:00:20. > :00:28.Wales have their first try. Try number 240 Brian. It is an
:00:29. > :00:37.extraordinary game. What a drive for Ireland. Wales are on the charge to
:00:38. > :00:48.the Six Nations Championship. Ireland have try number three. This
:00:49. > :01:02.title may be various. -- may be various. This is the trophy they are
:01:03. > :01:09.all fighting for. We have Grand Slam winners, put your hands together for
:01:10. > :01:19.Gareth Thomas! Martyn Williams! Over the bar we have Rachel Taylor! We
:01:20. > :01:24.will catch up with Rachel and the cup team, Tom Phillips is here. We
:01:25. > :01:32.will hear from all the guys over the next hour and here is what else we
:01:33. > :01:35.can look forward to. We catch up with the great Redeemer, Graham
:01:36. > :01:40.Henry might be re-enjoying his retirement, he has been keeping a
:01:41. > :01:46.close eye on Wales and looking for a bite. The Welsh Minister for defence
:01:47. > :01:51.is good at putting up barriers, we tried to breach the defence wall
:01:52. > :01:55.offshore networks. Being a coach is like being a parent, sometimes you
:01:56. > :02:02.have to give some love and set some rules. We took a frenzied look at
:02:03. > :02:09.Wales 's first opponents. And after gorging on the World Cup, is Eddie
:02:10. > :02:13.Butler is still hungry for more? Welcome to the programme, a lot to
:02:14. > :02:18.get through. Warren Gatland is about today charge of his ninth campaign
:02:19. > :02:28.in charge of Wales and a couple of newcomers about to the fray. We
:02:29. > :02:35.caught up with all the and captains. -- all the coaches and captains.
:02:36. > :02:46.Calmness before the Six Nations storm. Wales, much fancied. You have
:02:47. > :02:50.to say Wales would be favourites. Then, France will be dangerous and
:02:51. > :02:58.England will be confident they can push. England are the bookies
:02:59. > :03:01.favourites, the new boss is comfortable with attack. You only
:03:02. > :03:06.have pressure when you do not know what you are doing. As I said to the
:03:07. > :03:09.players, because I am on the straight and I have less pressure
:03:10. > :03:17.which is what we want, because if we lose a game, it will be because you
:03:18. > :03:23.have an Australian coach. That is a great thing for our team. A new
:03:24. > :03:28.captain as well. The only thing he said to me was get yourself into the
:03:29. > :03:34.team, be the blessed player you can in your position and that is what I
:03:35. > :03:39.am trying to do. I want to look forward, do well, lead the guys, be
:03:40. > :03:49.part of a good team. I am excited about that. The French coach picks
:03:50. > :03:56.new leader for his revolution. That is where the weight of Italy's hopes
:03:57. > :04:00.will set and Ireland are first in line for Wales and another new
:04:01. > :04:07.skipper. From an Arab point of view, we know it will be a difficult
:04:08. > :04:13.Championship. It always is. Whether injured players coming back, France
:04:14. > :04:17.and England with new coaches, Italy, we know how dangerous they can be
:04:18. > :04:22.and Scotland have really grown and seemed to be finding a lot of form
:04:23. > :04:27.under their manager. It is hard to put a winner on it. Next week we
:04:28. > :04:32.will try to beat competitors against what is probably the team that have
:04:33. > :04:38.the most continuity going into the competition. Yes, Wales have
:04:39. > :04:41.continuity and consistency, the same coaching team and they still have
:04:42. > :04:52.Sam, his fifth Championship as captain. I think it is an important
:04:53. > :04:57.point. I knew coach in England and a new coach in France, Wales have been
:04:58. > :05:02.together eight years, same personnel and coaching setup, that must give
:05:03. > :05:07.them an advantage. In some ways. If you look at since Warren Gatland has
:05:08. > :05:15.come in he has won 75% of those games, that is a great strike rate.
:05:16. > :05:23.On the flip side,, we had a brand-new coach and we went on to
:05:24. > :05:30.win the Grand Slam, that can make England and France dangerous, they
:05:31. > :05:36.are unpredictable. It evens out. We chatted with the new coach of
:05:37. > :05:41.France, he is a stern blow, he was a coach at Toulouse and everyone seems
:05:42. > :05:48.to say he will reinvigorate the site, bring back the flare. I think
:05:49. > :05:53.like a lot of teams, especially with the French, you cannot over coach a
:05:54. > :05:58.French team and what he gave me, I gave me the whole ethos of the team
:05:59. > :06:02.was that he respects you as a player and respects your ability and he
:06:03. > :06:06.would send us out there prepared prepared to play rugby. We would
:06:07. > :06:10.have basic game plan but whatever we saw he would make sure that we had
:06:11. > :06:15.the backing to do what we felt. The thing with brands is that is what
:06:16. > :06:21.they want, a French team that is unpredictable and has the right to
:06:22. > :06:24.go out and play and that is dangerous. For me, he is a perfect
:06:25. > :06:29.signing for the French team at a time where they need someone to save
:06:30. > :06:34.take off the shackles, let us go back to what we are known for. It is
:06:35. > :06:44.not too late and appointment? To lose have been in decline since July
:06:45. > :06:48.at. Yeah. It is the right time. A disappointing last few Six Nations.
:06:49. > :06:52.Like the unpredictability of going into the tournament, it could be the
:06:53. > :06:56.best thing. We talked about Wales and potentially them having the
:06:57. > :07:04.best, it could be the best or worst thing and I believe having played in
:07:05. > :07:08.France, that the French players thrive on unproductive ability and
:07:09. > :07:16.this tournament is unpredictable. They have Italy at home and then
:07:17. > :07:20.Ireland. Dylan Hartley, all the talk is about him and Eddie Jones. All
:07:21. > :07:26.the headlines are about England and Wales have slid in under the radar.
