:00:21. > :00:28.The language of rugby should prepare us for the storm surges of their
:00:29. > :00:36.politics. The choke and hold, the chop tackle, the Blitz. Pain. The
:00:37. > :00:41.game in Wales is as battered as the coastline of Wales. How different
:00:42. > :00:48.this language of commissioners from the tales of resurrection.
:00:49. > :01:10.So, what are we about to hear next? The soaring Symphony of the six
:01:11. > :01:16.Nations. Over a jackhammer self-destruction.
:01:17. > :01:29.It's sweet music prevails, and fevered brows can be sued, --
:01:30. > :01:35.soothed, who will play most sweetly? COMMENTATOR: Sam Robertson storms
:01:36. > :01:52.away! The best genes tend to be French but
:01:53. > :01:55.the Irish of a score to settle. -- have a score to settle. And England
:01:56. > :02:15.have a score to settle. That score. What made Wales saw made England
:02:16. > :02:23.score. Those that wear blue must come to the land of the red. But
:02:24. > :02:28.which read? Paint the town red or the red-faced read of indignation,
:02:29. > :02:35.road rage red, missed red of the gaming crisis. The simple read of
:02:36. > :02:39.Wales, though, for this, three in succession, taken as read.
:02:40. > :02:44.APPLAUSE Good evening and welcome to Scrum V.
:02:45. > :02:51.So can Wales make history and become the first ever side to win three Six
:02:52. > :02:54.Nations titles in a row? Here to help answer that, would you please
:02:55. > :02:59.welcome, Jonathan Davies. Jeremy Guscott. Paul Wallace. And Martyn
:03:00. > :03:06.Williams. APPLAUSE
:03:07. > :03:08.We'll hear from all the guys in a moment.
:03:09. > :03:15.But first a taste of what's coming up. After months of speculation, Sam
:03:16. > :03:22.Robertson commit his future to Wales. He becomes the first player
:03:23. > :03:27.here to sign a central contract. He will lead Wales as they defend their
:03:28. > :03:31.six Nations title, the champions are in no mood to a link which their
:03:32. > :03:35.crime. It's nice to be able to come into a campaign with a single focus,
:03:36. > :03:41.to do something potentially special. Eddie Butler Cross of the
:03:42. > :03:49.Irish Sea to get up close and personal with our Celtic cousins.
:03:50. > :03:54.And they're expecting fireworks. Because of Warren Gatland dropping
:03:55. > :03:58.Rina Duffer commits a fixture every fan will be looking at. And 11
:03:59. > :04:00.months on from the Millennium massacre, the Raging Bull assesses
:04:01. > :04:08.Anglo-Welsh relations. You look across the Welsh team and look at
:04:09. > :04:21.the ability... You know, it's mind blowing, really.
:04:22. > :04:26.History beckons for this Welsh side. The theatre awaits. Let battle
:04:27. > :04:49.commence. It's not about the position in the
:04:50. > :04:53.tournament. It's the way we're going to play in these five matches, but
:04:54. > :04:59.definitely am confident and I think we have the weapons, and are good
:05:00. > :05:11.enough to beat all the teams in this tournament. It's a bit up for grabs.
:05:12. > :05:20.We think we have a side which can win. It's a massive tournament, so
:05:21. > :05:26.while you're excited beyond the cusp of getting started, at the same
:05:27. > :05:32.time, there's nervousness about getting started and how you continue
:05:33. > :05:36.through it. You live it and the more you realise the size of it and how
:05:37. > :05:41.it grows, and the psychology of the nation, all nations, really, but
:05:42. > :05:48.certainly, for England, it's a big tournament for us.
:05:49. > :06:02.Wales, carved themselves. -- can look after themselves. The Welsh,
:06:03. > :06:06.the size and strength and speed of their team, they have won the last
:06:07. > :06:16.26 Nations on merit and they are a big team. -- six Nations. Everyone
:06:17. > :06:21.is motivated to get that three in a row. It's very special. Enormously
:06:22. > :06:24.exciting times. Jonathan, is there anything better to get us through
:06:25. > :06:29.the long cold winter than the six Nations? I'm looking forward to it.
:06:30. > :06:32.A lot of politics in the last few months, so unless they're talking
:06:33. > :06:35.about rugby... We will talk about that in a moment. It's still the
:06:36. > :06:41.greatest tournament in world rugby, isn't it? Yes, it's going to be.
:06:42. > :06:45.Everybody loves it. You get to travel to great places. Sometimes,
:06:46. > :06:47.the skill level of the games aren't where we would like them in
:06:48. > :06:51.comparison to the southern hemisphere. But you can't beat the
:06:52. > :06:56.passion and emotion of the six Nations. The crowd and passion is
:06:57. > :07:01.what makes it both is the envy of the rugby world, isn't it? In the
:07:02. > :07:09.southern hemisphere, you have 95% of the crowd there. The Scots are
:07:10. > :07:14.coming next weekend, a great chance to rub it into your neighbours. When
:07:15. > :07:16.you have the crowds there and two society is coming together for the
:07:17. > :07:23.bits more than just competition. I'm looking forward to it. Wish you were
:07:24. > :07:26.still playing? Yes, as a player, these are the moments you miss. You
:07:27. > :07:33.always want to get your pick fitness for the six Nations. Before we go
:07:34. > :07:36.into the rugby, some big news yesterday. Wales and Lions captain
:07:37. > :07:44.Sam Warburton has signed a central contract with the WRU. It sparked an
:07:45. > :07:52.a lot of debate on social media. It's a good news story, isn't it?
:07:53. > :07:59.Yes, it's good to Welsh rugby. It's opened a can of worms, really,
:08:00. > :08:03.because the region is about to be in agreement for who the centrally
:08:04. > :08:07.contracted player will play? Where will he play? Where will he train?
:08:08. > :08:13.I'm not sure they have talked about that. That's going to be one thing.
