WALES SLAM CLUB
Sportsmail caught up with four Welsh wonders for a spot of nostalgia and to ask if Warren Gatland’s boys will join the...
ONE win from glory, the 2019 team will join the Welsh greats if they beat Ireland on Saturday and become Six Nations Grand Slam champions. Ahead of the game, Sportsmail spoke to four Welsh legends who played a part in the six Wales Slams in living memory.
1971
22-6 v England (h); 19-18 v Scotland (a); 23-9 v Ireland (h); 9-5 v France (a).
SIR GARETH EDWARDS: That year was exciting, off the cuff, with little fuss. We trained on Aberavon beach and had just one backs move where Arthur Lewis would cut back against the flow of play. Guess what we called it? ‘ An Arthur!’ JPR Williams was such a masterful runner, we didn’t need much else.
Against Scotland, Gerald Davies had curved past Ian Smith, but couldn’t score under the posts.
John Taylor (right) then had a conversion on the touchline in the last minute to win it. Delme Thomas couldn’t look. I said: ‘To think we’ve come all this way, played some great rugby and will lose!’ But he got the kick.
We tended to lose to France in Paris, but not that final day. Despite the 9-5 scoreline, it was one of the classiest games I played in. JPR intercepted Roger Bourgarel five out from our line. I thought, ‘I’d better follow him’.
About 20 yards out he threw me the ball and I scored in the corner.
1976
21-9 v England (a); 28-6 v Scotland (h); 34-9 v Ireland (a); 19-13 v France (h).
EDWARDS: We were more dominant in 1976 — a confident side.
JJ WILLIAMS: I used to have honey and toast before a game but the Pontypool boys would have a bloody steak! We stayed in the Angel Hotel in Cardiff and on Friday would walk up Queen’s Street to the cinema — seeing
Blazing Saddles one time — all with an ice-lolly! It was fabulous, but so bloody corny.
John Dawes would pick the smallest room in the hotel for a team meeting, to make the atmosphere even more tense and tight, then we’d come down the lift and squeeze through thousands trying to grab you as you walked across the road to the ground.
Mervyn Davies led from the front. The collieries were closing, so the Slam gave Wales a huge lift. It was the best Welsh Grand Slam ever.
1978
9-6 v England (a); 22-14 v Scotland (h); 20-16 v Ireland (a); 16-7 v France (h). JJ WILLIAMS: The 1978 Slam was tougher as teams were after us. In the 1970s, if we didn’t win, it was regarded as a failure. And we all had day-jobs, so if we lost we had to face the public on a Monday morning! EDWARDS: We could have easily lost against England. It was a trudge, but Phil Bennett tonked over a late penalty. In Dublin, I never saw the ball in the second half! It was a superhuman effort from our pack. We were so exhausted that for an hour after we were still sat in our kit.
JJ WILLIAMS: Then the first 10 minutes against France were like Waterloo. It was mad. But when it settled down we’d try to get the ball out and play.
EDWARDS: For winning we were given a decanter and a silver badge that read ‘Wales Grand Slam’ but never had medals.
JJ WILLIAMS: We were given a blazer too, but it never fitted!
2005
11-9 v England (h); 38-8 v Italy (a); 24-18 v France (a); 46-22 v Scotland (a); 32-20 v Ireland (h). MARTYN WILLIAMS: Our style caught the imagination and after beating Scotland, scoring some great tries, with no Slam for 27 years, it felt the weight of the world was on our shoulders. Coming into Cardiff to play Ireland I felt nervous, but unbeatable.
I saw the news on the Sunday, with 250,000 people outside City Hall, and thought: ‘Wow, I’m glad I didn’t see that on the way in!’ We knew Ireland would be tough. Gethin Jenkins’s charge-down settled us, Gavin Henson hit a drop goal, then when Kevin Morgan scored we knew we’d done it.
2008
26-19 v England (a); 30-15 v Scotland (h); 47-8 v Italy (h); 16-12
v Ireland (a); 29-12 v France (h). MARTYN WILLIAMS: None of us had won at Twickenham — no Wales side had since 1988 — but we won a game we shouldn’t have. Warren has this uncanny knack of giving players belief. It was a completely different style of winning to 2005. Then we were like Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle, you score, we score. But we only conceded two tries in 2008 — still a record. Shaun Edwards was magic with the defence. It was a very unWelsh way to win. We basically won because of Shane Williams, and our brilliant defence!
2012
23-21 v Ireland (a); 27-13 v Scotland (h); 19-12 v England (a); 24-3 v Italy (h); 16-9 v France (h).
JAMIE ROBERTS: At Twickenham I ran into Manu Tuilagi and felt a click in my knee. Scott Williams came on and won the game after stripping the ball off Courtney Lawes. I worried I’d be dropped!
Luckily I recovered and scored a try from 60 metres against Italy. Alex Cuthbert was an academy boy on £5,000 a year and scored three tries in the Championship.
The step off his right and change of pace against France won that final game.
It felt like we finally had reward. The 2011 World Cup was savage, so 2012 was special.
2019?
24-19 v France (a); 26-15 v Italy (a); 21-13 v England (h); 18-11 v Scotland (a).
MARTYN WILLIAMS: Fingers crossed the magic of Cardiff will get Wales through and everyone will be dancing in the streets.
EDWARDS: They’re on a fantastic run, but it still has to be done. I’ll be so proud if Alun Wyn Jones joins the group — we’ll welcome him to the club with open arms!
ROBERTS: Warren, Shaun Edwards and all the coaches deserve a perfect send-off. I can’t see Wales losing. Prepare the heart to go at 200 beats per minute!
JJ WILLIAMS: This crop have shown glimpses of being a great team. We would have been proud of the Josh Adams try against Scotland. It was perfect.