:07:27. > :07:31.What about his appointment? Dylan Hartley? His record is not great
:07:32. > :07:35.when he played for a pampered and disciplinary wives but what he
:07:36. > :07:39.introduced there when he became captain was a European Cup final,
:07:40. > :07:44.great success that the club was lacking and by all accounts he is a
:07:45. > :07:49.great guy of the field. He is a bond and Eddie looks at him as the most
:07:50. > :07:53.capped England player, he is the most experience so why not make him
:07:54. > :08:00.captain? Here's not offended that much when he played for England.
:08:01. > :08:05.Wales are not under the radar. In the role of a captain, we all watch
:08:06. > :08:11.the television, his role is beyond that. It comes to the changing rooms
:08:12. > :08:17.before and after, the ethos in the hotel, how players stress, how they
:08:18. > :08:22.act, you are the leader of all that. The responsibility is not just about
:08:23. > :08:25.making the decisions during the game, it is a lifestyle choice. What
:08:26. > :08:35.about keeping your cool? People will target him up they will wind him up.
:08:36. > :08:42.He is a great scrummager and brilliant at the White at -- at the
:08:43. > :08:46.line-out. He answered that. It was brilliant and England went on to
:08:47. > :08:51.win. I do not think he can get into his head in the international, there
:08:52. > :08:55.is more passion at club level. With England, you get together every now
:08:56. > :09:00.and again. The focus is on England to play well as a team. More focus
:09:01. > :09:05.on Eddie Jones than Dylan Hartley. What about the appointment of Eddie
:09:06. > :09:12.Jones, the first non-English coach to coach England? When I was
:09:13. > :09:16.playing, we had Mitch and it was strange to begin with, listening to
:09:17. > :09:20.a voice from overseas but he was great and he drilled us well. All
:09:21. > :09:25.professional of the players are used to different voices and they get on
:09:26. > :09:29.with the job. Eddie comes with a good CV, lots of experience, what he
:09:30. > :09:39.has to do is inspire this England side that has gone a little bit
:09:40. > :09:41.stale, motivate them and give them great competition for places and
:09:42. > :09:46.stimulate them in training and buy it seems from what he is talking
:09:47. > :09:54.about, he is talking a good game. He was on the charm offensive. We took
:09:55. > :09:59.a trip down to see what they think. The only team to have won World Cup
:10:00. > :10:03.'s back-to-back, the All Blacks lead while the rest follow. The Rugby
:10:04. > :10:07.World Cup provided a wake-up call for the Northern Hemisphere, noting
:10:08. > :10:16.from north of the equator made the semi-finals. The Gulf has always
:10:17. > :10:21.been there about how deep is it? Scrum five headed south to catch up
:10:22. > :10:26.with a familiar face, in Wales he was the great Redeemer, in New
:10:27. > :10:30.Zealand, he is Sir Graham Henry. I think the All Blacks have been the
:10:31. > :10:34.best side they have ever been. They kept on developing and have been
:10:35. > :10:38.together a long time. I think it is hard to judge the rest of the world
:10:39. > :10:43.against the All Black team right now. This team has developed over a
:10:44. > :10:48.long period of time, six guys just retired and most of them played 100
:10:49. > :10:52.games. Henry is enjoying life after rugby but he returned to Wales
:10:53. > :10:57.during the World Cup and he liked what he saw. I was proud of the
:10:58. > :11:07.Welsh team and the way they played, because they kept on coming back
:11:08. > :11:12.when they should not have. What they did in the World Cup was thankless,
:11:13. > :11:20.the attack game, how do they scored tries? Look at the players, they
:11:21. > :11:24.have the players. George North is as good winger as anyone in the world.
:11:25. > :11:31.I thought he was outstanding. One of the players of the tournament. The
:11:32. > :11:34.players are there, but as a team are not pulling together as an attacking
:11:35. > :11:39.unit and that is the big challenge. I do not want to be critical but in
:11:40. > :11:42.that game against Australia, they had opportunities to score,
:11:43. > :11:46.Australia were down to 13 players and you wonder about the
:11:47. > :11:51.intelligence of the attacking game on the field. There are guys trying
:11:52. > :11:55.to use their abroad rather than their brains to score tries and I
:11:56. > :11:59.guess that is perhaps the next step forward. What is the next app for
:12:00. > :12:03.the rest of the northern hemisphere teams? There is a view down south
:12:04. > :12:13.that they have been left standing still. I was a little surprised and
:12:14. > :12:17.disappointed at the performances of some of the northern hemisphere
:12:18. > :12:25.teams in the World Cup. Particularly England. I watch that team play and
:12:26. > :12:30.I am mesmerised by the lack of athleticism in their forwards, the
:12:31. > :12:35.lack of skill, the lack of fitness, and I think that is where Southern
:12:36. > :12:39.Hemisphere teams are ahead of the northern hemisphere teams. We saw
:12:40. > :12:45.that at the World Cup in a player like Joel Moody who off-loads well
:12:46. > :12:48.and try scored by the pose, I could not have seen and England prop who
:12:49. > :12:53.would have the ability to run at the pace or with the skill of the fourth
:12:54. > :12:59.or fifth or sixth prop in New Zealand. The focus now is on winning
:13:00. > :13:03.the Six Nations but there is a bigger picture. At three Test series
:13:04. > :13:07.against the All Blacks in New Zealand is looming. But with the
:13:08. > :13:12.retirement of several talismanic Kiwis, Wales have a golden
:13:13. > :13:16.opportunity to take their biggest strike forward. The Welsh have got a
:13:17. > :13:23.chance. They have got the best team on paper in Europe. If you pick our
:13:24. > :13:27.Lions team, there will be a lot of Welshmen in that team, the Lions are
:13:28. > :13:31.picked the following year, so the result to play for. If they are ever
:13:32. > :13:37.going to beat the All Blacks, this is the time. I think Wales have a
:13:38. > :13:42.real opportunity to make their mark and it is probably a very important
:13:43. > :13:46.to from a northern hemisphere prospective to show the world that
:13:47. > :13:56.the gap is not as big as they think it is or others. Martin, Graham
:13:57. > :13:59.Henry was on the whole componentry about what he has seen from Wales
:14:00. > :14:04.but he did mention the criticism which seems to rear its head that we
:14:05. > :14:08.favour brawn over brain and lack a bit of that intelligence in our
:14:09. > :14:15.attacking play, is that fair? Results show that and the World Cup
:14:16. > :14:19.showed that. The semifinalists, yes, I tend to agree, the game has been
:14:20. > :14:23.professional for 20 years of the first ten I think we used to lose
:14:24. > :14:28.games because who were not fit enough and I think we have gone
:14:29. > :14:34.overboard. We forget it is still rugby and still being able to
:14:35. > :14:39.convert. It is difficult to argue against them. You can only play with
:14:40. > :14:43.what you have got, if you have the physicality and the power, you have
:14:44. > :14:47.to use it. Then it is down to playmakers and if you look at the
:14:48. > :14:51.Welsh side, they have not had that sense, Jimmy Robertson has a great
:14:52. > :14:57.job and was sensational last season and has been the man of Lions tour
:14:58. > :15:04.'s -- Jamie Roberts. Without a playmaker, you cannot do that. To be
:15:05. > :15:11.that playmaker, it is never going to happen. I do think we have Scott
:15:12. > :15:15.Williams, Liam Williams, Ken Cohen 's as well, Matthew Morgan, these
:15:16. > :15:22.are all French players, we have taken big people and are teaching
:15:23. > :15:26.them to play rugby -- Ken Owens. In the Southern Hemisphere, they take
:15:27. > :15:30.skilful players and make them big. Some interesting stars came from a
:15:31. > :15:36.report post-World Cup, Southern Hemisphere 's side score 50 more
:15:37. > :15:41.tries than penalties and it is the reverse for the northern hemisphere.