:08:14. > :08:17.Because of the relationship between the regions and the union, they
:08:18. > :08:23.should maybe gone, a dual contract, if one player each to each region,
:08:24. > :08:28.maybe Jones, Jonathan Davies, and Sam Robertson, something like that.
:08:29. > :08:35.At the moment, I don't know what to expect, because he's the first one.
:08:36. > :08:40.Who knows what's going to happen? The WRU statement said they intend
:08:41. > :08:46.he will play for the Cardiff blues. The regions of signed an agreement
:08:47. > :08:49.committing themselves. They won't play any centrally contracted
:08:50. > :08:55.players. Where will that leave Sam Robertson? That's my major concern.
:08:56. > :09:01.Like Jonathan said, it's great he to stay in Wales, but what competition
:09:02. > :09:05.will he be in? The Aviva, and then public and the Welsh premiership.
:09:06. > :09:10.It's a dangerous precedent. I think you are on dodgy ground when you are
:09:11. > :09:17.cherry picking players individually. Put yourself in Justin's shoes. What
:09:18. > :09:20.is he thinking today when it comes out of contract next year? There
:09:21. > :09:24.will be a bidding war between the regions and the union, which leaves
:09:25. > :09:29.a difficult place. We have all played rugby to be involved in a
:09:30. > :09:34.team, a team environment, and that's what you miss going in and out of
:09:35. > :09:42.training. Will Sam have one sessions with a conditioning coach? I can't
:09:43. > :09:47.think of anything worse! Apparently, he was left no other option so I
:09:48. > :09:55.feel for him. If he has taken abuse, his integrity is second to none, and
:09:56. > :10:00.that's a shame. Social media allows anyone to express an opinion and he
:10:01. > :10:04.has copped a lot of abuse for this. People say he has betrayed the
:10:05. > :10:10.Cardiff blues. He has immense integrity. An extremely gifted
:10:11. > :10:16.player. For people to attack him, to disgrace, is it not? It's hugely
:10:17. > :10:21.wrong and totally out of order. As usual, these people don't set to his
:10:22. > :10:28.face. They hide behind social media. I'm sure, this is abuse at an
:10:29. > :10:34.extreme level, and I'm sure he will just kind of set and block it out.
:10:35. > :10:39.He is mature enough to understand what to do. It's a strange situation
:10:40. > :10:43.but he has done it. In Welsh rugby, it is history in the making. But I
:10:44. > :10:48.agree with what the other players will think if they're not chosen to
:10:49. > :10:53.get the central contract? Very dangerous, but we will see. From the
:10:54. > :10:57.outside, as a nameless man, you hope the regions and the WRU get it
:10:58. > :11:02.together because everybody will go, why didn't they do that in the first
:11:03. > :11:09.place when it's all sorted out? You are used to central contracts in
:11:10. > :11:13.Ireland. That's the way things work. Do you find it bizarre that the
:11:14. > :11:15.situation in Wales, where it seems as though the regions and the union
:11:16. > :11:20.are competing with each other for these players are signatures? In
:11:21. > :11:25.Ireland, we have the four provinces and they all fed into the RFU,
:11:26. > :11:30.basically representing the four provinces. I can't understand why
:11:31. > :11:32.the WRU isn't an amalgamation of representing all the regions, which
:11:33. > :11:37.should be so, for me, everybody should be working in the same way.
:11:38. > :11:42.It seems to be personality clashes which have gone on, and I don't have
:11:43. > :11:49.a real inside track on what is happening here. It should be worked
:11:50. > :11:54.out that what's good for the provinces should be good for the
:11:55. > :12:00.WRU. I know whether national side doing well, the problems it has, and
:12:01. > :12:03.Ireland has been opposite. You back the provinces more than the national
:12:04. > :12:08.side. They need to get the right personnel together in both sides.
:12:09. > :12:11.They have got to work something out because someone like Sam Warburton
:12:12. > :12:16.shouldn't be put in that situation. He's doing it for the good of Welsh
:12:17. > :12:19.rugby. It shows great leadership he's taken a position to make sure
:12:20. > :12:24.he stays in Wales. That's what's happening off the pitch. But there's
:12:25. > :12:26.the small matter of a Six Nations on the horizion. Let's get the view
:12:27. > :12:52.from inside the camp. For us, it's nice to be able to come
:12:53. > :12:55.into a campaign with a single focus and a single focus is to do
:12:56. > :12:59.something potentially special. It's nice to have that focus right from
:13:00. > :13:05.the start. There's a huge amount of excitement at the moment and a huge
:13:06. > :13:08.amount of motivation. Sean said this in a team meeting earlier this week,
:13:09. > :13:12.setting the scene, saying, if we did win three championships in a row, we
:13:13. > :13:19.would be the best six Nations team ever. We will be part of the
:13:20. > :13:23.greatest team ever, over 100 years of history. That's a massive thing
:13:24. > :13:27.to achieve. You know it is there, so you would be lying if you said it
:13:28. > :13:33.wasn't something you are thinking about. The focus, we have to make
:13:34. > :13:40.sure it's on each game and can't lose track of that. I don't care if
:13:41. > :13:47.we win each Game 3-0. We just want to get into the championship. We
:13:48. > :13:53.will make every effort to do that. Italy in Cardiff, is the best start?
:13:54. > :13:56.It would be great. If you can get a victory against Italy, get the ball
:13:57. > :14:01.rolling, the first game of the campaign, we have been slower than
:14:02. > :14:09.we would have liked. We want to head the round -- ground running. If we
:14:10. > :14:15.get caught up in what's going on behind-the-scenes, the distractions
:14:16. > :14:20.of the so-called dispute between the region and the unions, mentally it's
:14:21. > :14:26.going to not put us in a good place, so it's something we spoke about on
:14:27. > :14:29.the first day. And I don't anticipate as speaking about it at
:14:30. > :14:34.all for the remains of the tournament. One of the things I've
:14:35. > :14:37.always found fantastic about this Welsh players, is how motivated they
:14:38. > :14:41.are to put their jersey on and they want to play particularly at the
:14:42. > :14:46.millennium Stadium and, for me, it's always a big boost. It makes my job
:14:47. > :14:51.easy, as well. There's never any lack of commitment or that desire
:14:52. > :14:52.for the players to do well. And represent Wales and do the nation
:14:53. > :15:05.proud. It is certainly a confident camp. We
:15:06. > :15:12.have been assessing whether they can walk the walk.
