2015 Welsh Sports Review

For some it was destiny, written in the stars.

For others the writing was on the wall.

Which moment of madness had you off your feet?

# Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda...

And why was this guy laughing so much?

See you in Long, see you in Marseille. I can't wait.

It's been a monumental year of magical moments.

This is the Welsh Sports Review 2015.

2015 started with a resolution, out with the Red, in with the Blue.

Vincent Tan is sane, red is lucky, but when they start losing red is

not that lucky. The thing I think should be sacrosanct is the colours

and the badge of a club. Starting from Saturday 10th of January 2015

our home kit should be below. It is nice to see them back in blue and I

am glad that common sense prevailed. Swansea city are preparing for life

without Wilfried Bony. In the January sales the Swans sold

Bony and pocketed 28 million quid. Meanwhile back along

the M4 their old rivals Cardiff City We are having to shop in a different

area. We all not shopping in Harrods now. I think he is shopping in

Poundstretcher, I am not sure you can use that, can you? They were

never shopping in Harrods, so back to the pound shop, I think.

And it was farewell to the Hair Bear.

After 95 caps for Wales and five Lions tests it was last orders

Time to spark things up for what would be the second-biggest

rugby tournament coming to Wales this year.

The 6 Nations needs no introduction, it is always going to be massive.

Even people who don't support rugby religiously in Wales come out to

support that. It is an incredible buzz, no body can wait to get

started. You watch the atmosphere leading up to the game and then you

start seeing the Welsh appearing everyone. I just really buy into

that philosophy. There is no better way to build up to the 6 Nations

than with an Eddie Butler montage. The 6 Nations wouldn't be the 6

Nations without Eddie Butler saying, but have come up from the valleys

and they are here to give their heart. Baha'is of Wales, the tries

of Wales. Gorgeous George's lies of Wales. It is like Dylan Thomas has

inhabited the body of Eddie Butler. We know exactly the size of Wales.

Then they tell you it is Wales-England on Friday night to

kick things off. When they beat England the Welsh

people will have a smile on their faces for the rest of the year. That

is what it means to Wales. Come on, Wales. Just when you think

Wales-England can't get any bigger, it does.

I thought, and I in a pop concert? I thought I was in a 1970s disco, and

there no teams. We started waiting and then we waited some more and

waited some more and then it was, they really should be out by now.

Little did we know there was a bit of a stand-off in the tunnel. Who

will make the first move? England were going, you go first, Wales were

going, no, you go first. They got angrier the more it went on and it

added to the whole drama and expectation. Are we ready to go,

dies? Did we needed, probably not. Did I enjoy it, yes, I did. After

that build-up we get to the rugby. Nine minutes in we are happy days.

Rhys Webb is off, what a start for Wales. The man of the moment, he can

do no wrong, and I can't have been the only one thinking, hello, we

have another 30 point coming up, happy days, plain sailing, Grand

Slam is on. That is it, we are going to win the World Cup based on that

first ten minutes. Sadly, England had other ideas. It must be a try

for England. Excellent hands and feet and score by Jonathan Joseph.

George North, love him, didn't even know what day it was. How can

anybody knocked over George North, he is a man mountain. To see him go

down like that, you forget it is a rugby game, you think, please get

up. George the giant got back up and

came back on. Concussion-gate hit the headlines,

Wales' Grand Slam hopes knocked A famous victory for England at the

Millennium Stadium. I can smile now but at the time you are thinking

World Cup coming up, Lancaster is there, he is in charge, he does that

big, look at us, we have one. Certainly not a match we want to

remember and luckily enough George North probably won't.

Thankfully Wales' women managed to cheer everyone up

with this shock win over World Champions England.

A chance for Harris to finish it all off. The world champions have been

downed, look at those scenes of celebration.

Next stop for the boys was Edinburgh, where a confident

pundit, Andy Nicol, fancied the Scots.

I think it will be tight but I have a sneaking suspicion Scotland will

sneak it. Rhys Webb has it and he will score. Rhys Webb is a classic

example of somebody on form. Sometimes we weren't firing on all

seven does but to know you have a try scorer in him is brilliant and

for me John Fox is the key player for Wales. Under the posts he goes,

Jonathan Davies with a try. Newport County's boss

called it a day. Justin Edinburgh has been confirmed

as the new manager of Gillingham. I have no regrets, I have only done

what is right for the club. Are you disappointed with the reaction?