:15:42. > :15:44.We are less adventurous stop I have gone over some of the games of last
:15:45. > :15:49.season and the Six Nations particularly Ireland and Wales, was
:15:50. > :15:53.one of the best games I have seen. There was great skill, great attack
:15:54. > :15:57.and defence, great thought, some brilliant smart rugby played, we
:15:58. > :16:01.have to accept that what we are, where we are, how we do it is the
:16:02. > :16:06.way we do. Wales cannot be New Zealand because we do not have the
:16:07. > :16:11.same personnel. The final day and we saw taste of it was absolutely
:16:12. > :16:18.sensational, edge of the seat stuff, we were so excited. We were in Rome
:16:19. > :16:24.and we watch the games. Why can't it be like that all the time? The last
:16:25. > :16:27.weekend, it was as if we had to transgress many points as we can and
:16:28. > :16:34.the shackles were off. It is safety first image first couple of games.
:16:35. > :16:37.Wales had to put as many points on Italy as they could and Ireland had
:16:38. > :16:43.to put as many on Scotland because no one knew how the last game would
:16:44. > :16:46.go. It shows the skills are there, it is just whether you are brave
:16:47. > :16:49.enough as a coach or player to do that. Let us catch up with the guy
:16:50. > :17:08.in charge of Wales and Rob Howley. I think that the biggest
:17:09. > :17:13.disappointment I had was looking at the way we performed against
:17:14. > :17:20.Australia and eight and a half minutes where we had 15 against 13
:17:21. > :17:24.and attacking coach, what was like free you and what was your attacking
:17:25. > :17:37.philosophy for Wales? You take the 56 minutes, 269 minutes... I take it
:17:38. > :17:42.to my grave with me. Would you or Warren Gatland thought should I have
:17:43. > :17:51.thrown on maybe Priestland or Hoke to break it up a little bit? At the
:17:52. > :17:56.time, Morgan, the momentum, I have never been involved in the game
:17:57. > :18:02.where it has been so exciting, there were no tries scored. 12, six, 56
:18:03. > :18:08.minutes and under pressure, having that ability to think at that moment
:18:09. > :18:12.in time and having clarity, they are the fine margins. You have to accept
:18:13. > :18:16.them and move on and how quickly you are able to move on is the
:18:17. > :18:22.challenge. Our attacking philosophy has not changed over the last eight
:18:23. > :18:26.years and I think that the key part of any attacking philosophy is to
:18:27. > :18:33.determine that on the person available and I think that we talk
:18:34. > :18:36.about creating mismatches and talking about how fantastic New
:18:37. > :18:42.Zealand are, there is no bigger than when watching New Zealand, but for
:18:43. > :18:48.them to earn the right to play, they kick particularly when Dan Carter is
:18:49. > :18:53.playing. Our philosophy or my philosophy in terms of, we want to
:18:54. > :18:57.kick to ability to change positions in the back three which are in the
:18:58. > :19:01.right to play a bit wider. The object is to try and get in the
:19:02. > :19:06.outside channels as often as possible, you want your high numbers
:19:07. > :19:11.on the ball as often as possible and then that is creating the two on
:19:12. > :19:15.ones and three on twos. The ability to execute under pressure with
:19:16. > :19:25.70,000 people watching. The biggest change in the game is line speed in
:19:26. > :19:29.defence. The majority of every side blitzes in defence so then you're
:19:30. > :19:33.asking to create space because you have to earn the right to play. Then
:19:34. > :19:38.again there is assessing the line speed, quickness of ball and working
:19:39. > :19:43.on your own dab stop do you then in the analysis say look there is an
:19:44. > :19:50.opportunity here, an opportunity there, it is on the go, work
:19:51. > :19:53.together? Then there is the ability for the player to understand the
:19:54. > :19:57.speed of ball and the speed of the defence of fold and reacting to
:19:58. > :20:03.that. Do you think it is something that New Zealand do at an early age
:20:04. > :20:10.where the emphasis is more on skill so when they come through, they are
:20:11. > :20:15.more Jim orientated and they are more skilfully orientated? For me
:20:16. > :20:20.and I have spoken a number of times about this, 1985 during the teachers
:20:21. > :20:24.strike, masters influence on the landscape of sport in schools.
