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As Wales head for glory, would the real Six Nations please stand up?

Just four months after the Rugby World Cup, the turnabout in form for some countries has been nothing short of miraculous. With one round left in the competition, Hamish McBrearty wonders who these men in white or red really are.

by Hamish McBrearty on 10 March 2008

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You'll have to forgive me if I seem a little confused, but at the end of October weren't England the second best team in the world, losing the World Cup final to South Africa?

'Perhaps England's hearts just aren't in it after the emotional rollercoaster of World Cup successes and defeats, or perhaps their grinding style is no longer effective against teams employing similar tactics'

Now they struggle to beat Italy and lose to World Cup quarter finalists Scotland. What happened here? Did Jonny Wilkinson retire? Was their brilliant coach Brian Ashton sacked?

And at the opposite end of the spectrum, when did Wales get good? The Red Dragons couldn't even make the quarter-finals of the World Cup after losing to Fiji in pool play and now they are poised to claim a Grand Slam.

The addition of Kiwi head coach Warren Gatland has been a revelation for the Welsh, but their stunning turnaround in fortunes has shocked even him. "For me it was about trying to get a start with Wales and set down a platform for the future," said Gatland, who also admitted he did not expect his side to win the Triple Crown.

Comments (1)

by Jeff Gamlin on March 11, 2008

I was a youngster when I listened to the radio in the middle of the night when Wales beat the All Blacks in 1953. It was a shock. Back then Wales, with the Springboks, were the only opponents that mattered for kiwis. Since then this has changed. It is all the more reason for Welsh passion, should they win the Six Nations, to aspire to beat the All Blacks. But on the evidence of the 6 nations to date and the super 14, with particular reference to the Crusaders and Blues, I can't see this happening. The athleticism and skills gap is still too great. But I am looking forward to the game against Wales in November - the urge to beat Wales among all nations remains for me - they have a passion that can only be respected.

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