:00:05. > :00:15.Good evening and welcome to Wales Today. It's the eve of another
:00:15. > :00:15.
:00:15. > :00:20.Grand Slam but the occasion is Former Wales captain Mervyn Davies
:00:20. > :00:27.has died at the age of 65. Part of the 1970's golden era, his friends
:00:27. > :00:31.and former team-mates pay tribute. The words "great" and "legends" are
:00:31. > :00:36.used so freely these these days, he was iconic. He was one of the
:00:36. > :00:40.greatest players I have played with. The side of today are aiming for a
:00:40. > :00:45.third Grand Slam in eight years. Captain Sam Warburton says it's the
:00:45. > :00:49.biggest game of his career. It is something you always want to take
:00:49. > :00:56.part in. Every time I trained as a teenager it was to play in games
:00:56. > :00:59.like this. It is a privilege to play here.
:00:59. > :01:09.$WHITE Everyone wants to get their hands on the trophy and these
:01:09. > :01:09.
:01:09. > :01:15.school kids are hoping it's Sam Warburton tomorrow.
:01:15. > :01:18.We are in Ty Croes where there is a special atmosphere.
:01:18. > :01:28.Also tonight - The Swansea-born Archbishop of Canterbury, with a
:01:28. > :01:37.
:01:37. > :01:41.taste for Welsh tradition, steps Good evening and welcome to Wales
:01:41. > :01:48.Today live from the Millennium Stadium. Tomorrow afternoon, Wales
:01:48. > :01:51.will try to win the Grand Slam. Today the build up to the game has
:01:51. > :01:58.been tinged with great sadness as we learned that former Wales
:01:58. > :02:00.Captain Mervyn Davies had died. The 65-year-old, known as Merv the
:02:00. > :02:10.Swerve, won two Grand Slams and three Triple Crowns during the
:02:10. > :02:18.1970's. Today, tributes have been pouring in all day from former
:02:19. > :02:23.teams-mates. At the Millennium Stadium plans are in place to
:02:23. > :02:26.remember him tomorrow afternoon. Flags are at half mast, a minute's
:02:26. > :02:34.silence will be held ahead of kick off and Wales will wear black
:02:34. > :02:44.armbands in his honour. Today he's been called "an outstanding player
:02:44. > :02:52.
:02:52. > :02:58.of his generation." Mervyn Davies, as captain of Wales as they won the
:02:58. > :03:05.Grand Slam. Thomas Mervyn Davies, the man who
:03:05. > :03:11.would be known as Merv the Swerve. Born in 1946 in Swansea you tended
:03:11. > :03:13.the local school and developed a love of rugby. It was at 22 and the
:03:14. > :03:19.move to London as the primary school teacher that things does
:03:19. > :03:28.serious. He played for London Welsh. Within a year the number 8 had won
:03:28. > :03:34.his first cap for Wales. He has done a lot of useful work. We were
:03:34. > :03:42.in desperate for line-out forwards and the captain of the second team
:03:42. > :03:48.said there was a boy in their team, a number 8, he is big but he could
:03:48. > :03:52.win line-out ball. He is not very good though! He is worth it for
:03:52. > :03:58.that so we put him in the first team. Lo and behold, six games
:03:58. > :04:03.later he was playing for Wales. decided at a moustache would make
:04:03. > :04:10.him appear more aggressive on the rugby field. He played 38 times for
:04:10. > :04:16.his country. Mervyn Davies. It is beautifully laid back for Gareth
:04:16. > :04:21.Edwards. Part of the 1970s Golden Era, he won two Grand Slams and
:04:21. > :04:27.three Triple crowns and became captain in 1975. Throughout the
:04:27. > :04:36.ages I think his name will go down as the best number 8. He was a
:04:36. > :04:42.strong character, true, almost as a player. He was sincere, he was
:04:42. > :04:51.without question very loyal and an honest player. He would be the
:04:51. > :04:58.first name I would put down as a number 8 in that international 15.
:04:58. > :05:07.As a British and Irish lie in, he toured New Zealand and South Africa.
:05:07. > :05:12.-- lion. Merv the Swerve became a legend.