:20:25. > :20:30.Rugby, I can remember playing week in week out and having rugby masters
:20:31. > :20:36.teaching me core skills. Now that does not happen. Two on ones, three
:20:37. > :20:41.on twos, one on ones, your core skills are under pressure, the
:20:42. > :20:45.difference between the club region and international is speed and that
:20:46. > :20:49.poachers core skills under pressure. There have been questions about
:20:50. > :20:54.Wales being too structured. I know on the field if you see something,
:20:55. > :20:57.everything is scrapped, if the red is called, I would call red and
:20:58. > :21:05.everything goes out the window. The game has not changed. The game is
:21:06. > :21:11.based on gain line and speed of ball and the ability to earn the right to
:21:12. > :21:16.play in the outside channel. If you going to play a two phase attack
:21:17. > :21:21.after one phase and you break, that is heads up. That is why you played
:21:22. > :21:25.for Wales and hopefully other players who played for Wales have
:21:26. > :21:34.got that intuitive nature about to play rugby. Speaking of having an
:21:35. > :21:38.intuitive nature there is probably none more so than Liam Williams who
:21:39. > :21:42.made his long-awaited return from injury yesterday. He looked sharp
:21:43. > :21:49.and ready and hungry. I have always been a massive fan, I would put him
:21:50. > :21:52.on the bench, I would start Matthew Morgan at fullback, because I think
:21:53. > :21:55.we need summary to help out Dan Biggar and I think he is an
:21:56. > :22:03.attacking threat, he gives us an option similar to Liam Williams. I
:22:04. > :22:07.think after one game against Connacht to go to Ireland away to
:22:08. > :22:11.play is a big ask. I do not want to go there with the safety option and
:22:12. > :22:17.I think that is what he is. I want to go there with an attacking
:22:18. > :22:25.threat. Matthew Morgan, there are a lot of Gary Owens. Bring it on. He
:22:26. > :22:29.will have a go. One game he is fine, psychologically he is brave and are
:22:30. > :22:33.best attacking player, reads the game well, one game he will be fine
:22:34. > :22:39.and up to speed. You mentioned Sexton and Conor Murphy, they will
:22:40. > :22:42.come with a huge kicking game. As much as I rate Matthew Morgan I
:22:43. > :22:48.would have him on the bench to bring him on, at the start, I would go
:22:49. > :22:52.with Liam. Do not think then your argument of not playing 80 minutes
:22:53. > :22:56.and being not fully fit match fitness is the only way you get
:22:57. > :23:01.match fit, the amount they will kick will mean, it is like a Test match,
:23:02. > :23:08.adrenaline will get him through and he will be fine. I'm a massive fan
:23:09. > :23:12.of Liam Williams. He looked sharp against Connacht and he is a
:23:13. > :23:17.matchwinner. In a moment, he can beat a couple of players and he is
:23:18. > :23:21.gone. I do not think it is a gamble, he will know he is ready. He is
:23:22. > :23:24.difficult to defend. If you're on the three quarters line looking up
:23:25. > :23:33.you do not know what he will do. Do not look at his legs. He has got
:23:34. > :23:38.quick feet. He is an attacking minded player. In today's rugby
:23:39. > :23:41.where it is structured and you have someone likely you do not know what
:23:42. > :23:45.to expect and that gets you thinking, is my inside and outside
:23:46. > :23:50.covered? I would be quite happy to go with him. What about wingers who
:23:51. > :24:01.might accompany him if he starts. George North is probably a shoo-in
:24:02. > :24:12.and then you have a decision between 32-macro... I would go with Tom
:24:13. > :24:17.James. He is undoubtedly able, he has not been able to control it, he
:24:18. > :24:23.has had continuity this year. I think he also gives us, he is a
:24:24. > :24:27.great left foot and we need to take some of the pressure we all put in
:24:28. > :24:31.on Dan Biggar to be the man to get us out of trouble. I think on merit,
:24:32. > :24:39.from what I have seen of him, Hallam Amos?, I am in huge fan, I think
:24:40. > :24:42.Alex Cuthbert has answered his critics, but I do not think Hallam
:24:43. > :24:49.Amos has played enough, Tom James would be my shoo-in. If Hallam Amos
:24:50. > :24:54.is fit, Wales probably need him. If they're going to change up their
:24:55. > :24:59.attack, he is a silky smooth runner and has good acceleration and left
:25:00. > :25:06.peg. He is different, Tom James, another good quality player, but
:25:07. > :25:11.like the build of JD, he will not step and go around. I agree with the
:25:12. > :25:16.left peg, but Hallam Amos is so different and I think he is more
:25:17. > :25:20.attack minded. Lettuces and we have parity up front against Ireland,
:25:21. > :25:26.scrum-half dictates the pace of the game and in Gareth Davies we have a
:25:27. > :25:31.real terrier in the same role as Rhys Webb, but Williams seems to be
:25:32. > :25:36.stabbing at his heels. Lloyd has been fantastic. He is full of
:25:37. > :25:42.confidence, played really well. He can play left wing as he showed
:25:43. > :25:45.against England. I cannot believe we have gone this long without
:25:46. > :25:49.mentioning that game. Gareth Davies for me, as much as Lloyd is a great
:25:50. > :25:54.cover a man, Gareth is playing with confidence and had a great World
:25:55. > :25:59.Cup. He is one of those players who can score 50 or 60 metre tries out
:26:00. > :26:09.of nothing and I think he should get annoyed over Lloyd. -- the nod. Most
:26:10. > :26:12.of them are coming back to fitness, plenty to ponder for Warren gallon.
:26:13. > :26:18.Let us look ahead or look back to the Pro12, a full round of fixtures
:26:19. > :26:23.and Beth Clements has all the details. Although both teams were
:26:24. > :26:26.depleted by injuries and international colts, the Rodney
:26:27. > :26:31.Parade crowd were treated to a thriller. There was the Dragons who
:26:32. > :26:33.got the start they hoped for. Man of the match Ashton Hewitt crossing
:26:34. > :26:38.after three minutes. The Dragons thought they had scored two more
:26:39. > :26:44.tries but they were ruled out by the TML after a try from Jason sent them
:26:45. > :26:51.on their way to a valuable win. Surely he frees his hand and Jason
:26:52. > :26:56.strolls over. Scholars welcome back Liam Williams but they were totally
:26:57. > :27:01.dominated upfront by Connacht who led 30 had zero at half-time. Vander
:27:02. > :27:06.merits's try close the gap but any thoughts of a comeback faulted as
:27:07. > :27:12.two yellow cards for the visitors handed victory to Connacht. Seven
:27:13. > :27:19.metres out, McCartney with the dummy, they got the parson, here
:27:20. > :27:24.comes Ayew. Rodney Ah You gets the bonus point try for a Connacht.