Without a doubt. I don't know where that has come from.

Jimmy Dack was on hand with one of those classic

It is like splitting up with your long-term girlfriend and it will

take you a couple of weeks but once you get going you will be back on

the prowl again. His Swans were on for a league

double against Man United Rooney. As shot by Parreira, it is

in. 1-0 down but the Jack

attack hit back. Enter the man with a rocket

launcher in his boots. What a goal! Shelby, a right foot

thunderbolt. It screams into the net, doesn't it, here's a phenomenal

player. Another glorious chapter in their history with their historic

double. It is the stuff of dreams, back in the day Swans fans probably

never thought they would do the double over Manchester United. If

you do the double over Manchester United something big is happening.

The big teams started to fear Swansea city. Garry Monk all of a

sudden was the hottest premier property in the Premier League.

was getting pumped up in Paris ahead of le crunch with the French.

France, Wales, will Wales do it? I am getting a bit excited. With this

game I think Wales will come away with this, I am pretty sure that

Wales can come here and win. Well, it looked like

a pretty good one to us. And then that moment of magic. Rhys

Webb, Dan Lydiate, bigger again, the million-dollar try. Dan Lydiate, the

genius. Every child in Wales was re-enacting that. Send Dan Biggar

in, Leeds Wales again. Ireland came to Wales or guns

blazing, what a match. The Wales defence against Ireland, incredible.

Shaun Edwards is just a legend Tom isn't he? You don't really feel like

they are ever going to be breached, they are so solid.

You couldn't fathom these statistics, Luke Charteris, 31

tackles made. I counted 31 in one phase but how exciting is defence?

It is no tries, no tries, no tries and that defends that day was

heroic. I remember being on my feet going, come on! It is lovely to see.

We also had a bit of flair in Scott Williams. Newcastle -- Newcastle

Emlyn Berrer comes on, incredible. -- boy comes on. Ireland after the

match were distraught, Wales are bouncing back to the dressing room.

and a Welsh track star aptly named Seren was helping Team GB gather up

medals out in Prague at the European Indoor

Great Britain somewhat distance in fifth place but a great chance for

Davis to bring them back into it. She is developing into a great

athlete. Davies trying to get Great Britain into a good position for the

handover. We wanted to know more about her, we needed a new athletics

star and I thought I was glad she was a woman and she is one to look

out for. a trophy since 2007 but this year

two goals in just 108 seconds had Quick shot from the blue line, takes

a huge deflection and the Devils have 8- will -- have a goal lead.

They are champions and the new Iran Wales is very much under way. I'm

believable, couldn't thank them enough, I want to thank everybody

for this opportunity and I feel good right now. -- unbelievable.

Super Saturday ? the Six Nations tournament was coming down

Wales had to run riot in Rome and then pray - heavily.

I can't remember a better day of rugby than that super Saturday, as

it was called. Particularly with the trip to Italy, because we kind of

knew we needed a big score. Up halfway line. The first half just

happens and we are kind of going, where is Wales? They haven't shown

up. The second half, took about Wales coming alive. Amazing. Finds

the space, goes in under the posts. All of a sudden Wales cut loose, ran

riot and we were jumping up and down, I had never seen a Wales

performance like that, devastating attacking rugby. It goes to George

North, you are not go to stop him from there. Dan Biggar drops it in

deep, George North infra hat-trick. He gets there, second-half

hat-trick. I do not -- I don't know what Gatling said in the dressing

room but I want him to say it to me because they were unbelievable. What

a 6 Nations Rhys Webb has had. The boys just went out and played and it

was pure magic. Robertson, Sam Warburton... I think the actual game

made everybody happy in Wales to see our boys run with the ball like they

did, it is just like, run from everywhere, it doesn't matter what

you are doing, just run. Davies has options left and right, finds Scott

Williams, can he do it again? All the way through, Scott Williams.

Yes, another try in this sensational second half for Wales. What was

amazing about that game for Wales was that they almost stuck two

fingers up to people who said, they can't score tries any more. They

proved that when they need to they can play that kind of game.