:05:12. > :05:18.He was a great man. He was the greatest number 8 the world has
:05:18. > :05:25.ever seen. You talk about icons in rugby, this man was a one. In
:05:25. > :05:32.lovely, lovely man. The career ended suddenly. He collapsed and
:05:32. > :05:41.suffered a brain haemorrhage. He survived, lucky to be alive but a
:05:41. > :05:44.playing career was over. You are looking pretty well. I don't
:05:44. > :05:50.remember the first few weeks but the operation itself was very
:05:50. > :05:54.successful. Rugby fans voted 10 their greatest ever was captain and
:05:54. > :06:03.Welsh No. 8. In 2001 the was inducted into the International
:06:03. > :06:13.Rugby Hall of fame. The last game was the proudest owned -- moment of
:06:13. > :06:14.
:06:14. > :06:19.my life in a Welsh should. We were playing France. It was of them at
:06:19. > :06:25.for the championship. It is Mervyn Davies once again. He has played a
:06:25. > :06:31.captain's role when you consider he got a knock early on in the match.
:06:31. > :06:36.We wind mac the Grand Slam against France in Cardiff. He got in there
:06:36. > :06:42.just before half-time. I am telling you had Mervyn Davies gone off we
:06:42. > :06:49.would not have won a grand slam. He inspired us and put his body on the
:06:49. > :06:55.line. It's a remarkable player. Mervyn Davies dies at the age of 65
:06:55. > :06:58.after a long battle with cancer. Flags are flying at half-mast
:06:58. > :07:05.outside the Millennium Stadium, Wales will wear black armbands
:07:05. > :07:14.tomorrow. Players and fans pay respect to one of the best recruit
:07:14. > :07:18.players Wales has produced. I am joined by a Peter Jackson and the
:07:18. > :07:25.double Grand Slam winner, Graham Price who played under his
:07:25. > :07:29.captaincy. What kind of man was see? He was always one of my Euros.
:07:29. > :07:34.When I was in my late teens I always looked at to this great
:07:34. > :07:39.Welsh side. A few of them had played for the Lions and had won
:07:39. > :07:46.against the All Blacks. He stood out because he was a forward like
:07:46. > :07:51.myself. He wasn't one of the glory boys. When I ended up playing
:07:51. > :07:55.alongside him and as my captain, he would not ask you to do anything he
:07:55. > :08:01.would not do. He was prepared to put his body on the line. You say
:08:01. > :08:06.you did a like playing against him. He had this knack of diving over
:08:06. > :08:10.the wreck and kill the ball and not get caught. It was great when he
:08:10. > :08:18.was in our side that when he was playing against us, it got really
:08:18. > :08:23.irritating! You saw him play many times, he was a great man, a great
:08:23. > :08:31.ambassador for Wales. Great is an overworked word these days but he
:08:31. > :08:36.was a great. It is a privilege to spoke -- speak about him. He was
:08:36. > :08:41.wonderfully and conventional. He went to an unfashionable school in
:08:41. > :08:45.Swansea so never had any engage recognition. He went to London to
:08:45. > :08:53.qualify as a schoolteacher. His first game in English rugby was fog
:08:53. > :08:58.all at Guildford. -- for all killed for it. He went to London Welsh and
:08:58. > :09:04.within six months he was treading - - winning his first cap for Wales
:09:04. > :09:11.again Scotland. He had a wonderful record. 20 games at the old Arms
:09:11. > :09:16.Park. He only lost one and that was to the All Blacks in 1972. He was a
:09:16. > :09:21.magnificent character and wonderfully self-deprecating. I
:09:21. > :09:25.remembered Graham's first Grand Slam in 1976. We were in the
:09:25. > :09:33.dressing room so and he was sat in the corner, puffing away at his
:09:33. > :09:40.cigarette. How do you follow that? And he said, three ground Slams in
:09:40. > :09:46.a row. So I told him it had never been done before. He said his team
:09:46. > :09:51.had much more to achieve. Had he not had the brain haemorrhage three
:09:51. > :09:55.weeks later he would have captained the Lions in New Zealand in 1977
:09:55. > :10:00.and who would has said that Wales would not have had three Grand
:10:00. > :10:05.Slams. You are playing in that game when he had the brain haemorrhage.