:27:25. > :27:27.Despite having nine players called up for international duty, the Blues
:27:28. > :27:40.got there are consecutive league when
:27:41. > :27:47.It was honours even at the Liberty Stadium between the Ospreys and
:27:48. > :27:59.Glasgow this afternoon. He Eli Walker scoring the first try.
:28:00. > :28:05.Off-loads to Joe Bearman. Olly Cracknell pulls it back. Sam Davies
:28:06. > :28:12.goes through. Inside Boulder Dan Evans! The Scarlets stay top whilst
:28:13. > :28:14.the Ospreys and Blues remain seventh and ninth and the Dragons move up
:28:15. > :28:22.one place to 10th. Wales women kick off their campaign
:28:23. > :28:25.next weekend against Ireland. Some of their players spoke to us about
:28:26. > :28:35.what it aims to represent their country. The first time I put on the
:28:36. > :28:39.Welsh jersey it was something else. Something you always train for but
:28:40. > :28:46.when you get the chance to put it on it is a sense of pride and
:28:47. > :28:51.privilege. Going into the Six Nations is so competitive. They are
:28:52. > :28:57.the GameCube train for all year. Beating England last year we started
:28:58. > :29:04.on a high and it was fantastic. Coming from a little village in West
:29:05. > :29:09.Wales and divide players like Kevin Phillips and John Davies who've come
:29:10. > :29:15.from there and you always think you would like to play. I am glad I have
:29:16. > :29:20.played. When I was made captain it was a massive favour me. I respected
:29:21. > :29:28.the people who had been in position before me. My dad wrote me a letter
:29:29. > :29:35.letting me know how he felt and I still carry it around with me. It is
:29:36. > :29:40.nice and I got this support. The shirt with the three feathers up,
:29:41. > :29:44.every time you put it on it's amazing. You turn into a different
:29:45. > :29:49.person. Playing for my country is everything for me. I am coming to
:29:50. > :29:57.the end of my career now so every game is important. I was born with
:29:58. > :30:01.rugby in my blood. The whole family like watching it. You are all in it
:30:02. > :30:04.together and you're on the pitch ready to do battle and you are
:30:05. > :30:12.playing for each other. It is a great feeling. We saw her there and
:30:13. > :30:17.she's behind the bar, it is racial tailor the captain of Wales women.
:30:18. > :30:25.Last year, it was a fun on start by beginning when. How did you
:30:26. > :30:32.celebrate after that one? Too long probably. It was a great start. We
:30:33. > :30:35.followed it up with a second but very. It was disappointing that we
:30:36. > :30:43.lost the last three games in the tournament. We are not normally in
:30:44. > :30:47.that situation and it will be interesting to see if we have
:30:48. > :30:56.learned our lessons from last year. The preparation could not have gone
:30:57. > :31:02.better. You beat Ireland last week. What do you read into that? Friendly
:31:03. > :31:07.games two weeks before a tournament, both teams probably didn't show the
:31:08. > :31:12.full hand. We set down some structures and different
:31:13. > :31:17.combinations and for me the intent and aggression we showed was
:31:18. > :31:24.something I really wanted the girls to bring. It was important to put
:31:25. > :31:32.that psychological marker down to make sure they remember that in a
:31:33. > :31:35.few weeks' time. The boys and I have spoken about how the Wales men side
:31:36. > :31:40.as the renowned for its physicality and brutality. What sort of style
:31:41. > :31:47.can we expect from Wales women this year? It is a more physical game
:31:48. > :31:53.than ever before. Strength and conditioning is key and fitness. We
:31:54. > :32:00.also want to play a bit more of an exciting style of rugby. A couple of
:32:01. > :32:09.structures but we want the ability to play what we see. Best of luck
:32:10. > :32:19.and we will all be supporting you. Rachel Taylor ladies and gentlemen.
:32:20. > :32:23.And so to the under 20s who will also be starting their campaign in
:32:24. > :32:31.Ireland. Let's remind ourselves how big on last year.
:32:32. > :32:39.The momentum is with Wales. The Wales Under 20s got off to a flying
:32:40. > :32:42.start to last season's Six Nations and will be looking for the same
:32:43. > :32:46.this year. Tom Phillips takes over the captaincy from Rory Thornton and
:32:47. > :32:49.head coach Jason strange has been able to select a number of players
:32:50. > :32:55.who have gained regional experience this season including Dillon Lewis
:32:56. > :33:01.and Janet Evans from the Blues and Austrians -- Ospreys centre Owen
:33:02. > :33:07.Watkin. And Scarlets fly-half Billy McBride son of Robin McBryde. Wales
:33:08. > :33:08.finished fourth last season and will be looking to improve on that this
:33:09. > :33:18.time around. Tom Phillips is in the club tonight.
:33:19. > :33:25.Great to have you here. Congratulations on the captaincy. It
:33:26. > :33:29.is a massive honour. A lot of Welsh senior players have come through and
:33:30. > :33:36.a lot of them had a good platform to play. There are 11 guys in the squad
:33:37. > :33:41.who were in the squad last year saw a bit of continuity. A lot of
:33:42. > :33:44.players have got a good piece of regional rugby as well. How much
:33:45. > :33:55.does that builder confidence? Massively. A lot of the boys are
:33:56. > :34:02.getting exposure. Then they can back into the camp and it lifts the
:34:03. > :34:09.spirits. It is a morale booster. We saw Owen Watkin playing this
:34:10. > :34:16.afternoon and he scored a sensational trial last year. Can we
:34:17. > :34:25.expect more of the same from you? Hopefully. We have players like Owen
:34:26. > :34:29.Watkin who are making some strides. Very Best of luck and great to have
:34:30. > :34:42.you on. Tom Phillips ladies and gentlemen. Wales death have beaten
:34:43. > :34:53.England death 17-16. Today the return fixture is at the Arms Park.