:15:13. > :15:17.This has been one of Wales' most successful eras. Wales can boast an
:15:18. > :15:23.impressive record with three titles, including two grand slams.
:15:24. > :15:25.So why have they been so successful? The powerful threat of George North
:15:26. > :15:37.and the aggressive ball carrying of Mike Phillips, the injection of Alex
:15:38. > :15:41.Cuthbert for important tries and the goal-kicking assurance of the Lions
:15:42. > :15:46.man of the series, Leigh Halfpenny. But this is what has really made
:15:47. > :15:53.Wales successful, the pattern of play. They like to launch George
:15:54. > :15:54.North, Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies from first phase across the
:15:55. > :16:05.gain line. Next, they have forwards carrying
:16:06. > :16:12.the ball. And then it is cutting the defensive line to try and expose the
:16:13. > :16:17.backs. This is where the stealth comes in. Alex Cuthbert and George
:16:18. > :16:22.North waiting to cut through any exposed weaknesses the defence may
:16:23. > :16:27.have. But Wales need to be careful. In the autumn series when up against
:16:28. > :16:31.the big guns, there were some potential weaknesses in the pattern
:16:32. > :16:34.of play. Will England and France look to match the physicality Wales
:16:35. > :16:46.have on the gain line? The Springboks in the autumn certainly
:16:47. > :16:51.did. You rarely see Wales' forward carriers passing the ball. If Alun
:16:52. > :16:56.Wyn Jones just tips the ball onto Bradley Davies, he has a chance to
:16:57. > :17:00.run at the South African Number ten but he gets manhandled instead. And
:17:01. > :17:06.what is plan B? When the pattern does not work, Mike Phillips starts
:17:07. > :17:12.to carry, what do they do next? They often lose their shape. We can see
:17:13. > :17:18.14 Wales players in a short area and the defensive line is organised.
:17:19. > :17:24.Will Ireland, France, Italy, Scotland, England have the smartness
:17:25. > :17:29.of the Australians? They hold up the big ball-carriers. We have seen
:17:30. > :17:36.Ireland doing this. And will Chris Robertshaw and cold take a leaf out
:17:37. > :17:42.of my Cooper 's book. Stealing the ball and creating quick ball to
:17:43. > :17:49.attack from. My question tonight is the Wales need to adapt style or
:17:50. > :18:02.will it be the seem again? Do Wales need to evolve to keep
:18:03. > :18:06.winning? They will be exactly the same way. We had been playing this
:18:07. > :18:13.-- saying this since Warren Gatland came on board. It has not changed
:18:14. > :18:18.since he was the coach of Wasps. It is all about physicality and
:18:19. > :18:23.discipline. It is all well and good knowing what is coming but unable to
:18:24. > :18:27.stop it is another thing. Over the last four or five years, the other
:18:28. > :18:30.Six Nations sides have struggled with that. It will be much the same
:18:31. > :18:35.players. We still have Leigh Halfpenny kicking the goals. I think
:18:36. > :18:38.they need to change things to beat the seven M is the size but to beat
:18:39. > :18:44.the Six Nations teams, I think it will be exactly the same -- southern
:18:45. > :18:55.hemisphere sides. Do you prefer knowing what is
:18:56. > :18:59.coming? Is a game plan that went all the way back to Ireland when I was
:19:00. > :19:03.playing under him. If you can stop Wales at the gain line, knock them
:19:04. > :19:08.back, windy conditions, you can stop the Welsh machine. One area they
:19:09. > :19:14.need to improve is some of the decision-making. But the other thing
:19:15. > :19:19.is up front as well. I think the front five, Adam Jones is such an
:19:20. > :19:26.important player. When he does not say, that is when Wales struggle
:19:27. > :19:33.upfront. That is an important area to target. It is the collisions that
:19:34. > :19:37.we have been worried about. I think Wales have an affair, enough
:19:38. > :19:54.firepower to steam over every team and a bit more finesse and they will
:19:55. > :19:57.be tough to beat. Rugby is all about winning. If you win the game playing
:19:58. > :20:04.a style in which you do, you are used to it, carry on doing it. Wales
:20:05. > :20:10.competing contestable kicks has not been great. If they do that correct,
:20:11. > :20:14.they will get even more territory. Leigh Halfpenny will knock them
:20:15. > :20:19.over. As irresistible as it is, you know what is coming, to stop it is
:20:20. > :20:25.very difficult. I like it, I would not change it. If you look at New
:20:26. > :20:30.Zealand and South Africa, they have a plan a and a plan B. Especially
:20:31. > :20:33.New Zealand. But is why they are the best in the world. We did the
:20:34. > :20:38.analysis after the South African game and I spoke to Robert Howley
:20:39. > :20:43.and they encourage them to play with headset. They just need a little
:20:44. > :20:48.pass. Attacking the stand-off. I think they can improve just buy one
:20:49. > :20:53.little pass again. Looking up, seeing what is in front of them.
:20:54. > :20:57.They do not have to bash it all the time. The World Cup is in a couple
:20:58. > :21:03.of years and if we are going to be G-7 hemisphere, now is the time to
:21:04. > :21:05.add those little things. -- if we are going to be the southern
:21:06. > :21:19.hemisphere. It is a golden generation of backs.