After 40 minutes of free flowing champagne rugby,

Wales switched off - and in the final seconds

And what part is that going to play in the destination of this year's

Six Nations title? I hope that doesn't come back to want us, I'm

pleased with the way we played in the second half but we were looking

at it as a 40 point win and it was 16 points. You are always looking at

the points difference in the table. I did think they had done enough at

that point after that game to win it. There were some people saying it

is still on and we can still do it, and mathematically it was still

possible, but we kind of knew that it was out of our reach but what a

way to go out. and the English overcame the French

- but the trophy ended up in the massive hands

of Ireland's Paul O'Connell. Island are the RBS Six Nations

champions! there was always hope

but there was always that little bit With the game going to Israel you

always felt, can we really do it? I'd been through too many campaigns

with the Welsh football team to think we are going to actually

qualify. Ramsey's header, goal for Wales! It's Aaron Ramsey! I remember

listening to it on radio Wales and Rob Phillips, I thought he was going

to have a heart attack. Bale takes four, five steps back. Whenever you

see Gareth Bale standing over a free kick it is like he's taking a

penalty so you are always optimistic. Bale hits it, 2-0!

Gareth Bale proves again he's the real deal. Gareth Bale really is the

Roy of the Rovers, he's the star forward. He scores the goal, he

practically breaks the back of the net every time he does score. You

couldn't really ask from any more from Gareth Bale in these

qualifiers. Is delivered time and time again. Wales have won the ball

back Ramsey on the left-hand side of the penalty area, couple of step

overs. Bale! 3-0! It is a brace for Gareth Bale. Wales will top Group

B3- zero, 3-0 against Israel away, unbelievable. We dominated them, we

absolutely ripped them apart. At that point I realised, you know

what, we might not beat Belgium come the end of the year but we are very

much on our way now we have convincingly beaten Israel. Small

part of me that I cannot control started to believe and the 97% of my

rational mind was saying: don't let it into your head, you've been here

before, you've been hurt before. I can't remember which player said it

but after the game post match he said don't get carried away. Right!

We are properly getting carried away ready, the camper vans are already

booked. Not quite time to book

the campervans just yet, But Wales were one step

closer to the Euros. Trophy Final against the mighty

North Ferriby United - I know, we'd never

heard of them either! Opportunity here, Harris, right

footed, 2-0. He whips the ball across and it is in, it is 2-2.

Anyway it was a classic - last-minute, equalisers,

Wrexham are 3-2 down, Kendall with his second of the game. What a goal!

What a goal from Louis Moult, three minutes to go of the 120. And it all

came down to this penalty. 21 years of age. Thomas, it's a poor penalty.

North Ferriby United have won the FA Trophy.

And that was the end for the Wrexham manager ? no more extra

Anscombe goes himself, Gareth Anscombe goes himself. It was an all

Welsh affair at Rodney Parade in the European Challenge Cup

quarterfinals. Some called it the biggest game

in regional rugby history. A thrilling encounter and

the Dragons roared home victorious. The Dragons hang on in there for a

win over the old rivals Blues. Swansea City Women won the FAW Cup ?

this belter from Sarah Adams helped Cardiff Met were Premier League

champions and qualified for Europe ? typical students,

any excuse for a party! And TNS completed a domestic treble,

adding cups to their league Swansea City rounded

off their season in eighth position. Their highest ever Premier League

finish, thanks to some more stonkers from Shelvey and this

gritty win over Arsenal. Bafetimbi Gomis, it is a goal,

Bafetimbi Gomis's header. I love Bafetimbi Gomis, I love life, life

is great. I got absurdly carried away. It is almost clear! Can he get

the support? the Ospreys had one last throw

of the dice against Munster. Flicked wide at Matavesi is outside

him. Steps inside, Matavesi has won it for the Ospreys.

I want to check if there is a knock-on back here. To call it back

it is like the curse of the TMO. Sometimes it's brilliant and

sometimes you think, can you not work.

Pro player of the year Rhys Webb

That is a knock-on, no try, lads. Munster through to the final,

Ospreys denied. It was the cruellest of blows.

Heartbreak for Matavesi and his Ospreys team-mates.

For Barry Boxer Lightning Lee Selby - history beckoned as he was looking

to become only the 12th Welshman to win a world boxing title -

an IBF featherweight belt up for grabs -

Russian Evgeny Gradovich standing in the way.