:10:05. > :10:09.We did not know what had happened at the time. There were no action
:10:09. > :10:15.replays, No screens. It wasn't until the Monday night on
:10:15. > :10:24.television when we saw exactly what had happened. It was a tragic way
:10:24. > :10:32.of ending his rugby career. will you remember him? I used to do
:10:32. > :10:38.a line-out move and are also -- always used to come on appeal.
:10:38. > :10:45.you? Rind about that time all the viewers will remember there were
:10:45. > :10:54.some great number AIDS. -- to round about that time there were some
:10:54. > :11:04.great number eights. The biggest UB's was paid to him, of all the
:11:04. > :11:04.
:11:04. > :11:08.players in the 1971 series, Mervyn Davies had the biggest impact.
:11:08. > :11:18.thanks for your memories. Mervyn Davies knew how to win and
:11:18. > :11:21.there's a job to do tomorrow as Wales hunt a Grand Slam. Whether
:11:21. > :11:24.Sam Warburton be lifting best tomorrow? The French fans have
:11:24. > :11:33.arrived and they're determined to spoil the Welsh party. Ashleigh
:11:33. > :11:38.Crowter reports. It is not quite supper on a -- in
:11:39. > :11:43.Paris. The fans from France have been pouring into the capital all
:11:43. > :11:47.they are looking forward to events at the Millennium Stadium and they
:11:47. > :11:55.are great admirers of the Welsh team. They're very young. They are
:11:55. > :11:59.very keen. It is good for the next World Cup. The Wales team is the
:11:59. > :12:03.only team that can win something tomorrow. We will see what happens.
:12:03. > :12:07.There has been a quiet confidence in the Wales camp all week. They
:12:07. > :12:12.have a young side that is not scarred by years of disappointment.
:12:12. > :12:15.Play without fear is the message from the coaches. They do carry one
:12:16. > :12:21.substantial bit of emotional baggage. That World Cup semi-final
:12:21. > :12:28.defeat to France. Sam Warburton was controversially sent off for rape
:12:28. > :12:35.dangerous tackle. There is no bitterness soft -- -- 48 dangerous
:12:35. > :12:42.tackle. There is no bitterness. have to erase the memories of the
:12:42. > :12:46.World Cup. That has been a pure motivation from the players from
:12:46. > :12:52.day one. It is going to be Martyn Williams! Of we have been here
:12:52. > :13:00.before. Four years ago Wales B's France to win a Grand Slam at the
:13:00. > :13:05.lead -- the Millennium Stadium. That would match the success of the
:13:05. > :13:08.legendary team of the 1970s whose victory over France in 1978
:13:08. > :13:12.completed their own grandson hat- trick. They have been treated like
:13:12. > :13:19.folk heroes ever since. It is amazing we're talking about that
:13:19. > :13:24.team from the 1970s who won three Grand Slams. Everyone knows Gareth,
:13:24. > :13:29.Gerald and CPR. If wears a mask their achievements tomorrow it will
:13:29. > :13:36.be that they went they can move on. -- if Wales matched their
:13:36. > :13:45.achievements. He what comes after it you don't appreciate it until it
:13:45. > :13:49.is all over. I it is hoped these boys can put them notch on the peg
:13:49. > :13:53.and in years to come look back and enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed
:13:53. > :13:57.it. Apter to have a 50,000 people are expected in the capital
:13:57. > :14:03.yesterday and those who can't get into the stadium will watch the
:14:03. > :14:07.match in pubs. Nurse will be frayed all over the country but this a
:14:07. > :14:12.male voice choir are one group who need to keep it together. -- nerves
:14:12. > :14:17.will be frayed. They have been chosen to sing the national anthems
:14:17. > :14:21.before the game which has meant learning the words to the French
:14:21. > :14:25.national anthem. They are casting my mind back to doing French in
:14:25. > :14:29.school! It is quite tricky. If all goes to plan Sam Warburton should
:14:29. > :14:36.get his hands on the Six Nations Trophy at around half past four
:14:36. > :14:42.tomorrow. It is already here, sending the pupils into an early
:14:42. > :14:45.Grand Slam friends the! By tomorrow they will not be the only ones. But
:14:45. > :14:50.Much more on the build-up and the views from fans at Tycroes rugby
:14:50. > :14:52.club still ahead. I'll see you in a few minutes.