:21:20. > :21:22.Add to that, Jonathan Davies, he has a little bit of X factor. You know
:21:23. > :21:28.what is coming from Jamie Roberts. You know what Alex Cuthbert is
:21:29. > :21:31.doing. If you add a couple of extra passes, Leigh Halfpenny, changing
:21:32. > :21:42.direction, he can see everything from the back, there is a little bit
:21:43. > :21:45.more there. They have a lot of confidence from the Lions tour. I
:21:46. > :21:52.think now they are capable of playing a lot wetter by just
:21:53. > :21:58.adapting -- a lot better. Leigh Halfpenny can do more attacking
:21:59. > :22:04.wise. Using George North and Alex Cuthbert a bit more. They are
:22:05. > :22:08.absolutely terrible to stop. And then that little pass with the
:22:09. > :22:17.forwards. If they are going over the gain line. There is no plan B. Play
:22:18. > :22:22.to what you have got. That's where they do not have the -- that is
:22:23. > :22:26.where they do have the advantage over the other nations. England do
:22:27. > :22:30.not exactly know what they are doing. We saved every year about
:22:31. > :22:44.France. Bash we say it every year. The outside defence can get broken
:22:45. > :22:55.up quite a bit. I think that is one area they need to work on. They can
:22:56. > :23:01.create space, taking people out of line. A lot of Welsh players and
:23:02. > :23:09.Irish players on that Lions tour. Will fatigue come into this? I am
:23:10. > :23:16.not so sure. France have one every Six Nations post the Lions in the
:23:17. > :23:23.professional era. I do not think they will be tired. A lot of them
:23:24. > :23:28.have had breaks, some injuries, which can be a blessing in disguise.
:23:29. > :23:31.The conditioning staff and the management team knowing that the
:23:32. > :23:38.what it takes to get the boys in peak condition. The under 20s kick
:23:39. > :23:42.off their campaign next Friday against Italy. We will have action
:23:43. > :23:52.from that game and we will be following the women as well.
:23:53. > :23:59.The under 20s not only reached the World Cup finals after beating the
:24:00. > :24:04.likes of South Africa and Argentina, but won their first 46-nation
:24:05. > :24:08.matches before being picked up the post by series winners England. This
:24:09. > :24:13.year 's squad certainly have a tough act to follow. We have a lot of new
:24:14. > :24:20.boys coming up. It is a challenge for them also. It is a totally
:24:21. > :24:29.different game to underage teens. Far more intense. -- under 18 's. We
:24:30. > :24:39.have got to set our sights on success at the end of the day. It is
:24:40. > :24:44.vitally important we win our first game. It is crucial for us to build
:24:45. > :24:49.any type of momentum into the next game, which is a tough game against
:24:50. > :24:56.Ireland away. And that all-important first encounter will be played at
:24:57. > :24:59.Colwyn Bay against Italy. It will be the third year we have been there.
:25:00. > :25:03.Most of the games we have played, we have been successful there. The
:25:04. > :25:11.facilities are there are fantastic. It is a great thing. The support
:25:12. > :25:17.there is one of the best I have ever experienced. It is -- there is
:25:18. > :25:27.nothing more than I like family good singsong. I love it. -- than a good
:25:28. > :25:35.singsong. What can we expect from the women? With seven new players in
:25:36. > :25:39.the squad, is the pressure on? Last year, we came really close at home
:25:40. > :25:44.with inland and Ireland, only losing by a couple of points. Those are two
:25:45. > :25:49.games that we have a way this year. They will be massive games. We want
:25:50. > :25:53.to prove a point but also the home games, France at home, it will be
:25:54. > :26:00.very interesting. They are in our World Cup group later on in the
:26:01. > :26:07.year. The ladies are in Aberavon. This first match against Italy is a
:26:08. > :26:10.must win. The first game at home is very important. It is important to
:26:11. > :26:22.get off to a good start. They were very strong out in Italy last year.
:26:23. > :26:28.That match kicks off at 1pm. We will show you the highlights. But before
:26:29. > :26:30.that, next Friday, we will be in Colwyn Bay for the under 20s opening
:26:31. > :26:41.Six Nations encounter. Arguably Wales' biggest game this
:26:42. > :26:55.year is the Ireland match. There are more than a few scores to settle.
:26:56. > :26:58.March 13, 1914, it is the eve of Wales' last international match
:26:59. > :27:08.before the outbreak of the First World War. Ireland away. A Friday
:27:09. > :27:18.evening in Belfast, the Welsh captain takes his team for a quiet
:27:19. > :27:22.night out. It is showtime. The Welsh forwards are all sitting
:27:23. > :27:35.comfortably, unchanged throughout the championship, they are a hard
:27:36. > :27:39.lot. Scotland have been hammered in Cardiff, the Scottish captain has
:27:40. > :27:48.said the dirty team one. France have been smashed. This pack is already
:27:49. > :27:52.known as the terrible eight. Here they are, ready for the show, when
:27:53. > :27:59.into the theatre steps Belfast boy and Irish pack leader Billy Tyrrell
:28:00. > :28:04.and some of the Irish lads. They too have heard of the terrible eight.
:28:05. > :28:11.Where is this Percy Jones, says Billy Tyrrell. It is you want me for
:28:12. > :28:22.it tomorrow. Says Jones, I will be with you, doing the best I can. Can
:28:23. > :28:26.anyone join in? I will be with you. There may be a scuffle right here
:28:27. > :28:30.and now, the police may or may not have been called. But what has
:28:31. > :28:40.happened in the theatre is the stage has been set. The match takes place
:28:41. > :28:46.the next day, at the Balmoral Showgrounds. It is raining, the
:28:47. > :28:55.pitches a swamp and yet, it lives up to its billing. Jones is hit with a
:28:56. > :29:02.punch that licks his -- but makes his head rattle. Wales retaliate.
:29:03. > :29:07.Forward on forward. On the ball, off the ball, everybody involved. The
:29:08. > :29:17.Scottish referee just letting them get on with it. Wales scored three
:29:18. > :29:25.tries. They win 11-3. But the feud, it's immediately forgotten. Percy
:29:26. > :29:26.Jones is told, you are the finest Welshman I've ever come across, the
:29:27. > :29:44.only man ever to beat me. Alvin Davis is soon on the ward
:29:45. > :29:50.service. A doctor in the Royal Army medical Corps. Others go off to war,
:29:51. > :30:03.too. Thy Watts will be killed in action in France in 1916.