The new IBF featherweight champion of the world, Lee Selby!

And the new heavyweight champion of the world, Lightning Lee Selby. Yes!

The Barry boy got a hero's welcome back in Barrybados. I didn't expect

this, the whole Town turned up. The big game in Group B, Wales versus

Belgium, on your home of Welsh sport.

Wales-Belgium in Cardiff ? Together Stronger.

A nation full of hope and expectation, Wales can take a big

step towards France next summer with a positive result tonight. The Welsh

boys had such a belief. You could see they actually believed on home

turf against Belgium they could beat them. It is a terrible header

straight to Bale. 1-0, Wales! Gareth Bale strikes again! The moment

Gareth Bale scored was just electrifying. Rugby or football,

I've never experienced anything like it. From then on, from the canton

stand you could hear it. That song travelled around that stadium. It

felt like the players and the fans were all one together, kind of

pushing together. It even gives me goose bumps now, it was incredible.

I've never witnessed that before at any rugby match at the Millennium

Stadium. And it built, and it built, and travelled all the way around. We

are 1-0 up and we are going to win this. I turned to my boys who are

six and seven, and I said I need you to remember this, you have to

remember how special this moment is. Because most of us here have waited

a lifetime to experience this. It was truly magical. The final whistle

goes and a nation believes! Wales have beaten Belgium, ranked second

in the world, thanks to Gareth Bale! The Wales and Belgium match was the

key match. That was the real test. That was saying, are we really that

good? Ranked two in the world and we beat them, not by much but enough

and yet again we didn't concede and yet again Gareth Bale scored,

brilliant. Suddenly I was thinking it is on, and can we dare to dream?

We all talk as Welsh people are football, football, it's rugby! Hang

on, football is going like that now we have the Wale. Everybody knows

how much I want to get to a major tournament with Wales, it's at the

top of my list. And it is on so we will keep working hard to do it.

When the Ashes came to Cardiff for the first test, certain parts

of the English press moaned about the weather -

Lots of people criticise the pitch but what is amazing on a two, three

and four when England were on top those commentators were saying, and

I love Cardiff. By the end of the days all the talk

was of a sell out crowd, a dashing century and a convincing

win for a dominant home team who were on their way

to a series victory. It's a great venue and I think we

have proved once again we can do cricket at the Swalec Stadium. And

you will look back at this! Ashes and says it all started in Cardiff,

it all started in Wales. Two-wheel wonder Geraint Thomas

became the first Brit to win the formidable

E3 Harelbeke - a cobbled classic quite stay on track

at the Tour de France, where he went head to

head with a lamp post. Welsh cyclist Geraint Thomas had a

narrow escape on today's 16th stage of the Tour de France. During the

first descent he was barged off the road and collided with a telegraph

pole before disappearing over the edge of the road. Must admit when I

first saw it I thought it was quite funny because his leg was hanging

off the bike, like when you are a kid, I want to go that way but I

can't. And this is one of the best cyclists in the world. It looked

like you head-butted it. Yes, I feel all right for now. I guess the

doctor will as me my name and my date of birth soon. Can you remember

either? Chris Froome. To get up from that and finish, but not just finish

and keep himself in contention, still sixth overall at that against

the world's best athletes, the guy is a legend. He's brave as a Lion. I

fell off my bike and it took me a year to get back on it. In fact I've

not been back on it after I dissipated my shoulder. I do believe

that one day over the next couple of years he will be the dominant figure

in the Tour de France and that will be great for him, great for Wales

and great for the rest of the world. And Welsh women were stepping up big

time on the world stage everywhere. A silver for Natalie Powell

at the World Judo Masters. More medals for Seren Bundy-Davies

too as she anchored the women's 4x400 relay team to bronze

in Beijing - becoming only the second ever female Welsh athlete

to win a medal at a World Seren Bundy-Davies holding on for

bronze for Great Britain! And triathlete Non Stanford -

back in action after injury - booked her ticket for

the Rio Olympics with a second-place finish at the World

Triathlon Final in Chicago. Back on planet football,

Swansea City continued to shock Garry Monk picked up Premier League

manager of the month in August - after yet another win

over Manchester United. Listen to the noise, for the third

time in a row Swansea have beaten Manchester United 2-1. We have

beaten United, drawn at Chelsea, and I got hugely carried away. I thought

we are probably going to finish second and have a good tilt at the

title, I think. The Rugby World Cup

was edging closer - but who would survive

the brutal boot camps? Who would make it

into the Dragons Den? What I always think is how harsh it

is for those on the periphery of the squad. They turn up thinking I've

got to train even harder to impress the coaching staff to get into that

31 and do all that training and then they go, listen, thanks but no

thanks. Oh my goodness, you must be so gutted.

