to that billing.