:30:04. > :30:17.37 years after the grudge match of 1914, the president of the Irish
:30:18. > :30:21.Rugby football union, sits down next to Percy Jones, now a hotelier. Two
:30:22. > :30:31.old friends watching Wales play Ireland. And so, too, today, 100
:30:32. > :30:36.years on from 1914, there is so much which is different. Ireland will
:30:37. > :30:39.play Wales not in Belfast but here in Dublin. Professional players one
:30:40. > :30:43.and all. There is still the odd doctor in the game. Not so many
:30:44. > :30:51.reverends. But there is still a grudge. A nation was scorned, they
:30:52. > :30:56.want revenge on Warren Gatland particular, and Wales. A lot of
:30:57. > :31:00.Irish people have enormous respect for Warren Gatland. That has been
:31:01. > :31:09.tarnished in recent months. Dropping Brian O'Driscoll, our Barry Jones
:31:10. > :31:13.and JP are all rolled into one, so for him to be discarded for one of
:31:14. > :31:19.the crowning glories of his career, rankles here. There's always been a
:31:20. > :31:23.frisson in this fixture and this has added to it. He's never been dropped
:31:24. > :31:27.in his career and the whole nation wanted to see him bow out, his
:31:28. > :31:34.fourth tour, on the pitch. As a winner. That rivalry between Ireland
:31:35. > :31:38.and Wales, is going to continue for a long time, and nobody is going to
:31:39. > :31:43.take one single step back and everything that has happened before,
:31:44. > :31:48.the drop goals, the grand slams, the triple Crowns, they are all going to
:31:49. > :31:54.be in their memories. No doubt about it. It's been so close, the Irish
:31:55. > :32:00.and Welsh affairs over the last few years. It comes down to a few
:32:01. > :32:05.points. The niggles are there and you have two get on with it. The
:32:06. > :32:10.Mike Phillips try, I think most of all, it's just familiarity breeds
:32:11. > :32:15.contempt as well as respect sometimes. There's still a bit of
:32:16. > :32:20.resentment in Ireland for that we love having a chip on our shoulder,
:32:21. > :32:25.and we will get every bit we can out of that. There needs to be focus and
:32:26. > :32:29.discipline as well as rage. Ireland and Wales has been an eliminator,
:32:30. > :32:36.whoever wins takes on England and France. It's been that rivalry for
:32:37. > :32:39.years. Primarily because Warren Gatland dropping Brian O'Driscoll
:32:40. > :32:44.for the third test, it's the fixture every Irish rugby fan has their eye
:32:45. > :32:47.on. The grudge match of 1914 was settled with a good old-fashioned
:32:48. > :32:53.punch-up. That can't happen now full in fact, the modern version of the
:32:54. > :32:57.game will be decided by who keeps a cool head out there, and this whole
:32:58. > :33:04.place is bouncing to the frenzy of the new feud.
:33:05. > :33:11.We have to confront this head-on. Does every Irish rugby supporter
:33:12. > :33:15.have a voodoo doll of Warren Gatland? I don't think so. I
:33:16. > :33:21.would've picked Brian at a school for his defence in the events but
:33:22. > :33:26.Jonathan Davies was playing better rugby, I thought, myself, and the
:33:27. > :33:29.way he played in the third test, you have got to put away what other
:33:30. > :33:33.colleges are you are, whatever nation you are once the Lions win
:33:34. > :33:40.the series. By and large, most people will have taken it with a
:33:41. > :33:46.pinch of salt. It's a great way to use it, anything we have, we will do
:33:47. > :33:54.that. The way Ireland play in November, you need some rage. You
:33:55. > :33:58.need a chip on your shoulder. It used to be England was the side we
:33:59. > :34:02.always look that, the one we want to take, but now Wales are the team.
:34:03. > :34:05.They have won the last two championships. They are the team of
:34:06. > :34:11.the tournament and these are big dogs, and this is going to the game
:34:12. > :34:15.of the tournament to win. Possibly the most measured response from an
:34:16. > :34:24.Irish man I've heard. As a player, do you pay any attention to the
:34:25. > :34:29.media? Does it rile you up? Yes, of course it does. We also the right
:34:30. > :34:33.things leading up to it, focusing on the game, what's in the past is on
:34:34. > :34:38.the past, but that's why we love sport for that we love the
:34:39. > :34:42.rivalries. When you become the greatest in the world like Brian
:34:43. > :34:47.O'Driscoll, you want to prove people wrong. Jamie he slipped feels hard
:34:48. > :34:55.done by. I know the guys off the field get on really well. The
:34:56. > :34:59.English, Irish, Welsh boys. It's built up over the last six years
:35:00. > :35:03.since Warren Gatland said the Welsh boys just like the Irish more than
:35:04. > :35:07.the English. It stirred it all up. I think it's great to have the hype
:35:08. > :35:12.going into the game. We don't need to build up any more. Ireland,
:35:13. > :35:16.fourth favourites according to the bookies. They have three provinces
:35:17. > :35:19.in the courts of Europe, came within a whisker of beating the All Blacks
:35:20. > :35:25.in the autumn. They are genuine title contenders, aren't they? You
:35:26. > :35:31.would think so. Three home games with the championship but what every
:35:32. > :35:35.coach has struggled with Ireland, is getting Ulster, Munster and Leinster
:35:36. > :35:42.to act as one. We've only seen it once in 2009. Joe Schmidt seems to
:35:43. > :35:47.be the guy to put together. I'm so there will be as much chat about the
:35:48. > :35:55.O'Driscoll game, and why he wasn't included, if another player gets in
:35:56. > :35:59.there. On Brian O'Driscoll, as last season. A legend of world rugby.