Two warm-ups against Ireland, one defeat, one victory ?

and it was decision time for Gats ? 48 had to become 31.

Rugby, and Wales coach Warren Gatland has axed read the name

British Lions from his World Cup training squad. See you Phillips,

James Huck, absolutely brutal. When Wales played Italy, if I had

rung Warren Gatland and said, it is one game too far... If I had been in

I would have put the rubbish players on, the ones who are never going to

help you. Don't put Rhys Webb and Halfpenny on, put on the ones who it

doesn't matter if they get injured. It was horrendous, like watching

your kids play in traffic. Then of course it started. Rhys Webb goes

down... You know straightaway it is not good, you know he is out, they

not confirming it but he is out. One of Wales's key players of last year

is going to be taken on a. Extremely bad luck for Rhys Webb. The are to

go down like he did in that innocuous injury, the pain is so

heartbreaking for somebody who has worked so hard to get there. I

really felt for him. I was devastated. At this stage we were

looking at Gatlin saying, get them all off, blow the whistle, we don't

know anything else to go wrong. -- Warren Gatland. And it did. That

does not look good, and after losing Rhys Webb it could be disastrous if

they lose Leigh Halfpenny for the World Cup as well. The nation is

holding their breath because we know how important Bayard to us, the goal

kick and the guy who is really unfair on to score tries to us. To

lose two key players in a meaningless international match was

heartbreaking as a nation but more importantly heartbreaking for those

two lads. It felt like the gods were conspiring against us.

As Wales' remaining rugby players wrapped

themselves in cotton wool, our footballers headed out to Cyprus

- not on a lads' holiday, but to take another scalp.

Crossed into the middle. Goal for Wales! And it is Gareth Bale again.

That goal against Cyprus was just him dragging us to these finals. His

levels of consistency for Wales are better than anybody I have seen. It

was that moment of Roberts when he opens his arms with the biggest

smile on his face and Gareth Bale and the other players running

towards them, and they have this massive hug and I think it

represented the mass of Wales, stronger together. Whales are one

win away from booking their ticket to France. Get the ice and the

champagne ready and get ready to pop those corks.

would guarantee Wales' European spot.

Live football as Wales take on Israel and victory would secure a

place in a major type -- major tournament for the first time since

1958. This was the day we were going to qualify for France.

In the end when I saw Church nick that header I went mental because I

thought we were going to get it. It was headed home by Church but he was

offside. Close but no cigar. Frustration for Chris Coleman and

his men, Israel have been party poopers. Not to be but I am quite

sure that sooner or later we will be celebrating.

a party hosted by England but gatecrashed by Wales.

Even before a ball had been kicked Cardiff felt like the centre of the

World Cup. The ball in the wall marked us as the place to be. There

was such a buzz around the place. It felt like our World Cup, from Kiwis

to South Africa they all came. And everyone loved our FanZone,

especially the Irish. There was that great footage of all

of these thousands of Irish fans in the supporter 's own watching Japan

when they beat South Africa. The buzz was incredible. Japan have

beaten South Africa had -- in the biggest shock in the history of the

Rugby World Cup. I was particularly fond of the Japanese fan, the

bunting Shane Williams. I have never seen such excitement on a man's

face. Oh, Shane Williams, he are here is Shane Williams are it is

Shane Williams, it is Shane Williams! Sorry... Take picture?

Japanese, very famous. No problem. It is OK, buddy. Chill out. OK, and

one for luck. There you are. Oh, so...

Shane Williams! Shane Williams! It was opera singer Wynne Evans who

was given the task of teaching the Welsh team to sing

at the official reception. HE SINGS IN WELSH

They sing in Welsh I just want to say that Saint God

the Welsh rugby team play rugby better than they sing.

And Welsh legend Scott Quinnell was also bringing noise.

