Glory Days

I'm old enough to remember the glory days of Welsh rugby. Those days when the name "Wales" struck fear into the hearts of all the rugby playing nations. We were scared of no-one and there wasn't a team we could not, and did not, beat...not even the mighty All Blacks.

Then things started to go wrong. Very wrong.

We had such a stratospheric team that perhaps no-one thought about what would happen once they all started to retire. There was no-one waiting in the wings to replace them. How do you replace demi-gods? So began the rapid descent from the giddy heights to the rock bottom position we found ourselves in a few years ago when even Italy could beat us...and we were playing at home.

But through all that time we kept heart. Every year we thought "this is it, this year we can do it". It's what you think when you are Welsh and remember the glory days because you can't bring yourself to believe that the fire isn't still burning deep within the dragon. Yet year after year there was disappointment. But we still thought it was a momentary blip because that's what you think when you are Welsh. The pride of the nation rises and falls with the performance of your rugby team and we are a very proud nation indeed. So proud that we simply could not believe that we would not be back at the top again.

And now we are. Thanks to 15 men in their red jerseys. We kept heart and you have repaid us in full. Pride is restored and we salute every single one of you.

You take your rugby very seriously when you are Welsh you know!