:14:52. > :14:57.The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has announced that he'll
:14:57. > :15:00.step down at the end of the year. Doctor Williams, who's from the
:15:00. > :15:04.Swansea Valley and is the former Archbishop of Wales, is to take a
:15:04. > :15:07.senior position at Cambridge University. During his ten years in
:15:07. > :15:10.office, he's guided the Anglican Communion through one of the most
:15:10. > :15:19.difficult periods in its history as it faced divisions over issues of
:15:19. > :15:23.sexuality and the ordination of women. Caroline Evans reports.
:15:23. > :15:29.He is the first ever Welsh Archbishop of Canterbury. Stepping
:15:29. > :15:34.down, he says it has not been easy. Here where he was elected
:15:34. > :15:39.Archbishop of Wales in 1999, his successor says people will not
:15:39. > :15:43.realise the extent of his contribution until he is gone.
:15:43. > :15:49.is head and shoulders above anybody else. He is able to think deeply
:15:49. > :15:54.about issues. He is a holy man, he is an approachable man. He does not
:15:54. > :15:58.stand on ceremony. To have that combination in an Archbishop of
:15:58. > :16:03.Canterbury is incredible. During his time in the Church in Wales he
:16:03. > :16:08.was known for his liberal views on gay rights and on the role of women
:16:08. > :16:13.in the church. His main achievement as head of the 77 million-strong
:16:13. > :16:18.Anglican Communion will be the -- despite that deep divisions these
:16:18. > :16:23.issues are causing he has avoided its collapse. He has not had an
:16:23. > :16:28.easy ride. It is unfortunate he became at Bishop at a time when the
:16:28. > :16:32.Communion was being driven apart by issues of human sexuality. What he
:16:32. > :16:37.has tried to do is to halt the Church together. Whatever his own
:16:37. > :16:42.personal views. A despite his international profile he has kept
:16:42. > :16:47.his links with Wales. Already an honorary member of the National
:16:47. > :16:51.Eisteddfod, in 2006 he was the first that could -- as Bishop a
:16:51. > :17:00.Canterbury to visit the National Eisteddfod. -- Archbishop of
:17:00. > :17:05.Canterbury. There is a moral politics in Wales are very near the
:17:05. > :17:10.surface which is very precious. will leave at the end of December
:17:10. > :17:14.in time to take up his new role in January. Throughout his time as
:17:14. > :17:21.Archbishop of Canterbury he has always spent one weekend every year
:17:21. > :17:24.in Wales. Perhaps not by accident next weekend he will be coming home.
:17:24. > :17:28.Newly elected Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood, says she expects to
:17:28. > :17:31.see an independent Wales in her lifetime. Ms Wood said if people in
:17:31. > :17:39.Scotland vote Yes in a referendum on independence in 2014, Wales will
:17:39. > :17:42.need to decide where it wants to go. Meanwhile a Welsh Conservative MP
:17:42. > :17:44.has criticised the Prime Minister's approach to Scottish devolution,
:17:44. > :17:48.warning that the Welsh Tories should look at recent events in
:17:48. > :17:50.Scotland with trepidation. Aberconwy MP Guto Bebb is warning
:17:50. > :17:53.that "merely tolerating devolution" is no longer an option for the
:17:53. > :18:03.Conservatives and that the Welsh Government should have some tax-
:18:03. > :18:04.
:18:04. > :18:08.raising powers. What I am saying is we can't afford
:18:08. > :18:13.either to see a situation arise where resentment in the England to
:18:13. > :18:16.was the devolution settlement in Scotland will lead to a dangerous
:18:16. > :18:18.break-up of the Union. It would be dangerous from the Welsh point of
:18:18. > :18:21.view. It's been confirmed that the
:18:21. > :18:24.Llandudno Smokery is closing with the loss of seven jobs. Liquidators
:18:24. > :18:28.have been called in to the business which had been operating for more
:18:28. > :18:30.than 25 years. The company had won awards for its produce and
:18:30. > :18:35.customers included London's Selfridges store. Rising costs have
:18:35. > :18:39.been blamed for the closure. Football - Swansea City could go up
:18:39. > :18:41.to eighth in the Premier League tomorrow if they win away at Fulham.
:18:41. > :18:46.In the Championship, Cardiff City entertain Burnley on Sunday.