And bringing rush-hour London to a standstill with some good

We have to put England under pressure, play a bit wider, be

strong, be powerful. These guys know what it is like to win at Twickenham

and if they go with that mindset, Bowie, it will be a big day.

Come on, Wales! in the bag, Wales arrived

at Twickenham for the biggy. It felt like you could multiply

every single Wales-England match in history, multiply it by ten, and

that was the significance of this game. The Stereophonics, Geraint

Thomas, the Prince, I was living large that they, this is the life!

We were out of it, we were written off, our players were all over the

player, it was curtains for Wales, we were over, we were out, England

were going to win. I thought we were over, but that recovery... And then

little Lloyd Williams... Lloyd Williams did that little chip.

Because he is a scrum-half he in his mind is running the line that Gareth

Davies is running, he knows that, I genuinely believe that. This is

going to happen, they are going to score!

It is almost like the whole world stood still. And the rest, as they

say, is history! Williams kicks, it is chaste I'm,

Gareth Davies picks it up and he is over!

The kick from Dan Biggar! Wales take the lead, extraordinary. Yes! I love

it, I love it. Come on. Then write for the death they kick for touch.

Why would you do that? You would take a draw. That decision for me

sums up the endless. The absolute arrogance of them. And then to watch

them lose was just... It was a wonderful feeling. Five seconds and

counting, back comes the ball to Dan Biggar. And Wales have done it! What

a remarkable victory! A momentous win for Wales! I have never seen

Warren Gatland celebrate like that after a game. I could see how much

that victory meant to him. We did it against all odds, Wales beat England

at Twickenham. What a party. Every single red jersey in the crowd went

mental and everybody at home was going crazy. Yes! Get in there! Get

in there, come on! Chris Lynn jumping up and down in LA is the

social media clip of the year for me. -- Chris Lynn jumping up and

down. It represented how we all felt, just screaming with sheer joy.

Suddenly you look on WhatsApp macro and there is that Spanish guy

laughing. To be honest with you, England

should have won that game. It is almost like they did anything not to

win. What you think the difference was between the two sides? They won

and we lost. This is awkward. There seem to be a lot of turnovers and

penalties, did that have an effect. Yes, it probably cost us the game.

Do you regret going for the penalty? No. Awkward. Do you think you can

put one over them? Hopefully, otherwise we are out both the World

Cup. He was rude and if I had done that I

would have laughed. He did himself no favours, there was no need for

that but I thoroughly enjoyed it. How good was Dan Biggar to quietly

go about his business inventing a new dance move, performing it in

front of thousands of people every week. Everybody is doing the

Biggarena. It is a hair rubbed and... It is

whatever floats your boat. I like doing it, that is really sad,

isn't it? It is like him getting out all his nervous energy. I watch

rugby every Sunday with my children, they are all billing be Biggarena.

It is just William. Because he was programmed at birth, because he is a

machine, they forgot to unprogrammed this bit, so it stops him going,

malfunction, and makes him into the kicker he is.

We were legitimately allowed to support Australia because it

mattered to us. I have never seen so many Wales fans buying Australia

shirts. There was a tweet by the lovely Divina McCall, who I am a fan

of, but she was very disappointed that as a nation we couldn't support

England on that day. Wake up, Divina! It is us or you, love.

# Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda... Please Walt 's, Matilda

is, in Twickenham tonight. Funny. England have just lost to

Australia. We haven't beaten England leading up to that until 2012.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster says... Gutted to be going out of

the World Cup, and obviously our World Cup. England are knocked out

after losing to Australia. A great night for Wales, though. England do

not go out of the group stages of your home World Cup. Cue up more of

the YouTube clips, having a Cue more crazy YouTube clips -

all having a laugh at It mattered for our path to the

final. Beaten Australia would have given us and easier path. Australia

are down to 13 men and Wales must go for the jugular. You are thinking,

hello, a couple of tries here or at least one. We looked like we were

going to school for ten minutes, it looked like a try was a certainty.

George North goes back inside, he is over the try-line. Has he got it?

No, he has been held up again. Somehow it didn't happen and we just

knew, this is not going to be our night. I can't tell you how we

didn't score. I'm not sure Wales could have done any more than they

did, sometimes you just have to go, it is not going to be our day. We

could have won that game, we were over the line, you can't do much

more than that. We score that and everything changes.