:34:54. > :34:56.A good omen perhaps. I think it's fair to say the entire nation
:34:57. > :35:01.breathed a sigh of relief when Shaun Edwards put pen to paper on a new
:35:02. > :35:06.four-year deal with Wales. I went along to see if I could preach his
:35:07. > :35:09.defensive wall. After eight years with team Wales Shaun Edwards
:35:10. > :35:13.remains an enigma. Terrifying to some but he does have a softer side.
:35:14. > :35:17.Being a coach is like being a parent. Sometimes you have to give
:35:18. > :35:22.some love and sometimes you have to set some rules. Some coaches have a
:35:23. > :35:29.style of coaching with a don't get close to the players and I am not
:35:30. > :35:35.saying that is the wrong way but I consider a lot of players I coach
:35:36. > :35:46.has close friends. Is that difficult line to straddle, being a make and
:35:47. > :35:52.being somebody's boss. No. Easy. They know I am only trying to help
:35:53. > :35:58.them. It is always constructive criticism. From the outside, people
:35:59. > :36:03.see you as this aggressive hard-nosed taskmaster who does not
:36:04. > :36:08.take any missing. Is that too simplified view of Shaun Edwards? I
:36:09. > :36:19.will let other people answer that question for you. Are there hidden
:36:20. > :36:23.depths we don't see? You said you are more likely to offer sympathy or
:36:24. > :36:29.constructive criticism than be a shelter and somebody will get angry.
:36:30. > :36:37.Sometimes but the only time I would shout that the player is if they
:36:38. > :36:44.didn't give 100%. If they give 100% and they want to get better I will
:36:45. > :36:49.put time into them and try and help them. Players have mentioned before
:36:50. > :36:57.the Wall of shame where you put somebody's name on them wall if they
:36:58. > :37:02.miss a tackle. I would criticise if it is a repeat error which is coming
:37:03. > :37:07.up all the time and again. At first I would help them. If it happens
:37:08. > :37:13.three or four times that honestly I would do it. Edwards was one of the
:37:14. > :37:17.most gifted attacking players in rugby during a 17 year career and it
:37:18. > :37:24.is this attacking mindset that has made him an accomplished defence
:37:25. > :37:34.coach. As a player I was not the best tackler in the world. Attack
:37:35. > :37:40.was my forte as a player. What it helps me in a defensive frame of
:37:41. > :37:43.mind is that I put my head into the fly-half's head and think what would
:37:44. > :37:50.I do in that situation or what would I have done so that helps me because
:37:51. > :37:54.I try and second-guess what they attack coaches thinking, what the
:37:55. > :38:00.fly-half and number nine is thinking. The fact there was a
:38:01. > :38:06.half-backs myself is an advantage for me. You are quite a private blog
:38:07. > :38:11.and you don't give a great deal away in public. You have spoken before
:38:12. > :38:17.about faith and your religious convictions, there's that influence
:38:18. > :38:25.you? I don't want to talk about faith. It's not me. I am not here to
:38:26. > :38:31.preach to people. It is up to every individual. I was brought up like
:38:32. > :38:37.that. My mum's brother is a priest. I went to church. If I didn't go to
:38:38. > :38:54.church my mother would batter me. Do you think it's important for
:38:55. > :39:06.players I was politically engaged because my father and grandfather
:39:07. > :39:12.were minors. I am not a massive political person. I went on the
:39:13. > :39:17.march with the miners when I came from within. I am no expert on
:39:18. > :39:21.politics. What about the Six Nations? Ireland are the favourites
:39:22. > :39:33.going into the competition. The bookies have installed England as
:39:34. > :39:46.favourites. Is that justified? I've got no idea about that. That was an
:39:47. > :39:52.exhausting half an hour. He does not give much away. I'd dump think I had
:39:53. > :40:06.faced the death stayed before. Have you faced Shaun Edwards deficit?
:40:07. > :40:15.Let's not go there! Yes, many a time. Behind that persona, we have
:40:16. > :40:19.seen him shouting and screaming but he is one of the best specialist
:40:20. > :40:24.coaches I have worked under. He doesn't strike fear into you and I
:40:25. > :40:29.think it's a good thing as a defence coach because you know if you miss a
:40:30. > :40:33.tackle or if you make a system error and you make the same mistake, you
:40:34. > :40:39.are infrared on the Monday. I have been on the wall of shame many a
:40:40. > :40:46.time. I wish I had had longer to work with him. I learn so much from
:40:47. > :40:51.him in three years. He is an interesting character. Are you
:40:52. > :40:58.disappointed as an inland fan he did not go to England? They were rumours
:40:59. > :41:02.he was going to switch? I cant imagine a national team who would
:41:03. > :41:09.not want Shaun Edwards as the defensive coach. He said his
:41:10. > :41:15.standards as a player. With Wasps he went on and did great things and now
:41:16. > :41:20.with Wales and the Lions. He is experienced and he knows his stuff
:41:21. > :41:28.inside out. It would have been great for England. In terms of what will
:41:29. > :41:35.be exercising his defensive mind, the rolling maul was an Achilles'
:41:36. > :41:41.heel in Dublin two years ago. How might that impacts election this
:41:42. > :41:46.time around? Two years ago I don't think Luke Charteris played in that
:41:47. > :41:49.game and he is such an unsung hero. We are blessed in the second row
:41:50. > :41:55.with Alun Wyn Jones and Bradley Davies. But few expect Luke
:41:56. > :42:03.Charteris to be there and Dan Lydiate as well. Sometimes you
:42:04. > :42:09.overlook how good Dan Lydiate is. You are not a man who is intimidated
:42:10. > :42:19.by many people but was Shaun Edwards terrifying? International rugby,
:42:20. > :42:24.attention to detail is everything. Everybody is analysing. If you have
:42:25. > :42:31.somebody who cares that much and Wales have been successful mainly
:42:32. > :42:37.because of their defence. He has had a huge part in that. When he talks
:42:38. > :42:41.like that, he is eccentric but it shows the case. He cares about those
:42:42. > :42:52.Welsh players and about the defensive system. He hangs his hat
:42:53. > :42:55.on it. He gives you two are three specific things per team. He does
:42:56. > :43:02.not overload you with information. He is world class. I just want to
:43:03. > :43:08.get your opinion on the possible conundrum on how to fit Justin
:43:09. > :43:13.Tipuric into our back row. If Wales want a point of difference certainly
:43:14. > :43:21.in attack Justin Tipuric is your man. He reminds me of Michael
:43:22. > :43:35.Hooper. He is brilliant in defence and attack. For me, attack minded,
:43:36. > :43:39.Justin Tipuric is the man. You think about the great 2003 England team.