:18:46. > :18:49.Meanwhile Newport County are 90 minutes away from a Wembley final.
:18:49. > :18:59.They take a 3-1 advantage into the second leg of their FA Trophy semi-
:18:59. > :18:59.
:18:59. > :19:05.final at Wealdstone. For the club it has had a tough
:19:05. > :19:12.time this year. The chairman of the Board and the players, and the
:19:12. > :19:16.staff, they are working for success. We know that we need to stay in the
:19:16. > :19:20.Blue Square Premier. This will be a fantastic achievement for the club.
:19:20. > :19:24.That's it from me. Let's head back to the Millennium Stadium now and
:19:24. > :19:30.rejoin Claire. Wales has fans in every corner of
:19:30. > :19:33.the world. And one man in Hollywood will be getting up early to watch
:19:33. > :19:39.the game. Actor and TV personality David Hasselhoff has become an avid
:19:39. > :19:49.fan through his Welsh girlfriend, Hayley. I spoke to them via webcam
:19:49. > :19:53.at home in LA and David told me just why he loves watching Wales.
:19:53. > :19:57.knew a little bit about rugby because some members of my family
:19:57. > :20:03.has played rugby in college and I love the game. I did not know the
:20:03. > :20:08.rules. I find out that Haley was an avid fan. When I started dating her
:20:08. > :20:14.I'd got fairly involved because it moves faster than American football.
:20:14. > :20:20.It is an exciting game. She knows all the rules. I don't know all of
:20:20. > :20:25.them! Chinos the different players. George North, Leigh Halfpenny and
:20:25. > :20:32.Jamie Roberts. We were coming back from the World Cup in New Zealand
:20:32. > :20:38.and I was absolutely gutted that France beat Wales in the semi-final.
:20:38. > :20:43.This is time for their revenge. I think we are absolutely going to
:20:43. > :20:51.win. Big game against England was the most amazing game I have never
:20:51. > :20:58.seen. They played their back a hundred times. That last try, did
:20:58. > :21:05.he? Did not? England was all some bets Wales did not give up. He is
:21:05. > :21:12.really passionate. I was showing him some clips on YouTube. He is
:21:12. > :21:22.like a Welsh fan. Believe, believe Commons see yourself winning this
:21:22. > :21:25.victory. Just believe. What supporters!
:21:25. > :21:28.So fans across the world are eagerly awaiting kick off but from
:21:28. > :21:30.Los Angeles to Carmarthenshire the nerves are building, and there's a
:21:30. > :21:36.French flavour at Tycroes rugby club tonight. Cemlyn Davies is
:21:36. > :21:43.there. The atmosphere is building here.
:21:43. > :21:47.Believe it or not, we are in a Welsh rugby club this evening! The
:21:47. > :21:52.French array in town. More than 60 of them have made the trip across
:21:52. > :21:58.the channel and all the way along the M4 motorway here. Have a quick
:21:58. > :22:08.look at these pictures because just a little bit early on, the home
:22:08. > :22:09.
:22:09. > :22:18.side took on eight French a rugby club. The final score was a Welsh
:22:18. > :22:23.when 28th-17. Let's hope that is a sign of things to come. Why have
:22:23. > :22:30.you invite a door these Frenchmen here? A reason why we have invited
:22:30. > :22:34.them here is because there is a strong established relationship
:22:35. > :22:43.between the two rugby clubs. We are celebrating our centenary as we
:22:43. > :22:48.speak. What better way to invite friends to enter either celebration.
:22:48. > :22:57.75 of them have come over from France. Tomorrow they will watch
:22:57. > :23:03.the a fine -- the matter in Cardiff. That is because you have given them
:23:03. > :23:08.your ticket! Thanks to the members of the Rugby Club here every single
:23:08. > :23:15.visiting French man and Lady have got a ticket for tomorrow's game.
:23:15. > :23:25.To tell us why does Matt what you think will happen tomorrow. There
:23:25. > :23:29.