:36:00. > :36:02.What a great swansong it would be a Jonathan Davies got back fit and
:36:03. > :36:09.there was a personal deal between those two. Yes, that's what you want
:36:10. > :36:17.to see, two best players in the northern hemisphere playing against
:36:18. > :36:21.each other. The press really stirred up during that week. We will have a
:36:22. > :36:28.crack as well. We will go over on Friday night and get stuck in in
:36:29. > :36:33.Dublin. I think, if Wales win that game, they will win a championship.
:36:34. > :36:38.That game is so important. It is massive for the Welsh, going over
:36:39. > :36:42.there with all the fuss, O'Driscoll and everything going on. It's not
:36:43. > :36:48.going to be easy. LAUGHTER
:36:49. > :37:00.APPLAUSE I just think it is The game.
:37:01. > :37:07.England have got France. That's their game. France... We will talk
:37:08. > :37:12.about England in a moment. Sean O'Brien falls there's a slim chance
:37:13. > :37:16.Jonathan Davies could be back. Sean O'Brien is a big injury miss for
:37:17. > :37:21.Ireland. How much will you miss them? Who might replace him? I think
:37:22. > :37:26.of all the players in the Irish squad. The way we play, he is the
:37:27. > :37:30.one we will miss the most. O Brien, for what he does, he is a big
:37:31. > :37:35.physical ball-carrier. Jo Schmidt likes to play a wide passing game
:37:36. > :37:39.and they have got some good passes of the ball. If you don't go wide,
:37:40. > :37:45.you don't do that. That is where O Brien will be missed for the Chris
:37:46. > :37:50.Henry will come in. For me, I would go for Tommy O'Donnell, who is back
:37:51. > :37:55.to fitness. He is more dynamic and can carry the ball more. Healy
:37:56. > :38:00.coming back, as well. He will be important. We don't have enough big
:38:01. > :38:06.ball-carrier is to bring tackles close enough. We have good guys out
:38:07. > :38:11.wide and that's the big thing. As you mentioned early, winning those
:38:12. > :38:15.collisions, O Brien was our man. His abilities were very important. His
:38:16. > :38:19.size, and the way he can just stay down, very hard to move, so he will
:38:20. > :38:23.be missed. Well, before we get to Ireland, Wales will begin their
:38:24. > :38:29.campaign against Italy. It will be the first of Wales' three home games
:38:30. > :38:32.against the teams in blue. One of the things which struck me about
:38:33. > :38:35.this year 's six Nations championship is the levels of
:38:36. > :38:39.experience of the coaches. Ironically, with their current
:38:40. > :38:47.teams, they have relative inexperience. But Warren Gatland has
:38:48. > :38:51.the most experience of the maul and with unprecedented success, so what
:38:52. > :38:57.about the men at ten? It's not just Wales who have to make a decision.
:38:58. > :39:02.Italy had this man, informed. They also have Alan. Last seen in a
:39:03. > :39:07.Scotland shirt for the under 20s. He could be the man to take the number
:39:08. > :39:11.ten shirt. For France, there is a freshness about the number ten
:39:12. > :39:17.selections. They have huge responsibilities on their
:39:18. > :39:26.shoulders. And for Scotland, big decision to go with the pragmatic
:39:27. > :39:30.Duncan Weir, or Rory Jackson. So let's take a closer look at the
:39:31. > :39:38.Italians. It's not quite a dad 's Army but they have an ageing squad.
:39:39. > :39:42.They have the highest average age in this year 's six Nations
:39:43. > :39:45.championship. What is their form like? Well, in the autumn
:39:46. > :39:51.internationals, they lost all three of their games, conceding on average
:39:52. > :39:54.33 points per game. Wales have won the last three encounters of the
:39:55. > :39:56.millennium Stadium, scoring ten tries in all ten of the millennium
:39:57. > :39:59.Stadium, scoring ten tries and Alltel accompanist prolific
:40:00. > :40:04.backline. And so do the French, different story. They have won five
:40:05. > :40:08.out of the last seven visits to the millennium Stadium. But they are
:40:09. > :40:11.missing a raft of key players. And the one player they're going to miss
:40:12. > :40:22.the most, their captain and callous man, Thierry Dusatoir. -- talisman.
:40:23. > :40:26.And so to Scotland. They have a disastrous record against Wales in
:40:27. > :40:30.Cardiff also losing on the last six occasions that they have travelled.
:40:31. > :40:35.But they have two very familiar faces this time. Scott Johnson and
:40:36. > :40:39.Jonathan Humphreys. They know Wales inside out. They will go this year
:40:40. > :40:45.for the big ball carrying back row with the likes of Denton, Johnnie
:40:46. > :40:48.Beattie, and Ryan Wilson. They also have one of the most important and
:40:49. > :40:54.dangerous back three in the championship. The powerful Sean
:40:55. > :40:59.Lamont and Stuart Hall, who can score from anywhere on the field. I
:41:00. > :41:08.wonder if it will be done to Scotland to spoil Wales's party?
:41:09. > :41:12.John Humphrys won't bankers for that slow motion shot of him beating a
:41:13. > :41:18.wine gum but we said we will put it in -- thank us. They came third last
:41:19. > :41:21.week. Will Scotland be a threat this year? I don't think they will win
:41:22. > :41:26.the tournament, no. They have a decent pack, good back row, good
:41:27. > :41:33.back three, and I know John O likes to play an expansive game. There
:41:34. > :41:39.halfbacks, no creativity. Wales physically dominated them at
:41:40. > :41:44.Murrayfield. They may sneak an upset in Murrayfield. But I ready can't
:41:45. > :41:48.see them as contenders. Your first opponent in Dublin. A team you would
:41:49. > :41:55.fear? The Scots and the Irish, we have slipped up many times, being
:41:56. > :41:58.favourite against Scotland. They are a side that are very difficult
:41:59. > :42:04.opponents, especially in wet conditions. They can play the old
:42:05. > :42:08.traditional gamer. Their line-out is excellent. I do think they are
:42:09. > :42:15.missing a couple of areas, control and familiarity in the backline as
:42:16. > :42:21.well, it's not there. Held is a great attacking player full stop
:42:22. > :42:24.it'll be the issue for Ireland. They need to hit the ground running
:42:25. > :42:29.because I think Scotland will think it's one they can take. In the last
:42:30. > :42:34.27 games they played away from them, they've only won two games.
