Malta rugby coach Phil Pretorius believes his side is ready to rise to the occasion as the national team prepares for Sunday’s crucial clash against Austria at the National Stadium in Ta’ Qali.

The Maltese side heads into the decisive encounter on the back of an outstanding Rugby Europe Conference Division campaign, having won all their group matches in convincing fashion to finish not only top of their section but also with the best overall record among the five Conference groups.

That achievement earned Malta a showdown against Austria, the side with the second-best record in the division, with the winners securing promotion to the Rugby Europe Trophy – the third tier of European rugby – and moving one step closer to the long-term dream of World Cup qualification.

“This is a very important match for us,” Pretorius said during a press conference ahead of the game.

“We are coming from a very positive Conference Division campaign and the atmosphere within the squad is excellent. The players are highly motivated and excited for this challenge.

“But Austria will definitely be our toughest test so far. They are a very strong side physically and particularly dangerous in scrums and line-outs. Several of their players compete in the Czech leagues, so they bring plenty of quality and experience.”

Despite acknowledging Austria’s strengths, Pretorius insisted Malta has the character and determination to compete at this level.

“I can assure you that Austria have never faced a team quite like Malta,” he said.

“Our players have enormous pride in representing their country and they fight for every ball. That mentality is a huge strength in rugby.

“It will not be easy, but I have been extremely satisfied with the way the team has prepared. Austria are a respected force in European rugby, yet Malta has repeatedly shown that even a small country can achieve big things through hard work and unity.

“I expect the players to give everything and make the Maltese public proud.”

Malta captain Joseph Greaves echoed his coach’s confidence while stressing the importance of remaining composed and disciplined throughout the match.

“We are approaching the game with confidence,” Greaves said.

“We had very good performances against Andorra, Israel and Cyprus, but Austria represent a completely different level of challenge.

“The key for us has been trusting the process and fully buying into the work the coaches have put in. That belief has brought positive results.

“It is easy to focus only on the outcome, whether we win or lose, but our approach has to be taking the game step by step and sticking to our structure. If we do that properly, we give ourselves the best possible chance of getting the result we want.”

Malta squad: R. Apsee, T. Davey, A. Hignett, A. Borg, T. Galdes, S. Camilleri, R. Connolly, N. Azzopardi, M. Davey, L. Watts, H. Perkins, J. Walker, C. Sultana, J.J. Micallef, G. Strickland, B. Scott, J. Greaves, A. Micallef, T. Holloway, C. Schmidt, R. Holloway, K. Gauci, A. Kelly, J. Scholey, R. O’Brien, K. Tippett, C. Dudman, B. Dalton, S. Borg, P. Ioffee, J. Connolly, J. Zammit Randich.