Five steps to a place among legends

Mar 18 2008 by Delme Parfitt, South Wales Echo

SIT down, close your eyes, take a deep breath and let the memories come flooding back.

No, it wasn’t a dream, it did really happen.

Yes, the same players that stood heads bowed in humiliation on a field in Nantes last September, were crowned kings of Europe just six months later.

Yes, Warren Gatland and his management team have, in one fell swoop, blown to smithereens the age old weaknesses that have largely kept Wales from world rugby’s top table since the Seventies, those Seventies.

OK, it all happened in 2005 as well – but this was no 2005.

This was no one-off assault based on foundations of sand, achieved in spite of the relationship between the players and coaches rather than because of it.

No, this was the real McCoy based on the granite solidity of a manifestly improved set-piece game, a tigerish approach to collisions and a defence encased in iron.

Youth is on Wales’ side too, with the bulk of this squad expected to be around at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

Take Alun Wyn Jones. The Osprey is just 22, but he operates with a class and maturity way beyond his years.

And he’s just one example.

Other heroes? Almost too many to mention really.

However, amid all the fanfare there are individuals worthy of being singled out.

Shane Williams, judged by his regional Kiwi team-mate Justin Marshall to be the best runner on the planet at present, has seen his stock not so much rise as blast into orbit.

The little man has been the player of the tournament by a street, as deadly as an assassin with the try line beckoning and a defenders’ nightmare in any section of the park with his fizz off the mark and dancing, twinkling toes.

In years to come, who knows, maybe he will be afforded the same first name terms bestowed on the legends of yesteryear like Gerald, Gareth, JJ and JPR?

Martyn Williams? There’s actually very little left to say about the relentlessness of his excellence.

So let’s move on to the revelations that are Gavin Henson and Lee Byrne.

Henson has destroyed the suspicion that there was little substance underneath his changing hairdo and waxed legs by delivering a series of masterclasses in inside-centre play, mixing deft skills with a zest for the big hits.

Byrne has mocked loudly the decision to leave him at home for the World Cup and the tag handed him by Gatland of being the best full-back in the championship was well deserved.

And then there’s the captain.

In assessing the contribution of Ryan Jones it would be careless to focus merely on how his form improved as the tournament grew, to the extent where his go-forward was the very bedrock of the Welsh challenge.

Rather, any proper appraisal must take into account the thunderous leadership qualities he has displayed, a mixture of dignity and quiet confidence off the pitch, and snarling defiance on it.

Something quite peculiar will have happened if Jones is not leading this team into the next World Cup in just under four years time, and he could well have the Lions captaincy on his CV by then as well.

It’s been one hell of a ride these last couple of months.

Wales started with nothing, and they had even less come half-time of the opener against England at Twickenham.

But from then on the momentum was simply stratospheric.

We will all have our favourite moments, images of the 2008 Grand Slam etched in our minds that will flash up time and again for years to come.

I have one above all others.

It is the sight of Shane backing his sumptuous pace in the 51st minute of the victory at Croke Park, handing off Andrew Trimble and diving over for what would prove the match-winning try.

Why is this special to me? Because the score happened during the one match that was supposed to be Gatland’s nemesis, the step too far, the game Wales’ so-called revival would be found out.

Before the Dublin trip, nobody could quite bring themselves to believe that such a transformation was really occurring before our very gaze.

That try, coming as it did after 14 battlers had refused to give an inch while Mike Phillips was in the sin-bin, confirmed that it was.

It was a score that echoed across Wales, it told us that all this was indeed no dream, no fantasy.

So sit down, close your eyes, take a deep breath and let the memories come flooding back.

delme.parfitt@mediawales.co.uk

Wales 30 Scotland 15
UNLIKE against England, Wales went in as heavy favourites – and didn’t disappoint against a struggling Scots side.While the scoreline looks pretty emphatic, Wales were made to work hard for the win, with Shane Williams once again breaking the deadlock with a second half score of brilliant skill and opportunism, even if video replays suggested his foot had scraped the touchline.That knocked the stuffing out of Frank Hadden’s side and it was left to scrum-half Mike Phillips to wax lyrical about Williams in the aftermath.“He must be one of the greatest players to have ever played for Wales,” said Phillips.

Wales: L Byrne; J Roberts, T Shanklin, G Henson, S Williams; J Hook, M Phillips; D Jones, H Bennett, A Jones; I Gough, I Evans; J Thomas, M Williams, R Jones (c).Replacements used: M Rees, G Jenkins, D Jones, G Delve, D Peel, S Jones, S Parker.Scorers: Tries – S Williams (2), J Hook; Cons – Hook (2), S Jones; Pens – J Hook (2), S Jones.Scotland: H Southwell; N Walker, N De Luca, A Henderson, C Paterson; D Parks, M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford, E Murray; N Hines, J Hamilton; J White, K Brown, J Barclay.Replacements used: F Thomson, G Kerr, S Macleod, A Hogg, C Cusiter, G Morrison, S Danielli.Scorers: Pens – C Paterson (5).

