Allen lines up at outside centre for the opening game of the three-match tour of South Africa as Wales look to warm up for Saturday’s first Test against the Springboks in style at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The Cardiff Blues youngster started alongside fly half James Hook and inside centre Stephen Shingler for the Possibles in the Wales senior trial in Swansea at the end of last month and he has his fingers crossed the trio will see a little more ball down south than they did at the Liberty Stadium.
“We didn’t get much ball in the trial, particularly in the first half,” said Allen, who knows that a different outcome against Carlos Spencer’s Currie Cup outfit could put pressure on first-choice centre pairing Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies for the Durban Test.
“In the second half it started to open up a bit and that is when the boys like Matthew Morgan at full back put their hands up.
“James (Hook) is a very experienced fly-half with over 70 caps, then you look at our back three with Matthew, Alex Cuthbert and Jordan Williams and it is very exciting, so we will be looking to throw it around a bit, but not get away from the game plan.”
Head coach Warren Gatland has already spoken about the importance of Tuesday’s tour opener in terms of building towards the 2015 Rugby World Cup and Allen knows it could also set a precedent for what lies ahead in South Africa over the coming fortnight.
“This game sets the tone for the rest of the trip,” added Allen. “We want to get it under our belts and play well. We need to get a win and, hopefully, score a few tries.
“Morale will be very important on this trip, especially ahead of the first Test against South Africa. You need all the momentum you can get when you are playing these southern hemisphere teams.”