Wales football - with another chance to clinch qualification.

Wales go to Bosnia and we only need a point, surely this is it. The

corner comes across. It is turned in by a Bisevac, Wales have lost 2-0 --

Ibisevic. We lose in Bosnia and it feels like the end of the world.

Wales lose and you are thinking, you know what, I've been here too many

times. Don't tell me this is going to happen, don't tell me we have

done all the hard work and it's going to come unstuck here now.

While we watched Chris Coleman looking particularly glum walking

around the pitch saying, sorry, we have lost, on the screen that there

is a little television telling you Cyprus have beaten Israel which

means we are there. Q total pandemonium. Chris Coleman's men,

despite being beaten here, have freed Welsh football from the

shackles of their history. I started crying, not clubbing, but I suddenly

got incredibly emotional. Seeing all the players sliding around on the

pitch and Chris Coleman being given the bumps. The Joe Ledley dance

going on. It was utter chaos and brilliant to watch. It just summed

up how tight this team are, what a United bunch of players they are.

You can sort out the holiday plans for the summer because Wales are

going to the Euro 2016 finals. We should be there, we always should

have been there for stock now 57 years later we are going to be there

and it's lovely. Could Welsh rugby match

the achievements of the football It is Justin Marshall here again, I

am back. First up quarterfinal one, Wales versus South Africa at

Twickenham. Prediction for this from me is that Wales will sneak home.

Now you're thinking, he's just saying this because it's on Welsh

TV. Time for some gladiator-style

inspiration from an eight-year old from Aberdare -

look out Eddie Butler! Wales, today you will be strong.

Take responsibility for your country. 3 million people believe in

you. You will be fearless. Will be winners.

So Wales back at HQ, again, for a Rugby World Cup quarter-final,

against that dangerous animal ? the Springbok.

I think if anyone had told us before the World Cup after all of those

injuries in the warm up games that we would even get out of the group

we would have taken it. But by the time you get to the quarterfinal

your expectations are right up here, you think we've made it this far and

there is no reason we can't beat South Africa. We've done it, we know

we can do it. Gareth Davies's try, but more importantly Dan Biggar's

kick chase, the three quarters up and under. Dan Biggar at the 22,

still going, passes it on to Gareth Davies and Gareth Davies scores for

Wales. The longer the game was going on the more confident I was

becoming. As a nation we were becoming. The Welsh team believed

they could win it but in rugby it doesn't always go your way. Du Preez

is over in the corner. Again, I suppose it was a game we could have

won and once again it wasn't meant to be. The boys can hold their heads

up high, they did us proud. So we went in the final but there was a

certain Welshman who was. Nigel Owens will referee this weekend's

World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand. Nigel Owens, is he

a referee or a celebrity now? I'm not sure. Our Nigel getting the

World Cup final, we're not going to hear the end of this now, he's going

to be unbearable. In the final, Richie McCaw's

All Blacks lifted the trophy and Sonny Bill Williams

lifted our spirits. I thought Nigel's performance was

brilliant and he stood up to show he's one of the best referees in the

world, if not the best. As a nation, not only should we be proud of our

team but we should be proud of Sir Nigel of Owens.

From Sir Nigel of Owens to Sir Gareth of Edwards.

Gareth Edwards, widely regarded as Wales's best ever rugby player has

been awarded at a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Another Welsh athlete dominating on a world scale -

Hollie Arnold - the IPC Championships in Doha -

The Welsh were really throwing their weight around out

there ? a leaner, meaner Aled Sion Davies had already been

smashing his own world records all year when he smashed out more

What I think he's doing, and he's clever here, he's throwing it just

far enough. He can actually throw it a lot further but he throws it just

far enough to keep breaking his world record. Everyone reckons I'm

just breaking it one bit at a time but I'm honestly not. I just seem to

get it one bit at a time. The big jumps will come. Captain marvellous,

as I call him. What can I say about him? He just keeps on winning medals

at the medals. He's like the Usain Bolt of his sport, I reckon.

From the deserts of Doha in the Middle East to the wild wild

west of North America - featherweight world champion

Lee Selby was looking to defend his title.

