British Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones says Wales have to beat South Africa or ...

Alun Wyn Jones says it’s high time Wales silenced those doubting their World Cup credentials by beating the might of the southern hemisphere this autumn.

Warren Gatland’s back-to-back Six Nations champions open their November campaign against South Africa at the Millennium Stadium on November 9 with inspirational lock Jones, so impressive in leading the Lions to victory in the third Test against Australia last month, acutely aware of their dreadful record.

Wales have only beaten the Springboks once in their history, 29-19 during the first match at the hallowed ground in June 1999.

Seventy-six times capped Jones has faced them 10 times, suffering seven losses with Wales and two with the Lions in South Africa four years ago.

“It’s something I would like to change on my CV,” he acknowledged.

His only win came off the replacements bench for the Lions in the final Test in Johannesburg but it was pretty irrelevant because they had already lost that series.

But Wales having been getting close, losing their last four matches against the twice-world champions by an aggregate of 12 points.

They have gone down 20-15, 34-31, 29-25 and, in their most recent meeting, losing 17-16 in their 2011 World Cup opener in Wellington, New Zealand.

Wales should have won that game but failed to turn territory and possession into points. Outside-half Rhys Priestland fired a late drop-goal wide as they paid the price for conceding a soft early try to Frans Steyn.

“That’s the thing, we’re always there or thereabouts. I remember after the game it was strange because we did so much but didn’t get the win,” went on Jones.

The Welsh record against New Zealand is even more abject, failing to beat them since 1953 while they have accounted for Australia just twice since finishing third at the inaugural World Cup of 1987, on the back of Six Nations Grand Slams in 2005 and 2008.

Yet, during the last nine campaigns, Wales have won four European titles, three of them with clean sweeps.

During the same period, England and France have beaten all the big three, Ireland have disposed of South Africa and Australia while Scotland have also defeated the latter.

It’s a puzzle which you’d suspect Wales has to answer if Gatland’s team is to turn genuine ambitions of becoming only the second northern hemisphere team behind 2003 victors England to lift the World Cup into reality when it’s held across the border in two years time.

There’s also another almost unfathomable statistic, namely Wales haven’t won an autumn encounter in Cardiff since accounting for Argentina 33-16 in November 2009.

They drew 16-16 with Fiji the following year but last year saw them whitewashed by Argentina, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia.

“We’ve achieved quite a bit against northern hemisphere sides, but there’s still questions over our competitiveness against the Sanzar nations,” declared Jones, who deputised for the injured Sam Warburton as Lions skipper during the decider.

“We all know that and we’ve got to answer those questions.

“You look at last autumn and we were probably disappointed but you look at the last few years of international rugby, a few Grand Slams and championships, if you were a neutral looking at Wales from afar, you’d definitely think they could make a fist of it.

“It should be good autumn series. I want to get a run in the black (Ospreys) jersey first. Form and fitness is going to be key for me. I want to be ready and able to do a job, if selected.”

South Africa open their Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina in Soweto tomorrow.

Jones said: “They have got a few new players and two new, young second rows (Eben Etzebeth and Juandre Kruger).

“But there’s a few old heads still in there and I see Ruan Pienaar has been picked at No.9 for them as well.

“It’s going to be a tough one. We haven’t played them for a couple of years so it will be interesting to see how it goes.”

Jones was 13 when Wales mugged South Africa 29-19 in front of an electric crowd of just over 27,000 14 years ago.

“Didn’t Mark Taylor get the first try?” he asked before remembering: “He got the Welsh gold ring (for scoring the opening try at the ground).

“I do remember it because the stand was only half built. We would like to replicate that result.”

The 27-year-old Ospreys skipper warned though it would be dangerous to assume, because of the Lions Test team being loaded with Welsh players, Wales can also be successful.

“You can’t look at that – it’s a different jersey,” said Jones.

“And no disrespect to any members of the media but I don’t think, last autumn, anybody saw a championship coming.

“We didn’t start the Six Nations too well but, when the boys turned the tide out in France, we realised we have actually got the firepower.

“But it’s in the past. It’s like any success you have – you can’t look back. If you are positive going forward, great, but being arrogant going forward is a dangerous place to be.

“The squad is mature enough now to realise we have got the potential to be good on our day, it’s just a case of making more of those days for ourselves.

“It all turned in Paris and the championship left the door ajar for us to get on that (Lions) plane.

“There was a shed-load of boys involved but a lot of players from other countries had a hand in that success.

“I’d be quick to stop you and say ‘let’s be realistic and not go too far ahead of ourselves’ but then, on an individual basis, the pressure-cooker, the intensity, whatever you want to term it, goes up being away from home.

“You have got to become more mature and learn more. I think we’re in a place now where, potentially, we can kick on, looking forward, not back and realising what we haven’t achieved.”

British Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones says Wales have to beat South Africa or ...