1988.
Salman Rushdie published "The Satanic Verses". Michael Keaton spooked us with "Beetlejuice". U2 released the album "Rattle & Hum". And the Welsh rugby team were the bookies' favourites for the Five Nations match with England at Twickenham...
It hasn't happened since. A generation of Wales fans have grown up as fans of the underdogs. It's taken an age for the wheel to turn, but turn it finally has. England will take the field at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday evening, as rank outsiders. Read that last sentence again. Yes, it's true.
Warren Gatland has no problem with being a favourite. It's a mentality he has worked hard to instil in his Welsh charges; and it does indeed seem to be rubbing off. There is no sense coming from within the camp of the discomfiture without. "Bring 'em on" seems to be the mantra. "Gats" has even found time to indulge in the psychological psilly-pseason. His announcement that Wales have decoded England's lineout calls is a masterful piece of nonsense; it can be doubted, derided, even mocked... but it cannot be ignored. Genius?
There's a consensus among pundits that Wales have too much in just about every department. The cold numbers foretell a hefty Welsh win. Those who recall the litany of recent English drubbings of Wales lick their lips at the prospect of long-delayed revenge.
But it can't, and won't, be that easy. England's fitness, skill levels, tactical awareness and strategic direction may be safely questioned. Their sheer bloody-mindedness, however, should never be under-estimated. If eyes are to remain fixed on the prize, then a close, ugly home win in Cardiff must be embraced if required.
"Payback" is simply an optional extra.
Friday, 13 February 2009
Monday, 9 February 2009
Yes, We Have No Banana Skins...
Wales 26-6 (dec.)
Scotland 7 (all out)
Few Welsh dreams played out the Murrayfield game as easily as reality ultimately allowed. Scotland - admittedly handicapped by injury and looney selection - proved far more accommodating hosts than anyone had predicted.
26-13 may look like a contest, but it wasn't. Had the eternally perfect Chris Paterson been kicking goals for Wales instead of Scotland, it would have been 37-5. As it was, the man who has scored all but 20 of Scotland's last six matches' worth of points against Wales, sat on the bench for 30 minutes, waiting for one of his hapless team-mates to injure himself. Once on the field, he led his team to a subsequent parity - in terms of points, at least.
That Wales settled for the hour-mark scoreline will frustrate fans and concern coaches, but there is an argument for keeping powder dry for when the English visit Cardiff on Saturday. On reflection, a solid, professional but unspectacular victory might be just what is needed. It should ensure that the spotlight remains to be shared with Ireland, whose calm dismantling of France has made everyone sit up and take notice. A perfect atmosphere, one suspects, for Gatland & Co. to quietly take care of matters arising this week.
Scotland 7 (all out)
Few Welsh dreams played out the Murrayfield game as easily as reality ultimately allowed. Scotland - admittedly handicapped by injury and looney selection - proved far more accommodating hosts than anyone had predicted.
26-13 may look like a contest, but it wasn't. Had the eternally perfect Chris Paterson been kicking goals for Wales instead of Scotland, it would have been 37-5. As it was, the man who has scored all but 20 of Scotland's last six matches' worth of points against Wales, sat on the bench for 30 minutes, waiting for one of his hapless team-mates to injure himself. Once on the field, he led his team to a subsequent parity - in terms of points, at least.
That Wales settled for the hour-mark scoreline will frustrate fans and concern coaches, but there is an argument for keeping powder dry for when the English visit Cardiff on Saturday. On reflection, a solid, professional but unspectacular victory might be just what is needed. It should ensure that the spotlight remains to be shared with Ireland, whose calm dismantling of France has made everyone sit up and take notice. A perfect atmosphere, one suspects, for Gatland & Co. to quietly take care of matters arising this week.
Friday, 2 January 2009
Little Change
The Scarlets are the latest club to become disillusioned with their bright new stadium. At just over 15,000 capacity, Parc Y Scarlets is not quite so hard to fill as the Liberty Stadium, but they're still getting nowhere near.
The result is a financial headache, and a matchday atmosphere less worthy of the name than the ice-clouds of Enceladus. TV pictures show entire banks of empty seats, while the soundtrack echos with the faint cries of beleagured fans bouncing off them. The impression is hardly one of an unmissable experience, and hence the vicious spiral continues. In the current climate of South Wales, the sofa seems an infinitely preferable option to all but the most masochistically loyal fan.
And yet, there is still no talk of cheaper tickets. The suits have their business models, of course, and if the numbers tell them that (for example) 7000*£16 is better than 14,000*£10, then I for one don't have the economics degree required to argue the point. But it does rather fly in the face of common sense, doesn't it? Of all the things keeping the droves of fans away from the shining new temples of regional rugby, can the lack of change from a "Bobby Moore" really be the least of them?