Wales 47 Italy 8
THERE were fears that Italy, under new coach Nick Mallett could have one or two nasty surprises in store for Wales.But they were to prove unfounded.The Welsh pack spent the opening half sucking the life out of the Azzurri eight before the entire team turned on the style to record their biggest ever Six Nations win.Lee Byrne and Shane Williams grabbed a brace of tries each, but the key score came from Tom Shanklin early in the second half as he intercepted a hopeful Italian midfield pass to scoot half the field and under the posts.And yet it was Byrne who arguably took the man of the match honours.

Wales: L Byrne; M Jones, T Shanklin, G Henson, S Williams; S Jones, D Peel; G Jenkins, M Rees, R Thomas; I Gough, I Evans; J Thomas, M Williams R Jones (c).Replacements used: H Bennett, Duncan Jones, Deiniol Jones, G Delve, M Phillips, J Hook, S Parker.Scorers: Tries – L Byrne (2), S Williams (2), T Shanklin; Cons – S Jones (3), J Hook (2); Pens – Jones (4)Italy: A Marcato; A Sgarbi, G Canale, M Bergamasco, E Galon; A Masi, S Picone; S Perugini, L Ghiraldini, M Castrogiovanni; S Dellape, C Del Fava; J Sole, M Bergamasco, S Parisse.Replacements used: C Festuccia, A Lo Cicero, M Bortolami, A Zanni, P Travagli, P Buso.Scorers: Try – M Castrogiovanni; Pen – A Marcato.

Wales 29 France 12
Grey skies and rain greeted Wales’ day of destiny – but there was no dampener by the time the action began at 5pm.France bossed spells of the game, but the new physicality and hard defensive edge of the Welsh saw them through yet again.Shane Williams – him again – broke Gareth Thomas’ all-time Wales try scoring record with a deadlock-breaking score on the hour.It was still nervy going into the closing stages with Les Bleus just seven points behind, but Martyn Williams grabbed the most popular touchdown of the tournament in the dying minutes to seal the Grand Slam.

Wales: L Byrne; M Jones, T Shanklin, G Henson, S Williams; J Hook, M Phillips; G Jenkins, H Bennett, A Jones; I Gough, A Wyn Jones; J Thomas, M Williams, R Jones (c)Replacements used: M Rees, Duncan Jones, S Jones, I Evans.Scorers: Tries – S Williams, M Williams; Cons – S Jones (2); Pens – J Hook (3), S Jones (2).France: A Floch; V Clerc, Y Jauzion, D Traille, J Malzieu; D Skrela, J-B Elissalde; F Barcella, D Szarewski, N Mas; L Nallet, J Thion; T Dusautoir, F Ouedraogo, J Bonnaire.Replacements used: W Servat, P Vermeulen, H Poux, D Yachvili, L Trinh-Duc, C Heymans, D Mela.Scorers: Pens – J-B Elissalde (3), D Yachvili.

England 19 Wales 26
IT was 20 years since Wales had won at Twickenham and for all the optimism surrounding Warren Gatland’s appointment, surely the World Cup finalists couldn’t be toppled in their own back yard.It certainly appeared so at half-time as Wales trailed 16-6.But the second half saw England panic and Wales embarked on the most improbable comeback.Tries from Lee Byrne and Mike Phillips gave them the lead and this time they showed they could press it all home, ending the match hammering away at the English line and maintaining possession with ruthless efficiency.

England: I Balshaw; P Sackey, M Tindall, T Flood, D Stettle; J Wilkinson, A Gomarsall; A Sheridan, M Regan, P Vickery (c); S Shaw, S Borthwick; J Haskell, L Moody, L Narraway.Replacements used: L Mears, M Stevens, B Kay, T Rees, D Cipriani, L Vainikolo.Scorers: Try – T Flood; Con – J Wilkinson; Pens – Wilkinson (3); Drop-goal – Wilkinson.Wales: L Byrne; M Jones, S Parker, G Henson, S Williams; J Hook, M Phillips; D Jones, H Bennett, A Jones; I Gough, A Wyn Jones; J Thomas, M Williams, R Jones (c).Replacements used: M Rees, G Jenkins, I Evans, A Popham, T Shanklin.Scorers: Tries – L Byrne, M Phillips; Cons – J Hook (2); Pens – Hook (4).

Ireland 12 Wales 16
SO much of the build up centred on the so-called feud between Warren Gatland and Eddie O’Sullivan, and it was Gatland who laughed last.The clash was billed as the real acid test of the Welsh revival and Wales stood up every time serious questions were asked.After a shaky opening they dominated the game.Yellow cards for Mike Phillips and Martyn Williams threatened to undo their good work, but each time they responded with brilliant possession rugby.The all-important breakthrough came in the 51st minute when Shane Williams cut through the Irish defence to score.

Ireland: R Kearney; S Horgan, B O’Driscoll (c), A Trimble, T Bowe; R O’Gara, E Reddan; M Horan, R Best, J Hayes; D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell; D Leamy, D Wallace, J Heaslip.Replacements used: B Jackman, T Buckley, L Fitzgerald.Scorers: Pens – R O’Gara (4).Wales: L Byrne; M Jones, T Shanklin, G Henson, S Williams; S Jones, M Phillips; G Jenkins, M Rees, A Jones; I Gough, A Wyn Jones; J Thomas, M Williams, R Jones (c).Replacements used: Duncan Jones, G Delve, J Hook.Scorers: Try – S Williams; Con – S Jones; Pens – Jones (2), J Hook.