:42:35. > :42:40.Brilliant statistics. LAUGHTER
:42:41. > :42:43.It's a team you're not going to fear because they can't run away from
:42:44. > :42:50.home. The thing is, they don't score enough tries. A great back three,
:42:51. > :42:52.right, that they don't create another opportunities and their
:42:53. > :43:01.basic skills, when the opportunity comes, it's not there. If they don't
:43:02. > :43:06.fix that, they won't win games. Their pack is good. The halfbacks,
:43:07. > :43:10.ball-carriers, but when the opportunities come, if they don't
:43:11. > :43:12.score enough tries, they don't put themselves in a position to win
:43:13. > :43:17.matches, and that is their problem. Their basic skills, clinical, once
:43:18. > :43:22.or twice in the game, it doesn't happen, and that's why they don't
:43:23. > :43:29.win. What about France? They always seem to cash in after a Lions tour.
:43:30. > :43:35.They are the wooden spoon holders. Nervous about that? No, the last
:43:36. > :43:39.couple of games England played against them, home and away, they
:43:40. > :43:49.have one. Good tries by Tom, Ben Foden, and Tuilagi. The England pack
:43:50. > :43:53.has the measure of most sides. They are competitive, very competitive.
:43:54. > :43:59.Owen Farrell can knock over penalties. I'm looking forward to
:44:00. > :44:05.seeing the new centre partnership. Burrell is over six foot. I don't
:44:06. > :44:08.think if I was an England team, I would be fearing too much the French
:44:09. > :44:18.because they are in turmoil themselves. The French have a
:44:19. > :44:31.chance. They have had a shocker. They have had some very young fly
:44:32. > :44:40.halves. They always have a general at number nine. At the Number ten
:44:41. > :44:43.should be the general. They will probably put the best centre in the
:44:44. > :44:57.world on the wing. If he picks the right side, they will be good. They
:44:58. > :45:03.have injuries. The best players are coming in and that will help them.
:45:04. > :45:13.It is a problem in club rugby in France, they don't have a Number
:45:14. > :45:21.ten. Thierry Dusatoir is very
:45:22. > :45:35.influential. I wanted to ask you about Italy.
:45:36. > :45:45.Yes, Parisse is unbelievable. Very physical. It is very difficult to
:45:46. > :45:47.pick him up. He is their key man. He did not play against us last year
:45:48. > :45:54.and they struggled. That is the problem. We are always focusing on
:45:55. > :45:58.Parisse. When is someone ask when to come along? We know what he does.
:45:59. > :46:02.But he cannot win the game on his own.
:46:03. > :46:08.Very briefly, Italy, should we take that as a given? Yes.
:46:09. > :46:13.We face England in round four this year. I do not need to remind you
:46:14. > :46:19.that they came down the M4 last year in search of a Grand Slam. It did
:46:20. > :46:25.not pan out as they expected. I do not need to remind Jerry that.
:46:26. > :46:31.Last year, I adopted England and as something of an expert on them, I
:46:32. > :46:44.have been sent over the border to meet an England legend and an old
:46:45. > :46:54.friend of the programme. How are we doing?
:46:55. > :47:04.Lovely to see you on home turf. Last time I saw you, you were in Cardiff.
:47:05. > :47:10.You were very generous to us in the wake of that result last year. I
:47:11. > :47:14.think I am a generous bloke anyway. But when I came down on the show, I
:47:15. > :47:21.know, what was interesting when I arrived, thank you, thank you so
:47:22. > :47:27.much for coming. Did you think I was not when to come because of the
:47:28. > :47:32.result? But genuinely, I grew up watching the Six Nations and it is
:47:33. > :47:37.such a fantastic competition. Having played in it, I had been on the end
:47:38. > :47:42.of some bad ones. I have been on the end of some good ones. But being
:47:43. > :47:50.there that day, fancy dress, you could feel the atmosphere, and as
:47:51. > :47:53.the game was building up, one of my favourite places, the greatest place
:47:54. > :48:00.for me to play, it is Cardiff, the Millennium Stadium. You get all that
:48:01. > :48:05.spirit, all that emotion just pouring out of the city centre. It
:48:06. > :48:16.comes in through the turnstiles and that stadium just comes alive. As an
:48:17. > :48:19.advert for Six Nations rugby, northern hemisphere rugby, I do not
:48:20. > :48:30.think I have ever seen or been to a better game. The Welsh National
:48:31. > :48:36.Mining firm is just phenomenal. The way it is sung. -- the Welsh anthem.
:48:37. > :48:42.It was just a privilege to have been part of it. And yes, my England were
:48:43. > :48:47.on the end of it but as a spectacle, the play, the intensity, the
:48:48. > :48:56.physicality, I remember one incident, Richard Hibbard, he hit
:48:57. > :49:02.somebody, I just remember thinking, people say, I bet you wish you were
:49:03. > :49:07.still playing, I do not. Thank you very much.
:49:08. > :49:15.After 20 or 30 minutes, you get a feeling. Things were going quiet.
:49:16. > :49:22.And quieter. And then you could see England getting smaller and you
:49:23. > :49:27.could see that Welsh Dragon. If you had two bottles something up and
:49:28. > :49:38.give a presentation to say what is rugby, there you go. Take a DVD of
:49:39. > :49:41.that. It is the highlight of the calendar. We mentioned the
:49:42. > :49:45.importance of the stadium. It is at Twickenham. Is it as big a factor,
:49:46. > :49:53.the Twickenham factor, for the English? If this Welsh team plays at
:49:54. > :49:58.the level it can, and we saw it in last year 's Six Nations against
:49:59. > :50:05.England. They can beat anybody. I am still not sure about this in an team
:50:06. > :50:10.yet. There is still a lot that I do not know. But Twickenham is waiting.