:43:40. > :43:43.Richard Hill was essentially an openside playing alongside Neil
:43:44. > :43:48.back. We have seen that in the modern game having to openside
:43:49. > :43:55.flanker is having an impact. But we can't have everything. We can't pick
:43:56. > :43:59.a Welsh team to go up there and score tries but then criticise them
:44:00. > :44:03.for leaking tries. We have great attacking options but as a nation
:44:04. > :44:07.now we're getting bogged down and we say we want the best of everything.
:44:08. > :44:14.We want tries and offence. You should have the best of everything.
:44:15. > :44:21.But you can't put Justin Tipuric in and Matthew Morgan but ultimately we
:44:22. > :44:26.have stronger defensive systems. Dan Lydiate fits in because of what he
:44:27. > :44:29.does. We could be here all night. Let's move on because Ireland are
:44:30. > :44:36.the first opponents and Sean Holley has been looking at the state they
:44:37. > :44:40.are in. What a tough ask for Warren Gatland's men facing the
:44:41. > :44:43.back-to-back Six Nations at the is at the Aviva Stadium. But there is
:44:44. > :44:48.evidence to suggest that in the pre-World Cup warm up matches that
:44:49. > :44:55.this is going to be a close in Canberra. What we know about Ireland
:44:56. > :44:59.is they get direct close to the line and the lessons learned from the
:45:00. > :45:06.pre-World Cup games is that Wales defence over folded. Ireland went
:45:07. > :45:10.back to the short side and found easy spaces for Ireland to exploit.
:45:11. > :45:15.Jamie Heaslip waltzes over at the Millennium Stadium. They will come
:45:16. > :45:20.down the ten channel close to the line to. Dan Biggar can expect heavy
:45:21. > :45:25.traffic and his channel. And they are looking for the first cracks in
:45:26. > :45:29.the defensive line. Mike Phillips and James Hook that exploited on the
:45:30. > :45:36.inside shoulder. In the return match Ireland are looking for that first
:45:37. > :45:41.forward in the defensive line. Henderson looking for a mismatch and
:45:42. > :45:44.its tri- time. There are opportunities for Wales off the top.
:45:45. > :45:50.Ireland will mark to areas of the line-out and compete. Wales have to
:45:51. > :45:54.bring their usual runners across the gain line like George North on Jamie
:45:55. > :45:59.Roberts. If they can get quick ball I feel that is an edge of space in
:46:00. > :46:05.the Irish defence for the Wales back three to exploit. Wales can play off
:46:06. > :46:10.the top line-out from the front and get Roberts across the gain line.
:46:11. > :46:14.What Wales were successful with in the last Six Nations was manhandling
:46:15. > :46:19.the Irish back row and quick ball at this phase allows Jonathan Davies to
:46:20. > :46:28.cross the gain line again in these wider channels. What does that do?
:46:29. > :46:33.Justin Tipuric. The strength of George North. Beautiful off-load.
:46:34. > :46:45.Jonathan Davies is going to score for Wales. The line-up led to the
:46:46. > :46:52.try. There was a bit of negativity around the launch about Ireland.
:46:53. > :46:56.Their provinces are in decline, they have lost Paul O'Connell, they have
:46:57. > :47:01.lost Henderson, Tommy Bowe to injury. They got hammered by
:47:02. > :47:08.Argentina in the World Cup. Are they vulnerable. They are still very good
:47:09. > :47:13.side. They still have got good players. Yes they are missing no,
:47:14. > :47:20.but they still have Conor Murray, Jonny Sexton. They have CJ Stander
:47:21. > :47:33.will start in the back row. They will strong be very strong. We have
:47:34. > :47:39.got a mouthwatering due between -- Kewell between Dan Biggar and Jonny
:47:40. > :47:43.Sexton. Jonny Sexton is on the decline. He was superb on the last
:47:44. > :47:47.Lions tour but Dan Biggar for me has been fantastic. He does everything
:47:48. > :47:54.you need to do and makes very few errors. He kicks the ball in the and
:47:55. > :48:00.collected himself. He has been spot on with his kicking as well. He is a
:48:01. > :48:04.great defender and played with heart and soul and he typified what Wales'
:48:05. > :48:08.performance was with all the injuries during the World Cup. The
:48:09. > :48:13.spotlight was not on him but nowadays. Can he perform under that
:48:14. > :48:22.huge expectation? Ireland have not got a defence coach. How much will
:48:23. > :48:30.that affect their preparation? A defence coaches really relevant. It
:48:31. > :48:36.could hamper them but they are missing a few players but they still
:48:37. > :48:42.have a continuity. Just because of the Irish provinces have not done
:48:43. > :48:48.well and Ireland lost to Argentina in the World Cup, they are not a bad
:48:49. > :48:52.team. They are at home and they are going into it as favourites and
:48:53. > :48:58.behind closed doors they know this is a huge game for them. It lays
:48:59. > :49:05.down a marker after the World Cup. That game is the two favourites for
:49:06. > :49:09.the tournament. For them, defence coach or no defence coach they will
:49:10. > :49:13.be well drilled. The provincial decline is a red herring because
:49:14. > :49:16.there's the Welsh regions have underperformed and it's had no
:49:17. > :49:21.impact on the national side. It has no effect at all. In the
:49:22. > :49:27.international camp you forget what's been going on at your region. They
:49:28. > :49:31.have got one of the best coaches in the world. They have won two
:49:32. > :49:36.championships in a row. They will still have the pre-World Cup game,
:49:37. > :49:44.Wales went over to Ireland and outmuscled them. I think it will be
:49:45. > :49:47.different next Sunday. It is a very pivotal period for all teams coming
:49:48. > :49:53.off the back of a World Cup. This Six Nations is a sandwich between
:49:54. > :49:55.this World Cup and a tour to New Zealand. Eddie Butler has been
:49:56. > :50:28.putting things in context for us. The World Cup. A party thrown by
:50:29. > :50:30.England that's built into Wales dominated by the Southern
:50:31. > :50:39.Hemisphere, one by New Zealand. A magnificent feast. We are left with
:50:40. > :50:42.this. You can stay in denial saying we did our bit to make the World Cup
:50:43. > :50:50.such a drama. But don't we after take our share of Northern built? It
:50:51. > :50:57.was a sumptuous feast but in excess like deadly sins. Here in Wales we
:50:58. > :51:11.look to the outside and we see the French, the English. Envy to want
:51:12. > :51:19.what others have. There is greed to want earthly things to make money.
