I hope readers of this blog indulge me with a chat about Wales and the forth coming potential Grand slam match as I want to return to an old favourite of mine.
No its not:
1. Chris Ashton
2. Pathetic Sunday rugby killing the game off for generations to come
3. Gavin Henson
4. Percentages of people who wipe their arses standing up
5. Shit attendances for regional rugby
It’s about how lucky Welsh rugby supporters are nowadays.
You see if you were 24 years old and you were going out on the piss on Saturday for shenanigans this would be for your 3 grand slam game since you were 17. In between that even though there has been shit we have had players and teams that have set the world on fire. For many of the Lovechickens especially the West Walian part of the 150 or so members from the ages of about 16 (when we had been drinking properly for 2 years) till we were about 30 – life was pretty shit. No wonder we have such problems with alcohol, it was the only way we could forget our performances. Yes there was the triple crown of 88, the championship of 94 and those beautiful early days of a relationship where we were cockstruck with Graham Henry. Our capitulations were etched in our mind and many a time I would sit in the Claude praying that our boys wouldn’t have been bummed to death or maybe even that they had attempted to make a tackle or God forbid, compete for one of our lineouts, but those prayers remained unfulfilled. Especially in the early 90’s we would look over Offa’s Dyke to watch gits like Underwood, Carling, Ackford, Dooley and Brian Moore strut their stuff. They were class above and we weren’t even in the class below, we were stuck in remedial class playing with play-doh. Even though Barry John or Wales Today do not mention the Welsh team without talking about the great side of the 70’s, it doesn’t matter anymore. It would have been lovely going out on the lash knowing that Wales were going to win…but did they? I only counted 3 grand slams myself in the 70’s and not one win against the All Blacks or South Africa – lets move on because rugby has.
Let’s not kid ourselves this isn’t a Welsh team full of greats however it is a great Welsh team. We haven’t had an easy game which shows what an amazing thing the 6 nations is and how amazing THIS 6 Nations is. Other than the English result last Sunday there haven’t been the surprises of
the past but there really could have been. This Welsh team has played and beaten the team in front of them and they have done it with pride and on occasion, panache. People are moaning that these are a heavy weight backline, yes they are but you see J Davies, Halfpenny and Priestland, all big boys, choosing their angles well, looking for space and looking for the off load. It seems that as soon as Wales opt for brawn in the backs there is something wrong and I
seem to think that Rougerie has been in the game for a while now, Mathieu Bastareud (remember him) was also a bruiser while England has not been obverse to pick the odd Matt banahan or even on Saturday, the svelte, all running, avoiders of contact, Tuilagi and Barritt. We have some bruisers but we have players of skill, if it not for the grafters or our players such as Warburton, Lydiate and Adam Jones then we wouldn’t be in the situation of seeing our big runners just our big tacklers.
It could go either way on Saturday in the real decider. France have the capability to let rip especially with Yachvili to settle the ship but Wales will go into the game undaunted, unbowed and unbroken with a chance to make history, if they do, it is because they have not relied on one
thing as we have had to do in the past. The boot of Stephen Jones or Neil Jenkins, the power of Garin or Gethin Jenkins or the all round phenomenal talent of Shane or Martyn Williams it will be because we have a good team, who know their job and who can excel in it. I look back now and I see a thinner but still extremely handsome me sitting in the Claude pub or Tavistock pub in
Cardiff, or in Oliver’s in Edinburgh or stuck in a stadium in Brisbane as Mike Catt gives us a lesson in shutting out a game, sat next to people who I loved then and most of them, love now and I feel like walking in and saying to him - don’t worry buddy boy – its all going to be ok…………….and stop eating shit or you really are going to be fat.
Enjoy the rugby on Saturday no matter where you are from –
the love of the game keeps us together and separates us from the twats.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
I want to talk about Wales...
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5 comments:
great blog - first time on here. i disagree with you though, this isnt a brilliant Welsh side yet. Cuthbert, North and Priestland are rough diamonds as yet lets see for Cuthbert about seconds season syndrome - ask Ashton! The French are going to win this hands down!
I share that pain from 88 onwards. I do hold rugby league to blame for a lot of that. That 87 side if they had all stayed in union, we would have been good for a generation. Old Carling would not have had a sniff of a princess if he faced bateman each year. Young in his youth would have ripped moore a new one. Need i go on
Bateman! How could i forget the clamp? Thanks mate - i was at Jiffys last game for Wales before his turn to league and that was a loss against Romania - you'd have thought it wouldve been all good from then on...next season - first ever white wash.....
I was about to leave a comment along the lines of "Can you go back to ranting sarcasm please, this serious shit is well boring", but of course you anticipated my every move like Gary Kasparov and threw in that sentimental bit at the end about Brisbane. Bummer.
That made I laugh. I hope that you have the legs to knock the frogs into the long grass but can't help but feel that they are reeling after 'les ros bif' or whatever they say, hung on last week. However, quality lasts but form is temporary and this is quality welsh side.
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