:50:11. > :50:15.If we have something to get behind, we are with them and if this England
:50:16. > :50:24.team and bottler that feeling from what happened last year, and when
:50:25. > :50:35.that whistle Blues and England get after it, swing low will be going
:50:36. > :50:40.round that stadium. What a beautiful thought.
:50:41. > :50:48.That game is a little way off but if you do believe in omens, Wales have
:50:49. > :51:01.stolen a march today. Wales death there counterparts this afternoon.
:51:02. > :51:06.Congratulations to them. -- Deaf. Phil Vickery spoke in reverent tones
:51:07. > :51:08.about Wales. It was of course 11 months ago the massacre at the
:51:09. > :51:19.Millennium Stadium. Have you forgotten how you felt bad they?
:51:20. > :51:31.This photograph should remind you. -- how bad you felt that day. It is
:51:32. > :51:38.good to see him smiling. I am always reminded because he has
:51:39. > :51:42.it as his picture on twitter. I spoke to Stuart Lancaster at the
:51:43. > :51:46.launch last Wednesday, E denies they are scarred by that. Are they still
:51:47. > :51:52.scarred? That was such a one-sided encounter. They were looking for a
:51:53. > :51:55.Grand Slam. The next time they come to Cardiff,
:51:56. > :51:58.they will remember it and they will feed off it and that will be the
:51:59. > :52:12.motivation. This time, it is to condemn. -- it is Twickenham.
:52:13. > :52:15.I remember the game in 191990, losing to Scotland, and that is the
:52:16. > :52:20.one game that I wanted to win for the rest of my career. I believe
:52:21. > :52:26.that the changes in the scrum rules will not allow Wales to have that
:52:27. > :52:28.dominance. And I think they are a little more confident. Stuart
:52:29. > :52:34.Lancaster has worked recently within the camp. We all know that it is the
:52:35. > :52:41.quality of player on the pitch. In that sense, Wales have a consistent
:52:42. > :52:50.side. We can pick the Wales team. We can only pick ten of England.
:52:51. > :52:54.Plenty of Lions missing, have they got the personnel to challenge
:52:55. > :52:57.Wales? They have the numbers. There is
:52:58. > :53:01.better strength in depth than all the other countries. But I do feel
:53:02. > :53:13.that international rugby is about selection. I am not sure they know
:53:14. > :53:18.what game they want to play. With England, I am not sure what
:53:19. > :53:22.they are trying to do. They are sticking with the tried and tested
:53:23. > :53:26.halfbacks. They want to build those caps up for the experience for the
:53:27. > :53:30.World Cup. But midfield, they are picking quite a quick back three.
:53:31. > :53:34.But the balance in midfield, they do not have the distribution to utilise
:53:35. > :53:38.the back three as well. They are picking Mike Brown at fullback. That
:53:39. > :53:42.is the problem. If they get that right, they will be a threat, as
:53:43. > :53:46.they showed against the all Blacks. They are capable of beating anyone.
:53:47. > :53:51.That is what is great about this tournament. If they get the
:53:52. > :53:56.selection right, they will be dangerous but can they get it right?
:53:57. > :54:00.What sort of shape are they in? England will always have a good
:54:01. > :54:07.pack, a good defence, very difficult to beat. They have tough games to
:54:08. > :54:11.start, Paris and then Scotland. If they have two victories, they will
:54:12. > :54:16.be confident and dangerous. But it could be the other way. I agree with
:54:17. > :54:20.the boys, the selection is key for them.
:54:21. > :54:31.Can we count on your support for that Wales England game? You can,
:54:32. > :54:34.indeed. Yes, England are a very hard team to
:54:35. > :54:38.beat. They always are, even when they are not laying well. And they
:54:39. > :54:45.have not played that well for a few seasons. The performance against New
:54:46. > :54:49.Zealand was good. Yes, but to beat Wales, you have to play a high tempo
:54:50. > :54:55.game and you have to play the space, they do not have the physicality,
:54:56. > :54:59.missing Corbisiero, these big guys. Andy Farrell at number ten, he needs
:55:00. > :55:06.power players around him. I do not think he has the ability of Jonathan
:55:07. > :55:10.Sexton to move a bit more quickly, take the ball to the canine, that is
:55:11. > :55:19.the area for Wales against imminent. A Welsh victory?
:55:20. > :55:23.Yes. We are running out of time. I was hoping to get predictions but
:55:24. > :55:29.that will have to wait for next time. A big thanks to everyone,
:55:30. > :55:37.Jonathan Davies, Jeremy Guscott, Paul Wallace and Martyn Williams.
:55:38. > :55:40.Just six more sleeps to go. We are all getting very excited. We will
:55:41. > :55:44.leave you with a special message from our friends at Briton Ferry
:55:45. > :56:01.RFC. When the battle scars have faded and
:56:02. > :56:06.the truth becomes a lie and the weekends smell of liniment and it
:56:07. > :56:10.has jetted into the sky. When the rocks are well behind you and the
:56:11. > :56:15.men that ran now walk, we all will come together to sit and drink and
:56:16. > :56:18.talk. As you ache from knocks and tackles, you're a thoroughbred gone
:56:19. > :56:23.lame, you ask your self a question, why on earth do you play this game?
:56:24. > :56:31.And though your weary and aching and you feel you can tackle no more, you
:56:32. > :56:38.look at the players around you and know what you are playing for. As
:56:39. > :56:43.you sit and reminisce comes the most compelling feeling, that's the thing
:56:44. > :56:46.with rugby, it'll always be the same. It is not just about the
:56:47. > :56:52.rugby. It is the friendships you make on the way. Andy Jenks and the
:56:53. > :56:57.songs and the laughter. And the banter at the end of the day.