The result is a financial headache, and a matchday atmosphere less worthy of the name than the ice-clouds of Enceladus. TV pictures show entire banks of empty seats, while the soundtrack echos with the faint cries of beleagured fans bouncing off them. The impression is hardly one of an unmissable experience, and hence the vicious spiral continues. In the current climate of South Wales, the sofa seems an infinitely preferable option to all but the most masochistically loyal fan.
And yet, there is still no talk of cheaper tickets. The suits have their business models, of course, and if the numbers tell them that (for example) 7000*£16 is better than 14,000*£10, then I for one don't have the economics degree required to argue the point. But it does rather fly in the face of common sense, doesn't it? Of all the things keeping the droves of fans away from the shining new temples of regional rugby, can the lack of change from a "Bobby Moore" really be the least of them?
Monday, 22 December 2008
Rumours of Death
A timely reversal of fortunes in the Magners League this weekend, with both the Scarlets and Dragons defying expectations with deserved victories over the Blues and Ospreys respectively... damn their eyes! :-)
So things are competitive in Wales again, and that's got to be healthy. Consolation for the Os came in the form of a losing bonus point, and also in the form of Gavin Henson. Finally able to boast two working ankles, a clear head, a clean disciplinary slate and a mostly, if not completely un-pregnant girlfriend, Gav ran in a casual brace just as a reminder that he's still a dab hand at that Rugby lark.
Mike Phillips was back, too. Things can only get better... right?
So things are competitive in Wales again, and that's got to be healthy. Consolation for the Os came in the form of a losing bonus point, and also in the form of Gavin Henson. Finally able to boast two working ankles, a clear head, a clean disciplinary slate and a mostly, if not completely un-pregnant girlfriend, Gav ran in a casual brace just as a reminder that he's still a dab hand at that Rugby lark.
Mike Phillips was back, too. Things can only get better... right?
Friday, 7 November 2008
History Is Bunk
Just as the wave of hope was cresting, it breaks against this. Yet again, keeping 22 human bodies intact between Tuesday and Saturday, proves beyond the power of Welsh Rugby.
The loss of Henson probably has more psychological impact on the team than anything; Roberts and Shanklin are no mugs. But with Hook on the bench, the Welsh backline suddenly looks a far blunter instrument.
Which is frustrating, because I was going to echo Jerry Guscott's words about how Wales are running out of excuses. Grand Slam champions should be feared on their own turf - regardless of history, no team shoud turn up at the Millennium Stadium and be expected to win, as South Africa widely are.
Ah, but that history... One win in over a century, ten games ago - it's a record that validates all that media skepticism. The recieved wisdom is that - world-class players notwithstanding - we just don't have the bottle.
It's well past time to put that to bed, so excuses be damned. Wales may not be at full-strength tomorrow - no team shorn of the likes Henson, Mike Phillips, Jon Thomas, Huw Bennett and Mark Jones can seriously be called that - but it's no "second string" either, and the visitors have squad issues of their own (and on top of them, they've had the cheek to pick talismanic captain Jon Smit out of position, which seems rather like to picking Superman to drive the Batmobile).
It's still World Champions against European Champions, and Saturday's hosts must live up to that billing. They must prove what we, as their supporters, suspect but perhaps don't quite yet believe - that the spring was not a lonely season, and that this time, Wales are the Real Deal.
The loss of Henson probably has more psychological impact on the team than anything; Roberts and Shanklin are no mugs. But with Hook on the bench, the Welsh backline suddenly looks a far blunter instrument.
Which is frustrating, because I was going to echo Jerry Guscott's words about how Wales are running out of excuses. Grand Slam champions should be feared on their own turf - regardless of history, no team shoud turn up at the Millennium Stadium and be expected to win, as South Africa widely are.
Ah, but that history... One win in over a century, ten games ago - it's a record that validates all that media skepticism. The recieved wisdom is that - world-class players notwithstanding - we just don't have the bottle.
It's well past time to put that to bed, so excuses be damned. Wales may not be at full-strength tomorrow - no team shorn of the likes Henson, Mike Phillips, Jon Thomas, Huw Bennett and Mark Jones can seriously be called that - but it's no "second string" either, and the visitors have squad issues of their own (and on top of them, they've had the cheek to pick talismanic captain Jon Smit out of position, which seems rather like to picking Superman to drive the Batmobile).
It's still World Champions against European Champions, and Saturday's hosts must live up to that billing. They must prove what we, as their supporters, suspect but perhaps don't quite yet believe - that the spring was not a lonely season, and that this time, Wales are the Real Deal.
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Friday, 16 May 2008
A Bit Of Good Ol' Mutual Consent
So, farewell then,
Lyn Jones.
You were
A good laugh
At times.
But it hasn't
Been funny for
Quite a while.
- I.S. Gibbs (63¾)
Lyn Jones.
You were
A good laugh
At times.
But it hasn't
Been funny for
Quite a while.
- I.S. Gibbs (63¾)
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