:23:29. > :23:34.is a big challenge for the last match for the French team. The
:23:34. > :23:39.French must finish the tournament on a positive note. I think it will
:23:39. > :23:49.be a beautiful match. Bit is the revenge after the semi-final of the
:23:49. > :23:53.World Cup. Back to the stadium and the weather forecast now. Will the
:23:53. > :23:58.weather played all this weekend? More details on that in just a
:23:58. > :24:01.It shouldn't be too bad for the rugby but it's looking changeable
:24:01. > :24:04.for the weekend after some fairly settled weather this week. It's
:24:04. > :24:06.more a mix of sunshine and showers. The high pressure's cleared
:24:06. > :24:16.eastwards so a more Atlantic influence to our weather fronts
:24:16. > :24:19.move in, bringing rain on and off at times. The breeze picking up too.
:24:19. > :24:23.This evening a band of rain across Cardigan Bay becomes lighter and
:24:23. > :24:26.more showery as it moves southeastwards. We could still see
:24:26. > :24:31.10-15 mm on high ground, some mist and hill fog with temperatures
:24:31. > :24:35.holding up between six and eight Celsius. So a relatively mild night
:24:35. > :24:39.to come. Tomorrow is mixed, plenty of cloud with some brighter spells
:24:39. > :24:43.too and hit and miss showers or longer spells of rain, like April
:24:43. > :24:47.showers. They're heaviest in the west with a risk of hail and
:24:47. > :24:49.thunder. Not much wind to push them through, so drier in the east with
:24:49. > :24:57.some sunshine helping temperatures into double figures along the
:24:57. > :25:00.Marches. If you're in Cardiff for the Six Nations final the roof will
:25:00. > :25:06.stay open. It looks partly cloudy with some bright spells but with a
:25:06. > :25:10.risk of the odd shower. It's cooler on Saturday night into Sunday
:25:10. > :25:15.morning. A few early showers but turning brighter from the north-
:25:15. > :25:18.west through the day. Drier with some sunshine but a north-westerly
:25:18. > :25:26.breeze making it feel fresh at 8 Celsius in Conwy and along the
:25:26. > :25:28.north Wales coast. 10 or 11 in the south which are more typical
:25:28. > :25:31.temperatures for mid March. So a changeable weekend. Looking
:25:31. > :25:34.brighter for Mothering Sunday. Next week starts mild and breezy for a
:25:34. > :25:39.time but from the middle of the week the weather looks like
:25:40. > :25:43.settling down with high pressure So the scene is set. Tomorrow the
:25:43. > :25:46.Millennium Stadium could become a theatre of dreams. On eve of the
:25:46. > :25:51.match I'll leave you tonight with words from the Welsh Rugby Union's
:25:51. > :25:54.first artist-in-residence, writer Owen Sheers. Fans will come
:25:54. > :25:58.together here tomorrow not only to remember one of the best, Mervyn
:25:58. > :26:07.Davies, but to hopefully celebrate a third Grand Slam in eight years.
:26:07. > :26:12.Enjoy the game, goodnight!. There are moments in history when a
:26:12. > :26:18.nation becomes a stadium. A country's is an speech tide turns
:26:18. > :26:21.in one direction. When a population leans from sofas, pub stools in
:26:21. > :26:25.village halls to watch. Or strain to listen in cars at the sides of
:26:25. > :26:30.roads or in tractor cabs, stilled in silent fields. There are moments
:26:30. > :26:34.when there are many, through the few, become one. A faithful but
:26:34. > :26:44.demanding tribe fed by the past, hungry for a win but also more, for
:26:44. > :26:48.
:26:48. > :26:53.beauty as well as strength. For art But romance, history, fervour and
:26:53. > :26:59.the privilege of watchers only. For the men who must do, homers carry
:26:59. > :27:06.this burden, fuelled by the colour of they Jersey, they can be no past
:27:06. > :27:11.or future but only now. For them those 80 minutes will be in every
:27:11. > :27:15.living present composed of the angle of their rents, or the
:27:15. > :27:19.learned set piece which like a trigger will fire their line to
:27:19. > :27:23.light the match. It will be the focus practice of for their bodies
:27:23. > :27:29.have learned on the training pitch. The thousands of hours of solitary
:27:30. > :27:35.pain, the sacrifice which has led them and them alone to this. A
:27:35. > :27:41.nation watching. Sharing a pulse as the clock counts up to the final
:27:41. > :27:46.whistle and then in an instant now becomes then. The moment, whichever
:27:46. > :27:51.way it falls, cast for ever and there is to carry for the rest of