Lets be honest Wales could win the Grand Slam for the next three years and recieve absolutely no credit from the English (and other home nations) press, pundits, supporters and media.
I remember one year when we won it, and Brian Moore was all "you may have won the championship but let's see what you are like in the summer against the SH".
So we went away and beat Argentina comfortably in a test series and the English press were all..
"They may have won the championship and did well in the SH but let's see what they are like in the Autumn internationals".
Wales won all their autumn internationals that year..and Brian Moore was "ok they may be in a 9 match winning streak but let's see what they are like in the Six Nations, England and Ireland are superb now..Wales won the six nations Grand Slam, and it was all ok "let's see what they achieve in the World cup"
Frankly rugby is a business, a professional sport on and off the pitch, there is no way on earth the English rugby industry is going to give Welsh players and coaches any credit at all going into a Lions year.
There will always be something, anything negative that can be said will be repeated a thousand times over.
Wales are Boribg.
Wales are Lucky.
Wales are not a great side.
Wales have awful players.
Frankly Wales players will always have it all to prove, constantly because of the self serving contempt of their bitter rivals and professional competitors, for the money pot.
It isn't about nation v nation anymore..in the pro era... it is about private company v private company. Financial investment v financial investment. PR company v PR company.
So let's just be happy for Wales if they win it, just this once...and realise the people who don't want you to be happy, want you to be outraged, angry or spiteful and want to put out shitty narratives during and after the match..and want to divide you, are just in it for a buck.
Another Grand Slam.
If Wales win the Grand Slam, fair play to them. Great achievement, as with their previous ones; this one all the more so for being so unexpected.
The title of the OP made me think that Grand Slams feel much more common these days than when I were a kid. Do any stattos know if that's true? If so, it would seem strange as the various 6Ns (or 5 of them at least) have been just as level and up-and-down in standard as ever over the past 10 years or so. There was a period when England and France hockeyed the others and effectively Le Crunch was for the GS - or at least, so it felt before England would lose one unexpectedly - but that was way back in the 90s and early 00s anyway.
The title of the OP made me think that Grand Slams feel much more common these days than when I were a kid. Do any stattos know if that's true? If so, it would seem strange as the various 6Ns (or 5 of them at least) have been just as level and up-and-down in standard as ever over the past 10 years or so. There was a period when England and France hockeyed the others and effectively Le Crunch was for the GS - or at least, so it felt before England would lose one unexpectedly - but that was way back in the 90s and early 00s anyway.
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Plato’sCave
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It’s possible we can win it.
If we do that would mean almost 24% of all 6 nations championships would have been Welsh Slams. Which would be a pretty solid stat.
We currently stand at 20% of all 6N are Welsh Slams, which isn’t too shabby.
As for all sides, a slam is every other year on average
Definitely a higher stat than pre-6N times
If we do that would mean almost 24% of all 6 nations championships would have been Welsh Slams. Which would be a pretty solid stat.
We currently stand at 20% of all 6N are Welsh Slams, which isn’t too shabby.
As for all sides, a slam is every other year on average
Definitely a higher stat than pre-6N times
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Paddington Bear
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When I was walking up the road to Twickenham before the England Wales RWC warm up game I got chatting to a Welsh fan.
Pleasant enough type of chap, he eventually moved the conversation on to remark 'you know Wales are the number one ranked team in the world, but you'll never hear that on the fucking BBC', followed by complaining we were all too posh, 'No word of a lie, I walked into the White Cross in Richmond last night and everyone in there bar me was drinking champagne. I yelled 'you Tory bastards' and ran back out'.
I decided not to point out to him that:
1) Wales had to beat England that afternoon to go to number one in the world (they didn't) and
2) I'd been in the White Cross the night before and Dom Perignon was, alas, thin on the ground
Anyway, that short chapter of my life occurred to me as I read the OP.
Pleasant enough type of chap, he eventually moved the conversation on to remark 'you know Wales are the number one ranked team in the world, but you'll never hear that on the fucking BBC', followed by complaining we were all too posh, 'No word of a lie, I walked into the White Cross in Richmond last night and everyone in there bar me was drinking champagne. I yelled 'you Tory bastards' and ran back out'.
I decided not to point out to him that:
1) Wales had to beat England that afternoon to go to number one in the world (they didn't) and
2) I'd been in the White Cross the night before and Dom Perignon was, alas, thin on the ground
Anyway, that short chapter of my life occurred to me as I read the OP.
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages, What feats he did that day
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Butterfingers
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I went and checked how many grand slams there have been in each decadeWoddy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 11:49 am If Wales win the Grand Slam, fair play to them. Great achievement, as with their previous ones; this one all the more so for being so unexpected.
The title of the OP made me think that Grand Slams feel much more common these days than when I were a kid. Do any stattos know if that's true? If so, it would seem strange as the various 6Ns (or 5 of them at least) have been just as level and up-and-down in standard as ever over the past 10 years or so. There was a period when England and France hockeyed the others and effectively Le Crunch was for the GS - or at least, so it felt before England would lose one unexpectedly - but that was way back in the 90s and early 00s anyway.
2010s - 5
2000s - 6
1990s - 6
1980s - 4
1970s - 4
1960s - 1
1950s - 3
So yeah they are more common now than they were in the 70s however its been like this since the 90s. I wonder if its down to the tournament being condensed to 7 weeks rather than playing 4 matches in 8 weeks like in the old days. Its easier to keep the momentum going when you cram matches in instead of having a week break after after game.
The truth is I do think Wales have been lucky, however I also think that if Scotland had received the same level of "luck" then we still would have found a way to lose.
Wales can't help that two players decided to torpedo their shoulder into one of their players faces from a distance in two separate matches. They can't help that a ref awarded them two really quite odd tries in another match.
If Wales win the Grand Slam or the championship then well done to them.
At the same time I don't think anyone can complain too much if someone says Wales were lucky. They were. But it is also true to say they took their chances and can't really be blamed for that luck.
Wales can't help that two players decided to torpedo their shoulder into one of their players faces from a distance in two separate matches. They can't help that a ref awarded them two really quite odd tries in another match.
If Wales win the Grand Slam or the championship then well done to them.
At the same time I don't think anyone can complain too much if someone says Wales were lucky. They were. But it is also true to say they took their chances and can't really be blamed for that luck.
It won't matter how much, or often, any English congratulate Wales (should they win on Sat) - he'll still trot out the same old stereotypes about us. The chips run very deep on poor old Refry.C T wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:45 pm The truth is I do think Wales have been lucky, however I also think that if Scotland had received the same level of "luck" then we still would have found a way to lose.
Wales can't help that two players decided to torpedo their shoulder into one of their players faces from a distance in two separate matches. They can't help that a ref awarded them two really quite odd tries in another match.
If Wales win the Grand Slam or the championship then well done to them.
At the same time I don't think anyone can complain too much if someone says Wales were lucky. They were. But it is also true to say they took their chances and can't really be blamed for that luck.
Nonetheless, if Wales beat France on Sat, they'll deserve their Slam, no matter what happened previously.
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Torquemada 1420
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