I'm a world champion so I want world wide recognition and I want to fight

in America and look good. Standing in his way,

the Mexican Fernando Montiel. Selby really dominating the last

minute and would appear to be on the verge of a strong decision victory

here tonight. ANNOUNCER: And still featherweight

champion, Lee the Barry boy assassin, Selby.

He has incredible self belief, he is silky smooth and when you see him

fight, to me he looks unbeatable. He's a real warrior, he looks like a

boxer and he means business as well. He's the real deal, this Die once

it. Again, is great for Wales. Those athletes who are pushing the

boundaries. You little beauty. The teenage

kicking superstar from North Wales is the Olympic champion.

Since 2012 our golden girl Jade Jones had been a bit quiet.

This year she did not have a particularly good start to the

season. She had kind of lost her Mojo a little bit and her hunger and

it was hard to go to training. You could understand it.

Nicknamed the HeadHunter Jade had a point to prove -

She had the home Grand Prix in Manchester and she went 4-0 down to

one of her biggest rivals. With the Spanish girl if you go down it is

hard to get her back because she is really a evasive. I got one point

back and I thought I'm not losing in front of my home crowd, I caught her

in the head and she was phased and stunned and I kept going and came

back from 4-0 down. It was an amazing win.

Jade's Grand Prix victory cemented her place as the world

number one head-kicker and confirmed she'll get the chance

to defend her Olympic crown in Brazil next year.

Anyone that doubted her, I think she has proved them wrong now. And just

excited for her now. She's done the hard work and she can concentrate on

Rio. As she says I'm sure she will go back and kick a few heads, she

enjoys doing that. When you chat to hurt you would never think she does

tae kwon do because she is this beautiful lovely girl until she

tries to kick you in the head but luckily with me she has never tried

to do that. Welsh swimmer Jazz

Carlin made a splash at the

Swimming World Cup in Qatar winning two silvers in the 800m

and 400m freestyle. And then grabbed golds

at the European Champs in Israel. Wales' Hannah Mills

was making waves too. sailed to the top of

the World Rankings in the 470 class and look like serious

medal contenders for Rio. And in rugby league Wales

became European champions The pressure is mounting tonight on

Swansea City manager Garry Monk. You get somewhere and then you get

setback, it's frustrating for me and the players. One win in 11, have

scored in seven of those, Garry Monk says he takes responsible at it, how

does he turn it around? The next couple of games are crucial for

Swansea and they have got to find a whim. At the moment I don't think

they will go down. There are problems in the club and I can't put

my finger on it and it really worries me. After weeks of

speculation Swansea City parted company with Garry Monk. The team

have won once in the last 13 games and lie one point from the Premier

League's relegation zone. Club chairman Huw Jenkins said he took

the decision to part with Garry Monk reluctantly and with a heavy heart.

This is what makes modern football so absolutely bonkers. Let's not

forget Garry Monk won Manager of the Month. There seems to be no loyalty

and football any more. How can you go from a possible future England

manager to not being good enough for the team that you guided to eighth

position in the Premier League? At the Wales Sports Awards Hannah

Brier and Matt Story picked up the Carwyn James Prize for most

promising young sports stars. Sir Gareth Edwards was given

the Lifetime Achievement. And the BBC Cymru Wales Sports

Personality of the Year award went Team of the Year Award to the Welsh

football side, and Chris Coleman scooped up the prize for best coach.

Preparations for the Euros began with a friendly

Joe Allan has never scored for Wales. It is in. A goal from the

bearded Joe Ledley gives a chance to see that dance one last time. And

what about Hughes's header? Hughes will remember this moment for the

rest of his life. But in the end it was a Dutch masterclass. Arjen

Robben strikes again. A 3-2 defeat at the moment we had all been

waiting for, the draw for Euro 2016. Wales. Wales drawn in Paul B with

Russia, Slovakia and England. -- pool the.

I'd like to wish the Welsh football team all the best. Good luck. If

everyone who said to me, I will see you in France, Jason, there would be

nobody left here. We love to sing, we love to dance,

we got our passports and we are off to France. Almost everyone I've

spoken to said CU in France, see you in Nantes, see you in Marseille. --

C U in France. We will all go on some pilgrimage, we should go in

single file car and drive through France together, 80,000 camper vans.

That would be great, I can't wait. I can't wait, I'm so excited.