Sometimes
sport gives me greater satisfaction to comment on than politics, current
affairs or world events. Saturday night was such a time.
Dan Biggar’s
finest hour and Warren Gatland’s Welsh emotions
There has been international
rugby matches between England and Wales since 1881 and remarkably the number of
games won by either country are almost identical. Wales having won 57 and
England 58 with 12 matches drawn. There have been however periods of supremacy
for both countries – Wales in the 1970’s and England 2000-4.
I was born into an obsessive
rugby orientated environment be it at my home, village, school or the
surrounding areas of the Amman and Gwendraeth Valleys. The rivalry on the rugby
field between so many these mining and working class villages was more often
than not fierce and they were high quality second class teams playing in a West
Wales League of some 25 teams. Winning the League or the West Wales Cup was the
pinnacle every season. The same pattern of course existed in the mid-valleys
and the east of Wales.
The best example I can give
of the passion, seriousness and dedication that existed then was that on
Christmas morning Tumble would play the neighbouring village of Pontyberem and
I estimate there would be some two thousand or maybe more watching. I remember
one occasion cycling from my home to Pontyberem as I was playing for Tumble
then – that was a return journey 8-10 miles. Such large attendances were not unusual
at these village matches from Saturday to Saturday.
To give some insight into the
standard of play this is where Barry John, Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies, Phil
Bennett, Derek Quinnell, Terry Price, Ray Gravelle, Delme Thomas, Shane
Williams and dozens of other Welsh internationals developed their playing
skills. In the 1950’s and 60’s the big
teams were Amman United, Felinfoel, Kidwelly, Llandybie, Loughor, Penclawdd, Pontardulais, Pontyberem, Seven
Sisters, Tumble and Cefneithin. I played for the last two and the occasional
first class outing with Llanelli and Maesteg. The first class teams in West
Wales of that era were Aberavon, Llanelli, Neath and Swansea where the rivalry
was immense and crowds of 15,000 – 30,000 would turn up. Sadly the introduction
of the professional era has destroyed those great traditions.
In Wales the game was
essentially based on a working class upbringing and so many of our great
players of that period were miners, steel workers, policemen and teachers. In England
rugby has always been more of a middle or even upper class game and that can
best be illustrated by the educational upbringing of the current English World
Cup squad. More than two-thirds of them attended private boarding schools where
the fees range from £10k to £35K per year. Chris Robshaw, Haskell, Launchbury,
the two Vunipola’s and the Young brothers being in that top category. There has
of course been the odd Welsh example of which Sir Gareth Edwards is one.
The first England versus
Wales game I can recall was in 1951 and it was played at St Helens. In those days I would be sitting round the
kitchen table with my father, uncle and grandfather listening to G V Wynne
Jones or Rex Alston commentating. They were such ebullient and eloquent
commentators you could imagine being there and then straight after the end of
the game I would go on to the field outside the house and relive the game on my
own. By the way if the ball had been punctured and the inner tube of no use I
would stuff the leather ball with grass and hay!
Times have moved on beyond
all recognition and now it is wall to wall television coverage. So it was that
a massive world-wide audience watched a compelling and tantalising game of
rugby Saturday night. The two countries had played each twice before in World
Cup tournaments. Wales’s most successful tournament was the one in 1987 when
they beat Australia in the third place play-off match having defeated England
on the way. Then in 2003 England defeated Wales in the quarter- finals. This
time the game was not in some far and distant land but on British soil, at the
home of rugby and more than ever so much depended on the outcome.
The game didn’t have the
flowing, open and attacking rugby of the period I referred to earlier – there
was no Cliff Morgan, Bleddyn Williams, Barry John, Gerald Davies, Gareth
Edwards or a Jeff Butterfield and David Duckham on the field. The game has
changed beyond all recognition in style, pattern, intensity and physicality.
Defences are so tight and strong, the physical contact and tackling fierce.
Little wonder that there are so many long-term and serious injuries these days.
It is a worrying trend and I do have concerns for the safety of players. These
are massive men in height, weight, strength, speed and fitness levels. Without
question certain aspects of the game will have to be reviewed. So it is that
Wales have six or seven of its top players out of action for up to eight
months.
The game was truly remarkable and either side could have won. In fact England having been 10
points in the lead twice during the match should have won. At half-time it very
much looked like that because they were better at the scrum, lineout, general play
and discipline. But gradually during the second half one could see the change taking
place. Wales improved considerably in discipline, intensity, energy and
consistency. Three of its key players were injured so in that final quarter no
praise is high enough for the adaptability and skill levels of the team.
It is invidious to single out players but Farrell and Dan Biggar were impressive with their kicking,
tackling, determination, courage and consistency. Biggar has played some 36
times for Wales but this was truly his finest hour and it was a masterclass of modern
No10 play.
As the game was coming
towards the end England still held the lead but then came a for me a moment of Deja
vu when Lloyd Williams a No 9 but playing on the wing executed a cross field
kick for Gareth Davies to pick it up at speed and score between the posts. I
had seen something similar in 1953 when Wales played the mighty All Blacks of
the 1950’s. New Zealand was leading then R.C.C. (Clem) Thomas hemmed in on the
touchline and surrounded by All Black players made a speculative cross field
kick for the flying wing Ken Jones to gather a high bouncing ball to score
beneath the posts. I watched the match on a Bush 12” black and white screen at
home - so times have truly changed.
The cross field kick that
was often used in my playing days has to all intents and purposes disappeared
from the game but it should be used more often as should J J Williams’s tactic
of chipping ahead and regathering the ball when hemmed in on the wing. But
modern players are taught to hold on to possession, play to the patterns that
they have been coached rather than play what is in front of them. Having watched
the two cross kicks there is little doubt that Saturday’s was the most skilful.
Lloyd Williams’s kick was not as speculative but deliberate and Gareth Davies’s
pick up of a low rolling ball was excellent – although in slow motion he almost
dropped it!.
A word about the Welsh coach
Warren Gatland. He has not often been my favourite mainly because of his player
selections and the style of play he has been training the team to carry out
over the years. Yet his record does speak for itself. When he was the coach of
Ireland his winning rate was at 47%, with Wales it has been 52% and as British
Lions coach 67%. His emotions and after match reactions yesterday makes me
believe that a lot of the Welsh nation has entered his heart.
Gatland played 17
non-internationals for New Zealand but never won a cap. I read somewhere that he had been a substitute
to the great All Blacks captain and hooker Sean Fitzpatrick some 50 times but
Fitzpatrick was never replaced during any game. Now I don’t know what to make
of that I will leave you to surmise. Just one other ‘tit-bit’ of information
Sean’s middle names are Brian Thomas – a great Welsh second-row forward’s name
to conjure with.
Finally about the great
talking point, Chris Robshaw’s crucial decision not to take the kick at goal in
the dying minutes. I suppose one can argue both ways, personally I would have
chosen to kick but one thing was clear having chosen not to then England had to
score from the ensuing lineout. I am afraid it was all too predictable in its
intent and the throw in to the front of the line was a bad tactical decision.
It made it easier for the Welsh forwards in a concerted and determined move to
push the English forwards into touch.
In life, sport and in
politics I always believe in the former Labour Prime Ministers adage when
talking of current affairs matters ‘a week is a long time’. This World Cup is
not over yet for England and it is not a ‘given’ for Wales either.