:51:20. > :51:25.There is gluttony. It's a short career. One injury and it's gone.
:51:26. > :51:33.There is less. To be a prime specimen, to be famous. There has
:51:34. > :51:41.been wrath. Anger in our rugby politics. There has been sloughed.
:51:42. > :51:50.Failing to make the most of our talents. How did the tries dry up?
:51:51. > :51:57.We had a good World Cup, we played with pride. Pride, the deadliest of
:51:58. > :52:09.the deadly sins. To think we are better than others. Is it so bad? It
:52:10. > :52:14.is not. There is a new spirit of corporation across the land. There
:52:15. > :52:21.is even some money, a World Cup windfall. Every four years the
:52:22. > :52:27.slate, the table is wiped clean. But let's remember where the World Cup
:52:28. > :52:32.went. To New Zealand, the best team ever. It is the ultimate rugby
:52:33. > :52:39.virtue that overcomes all sins, playing for each other is
:52:40. > :52:51.everything. So to the Six Nations, to a simple diet. To the Welsh team.
:52:52. > :52:58.You can always rely on Eddie Butler to be original. Let's talk about
:52:59. > :53:05.what he said at the end. The best team won the World Cup. Wales have
:53:06. > :53:15.continued to it -- can't -- continuity of personnel and players.
:53:16. > :53:19.They have a 75% winning ratio and the Warren Gatland. They are
:53:20. > :53:22.effectively a club side. Yes and it's good but it's also healthily
:53:23. > :53:30.that we're still talking about people pushing and competitive
:53:31. > :53:36.places up for grabs. I think the next stage for us regardless of the
:53:37. > :53:42.Six Nations, we need to have the quality to beat Southern Hemisphere
:53:43. > :53:47.teams and I hope this Six Nations, Wales will show an attacking threat.
:53:48. > :53:54.Sometimes we go out to defend a game rather than go out there to win. For
:53:55. > :53:59.me, watching Wales, that is what I would like to see. Even though we
:54:00. > :54:04.have the same team we still have to keep moving because the game keeps
:54:05. > :54:14.changing. New Zealand will still keep progressing. Wales to win the
:54:15. > :54:22.tournament? Yes. Yes I think so. A win in Ireland and three home games.
:54:23. > :54:29.I think France are dangerous. But I think Wales, yes. Wales to win? No
:54:30. > :54:34.grand slam. Marsh the 12 will be a difficult game! But I will go with
:54:35. > :54:49.Wales to win the championship. It has been a privilege to have you
:54:50. > :54:57.back on scrum five. You have been busy. You have been in pantomime as
:54:58. > :55:05.the Genie in Aladdin. I have still got it! Magnificent costume! We have
:55:06. > :55:16.broken the budget and got ourselves a
:55:17. > :55:29.lamp. I want each of you to give us one wish for the Six Nations. I
:55:30. > :55:41.think Wales to win the Six Nations but to win it with a Welsh
:55:42. > :55:46.passionate way of playing. Martin? Never to see those photographs
:55:47. > :55:57.dressed -- of him dressed like that again. And less touch match
:55:58. > :56:10.officials. A 40 point victory on March 12. Penalised crooked feeds
:56:11. > :56:16.into the scrum. We are out of time. Please show your appreciation for
:56:17. > :56:20.Gareth Thomas, Martyn Williams and Jeremy Guscott and Rachel Taylor the
:56:21. > :56:26.captain of Wales women and Tom Phillips the captain of Wales Under
:56:27. > :56:31.20s. We'll kick off against Ireland in a week's time. West of luck to
:56:32. > :56:36.all of our teams. That is all we have time for. Some sad news today.
:56:37. > :56:41.We had earlier about the death of Terry Wogan at the age of 77. Not
:56:42. > :56:45.only was he heaved the consummate broadcaster he was also a massive
:56:46. > :56:57.Irish rugby fan so we thought we would be remember the time when
:56:58. > :57:04.Gavin Jenkins went to meet him. We are going to pack down very shortly.
:57:05. > :57:09.It has been rumoured that in your early days that they did play a bit
:57:10. > :57:14.of rugby union. It is an old Irish fault, being fairly good at a lot of
:57:15. > :57:23.things but no good at anything. They were smaller men then and I was six
:57:24. > :57:31.foot tall. I was a line of jumper. Any high points of when you have
:57:32. > :57:36.been to Cardiff? He used to come out of the old stadium and waves of
:57:37. > :57:39.people going in different directions. You would be swept up
:57:40. > :57:48.the street, swept down the street again. You thought, I'm never going
:57:49. > :57:58.to get out of here. It has been great speaking to you and a great
:57:59. > :58:00.religion. It has been an honour to talk to you.