2005 Slam? Mike had more fun at Swansea
Mike Ruddock had won every home match in the Six Nations when he and Wales broke up one St Valentine’s night long ago never to be reunited.
That they called the whole thing off within 12 months of winning the grandest of 21st century Welsh Slams made the coach’s startling exit two matches into the defence of the title all the harder to fathom.
Thirteen years after walking out never to return, Ruddock was in Cardiff yesterday when Ireland stood alone between Wales and another clean sweep, just as they had done at the same place on the same weekend in 2005.
It wasn’t merely the victory but the manner of it which explains why many Welsh supporters treasure that Slam more than any other of the professional era.
“It does bring back memories,’’ he said. “Memories of a fantastic day for the Welsh nation and the Welsh fans who hadn’t seen anything like that for 27 years.’’
Yet far from time lending enchantment to the occasion, Ruddock avoids the invitation to acclaim it as the best day of his coaching life. Those who have long been intrigued by the power struggles within the Welsh dressing room at the time will not be that surprised.
“I’d put down the day Swansea won the Welsh League for the first time as my favourite day,’’ he said. “I say that because Swansea was my club and my first big coaching gig.
“To win the League that season was unbelievable. And it was enjoyable whereas with Wales there was a certain level of tension off the field. That wasn’t quite as enjoyable.’’
It ought to have been, given that under Ruddock Wales went from nowhere in 2004 to a clean sweep the following season. They did so with a level of panache beyond the reach of the Welsh slammers of 2008 and 2012
Gavin Henson, then in his prime as a midfield player whose skills ought to have won him 100 caps, summed up the philosophy in two sentences: “Most teams concentrate on defence. We concentrated on scoring tries.’’
They scored 17 from their five matches, a haul exceeded in Grand Slam terms only by England’s World Cup-winning team of 2003 and Ireland last year. Yet Ruddock gave it up as a bad job two rounds into the title defence.
“The financial details were done very quickly although it was never about the money,’’ he says. “My solicitor had raised a couple of questions and one request we had was for an international ticket, in the same way that ex-players are entitled to one.
“Unfortunately, that fell apart. The WRU wrote to me and said they were withdrawing from the negotiations. I took that as a vote of no confidence.’’
It explained why he travelled to Cardiff for a corporate event but without a ticket for the game until some kind soul heard of his plight and came up with one. The solicitor referred to, the late Tim Jones, was a Swansea stalwart and father of Alun-Wyn Jones, then earning his wings as a junior Osprey.
Ruddock, 60 later this year, is happier talking about Swansea for whom he played with sufficient distinction to have been close to a Wales cap when an accident at work brought his career to a shattering end at the age of 26.
The affection he retains for Swansea comes shining through, all the more so considering that his first venture into coaching, with hometown Blaina in the Monmouthshire Premier League, could have been his last.
“We lost the first four games and I was about to be given the sack,’’ he says. “It was a very sobering introduction to the chaos that can be coaching. Not an auspicious start but then the same can be said of my first match as coach of Swansea in 1991.
“The Welsh League started late that year because of the World Cup. Our internationals were away when we played a warm-up match against Shannon, a very strong club side from Limerick.
“We had just changed our jerseys for the first time, from the traditional all-white to a Rugby League-style kit with a v-shape with flash logos on the front. We lost and that night The
Evening Post reported that we had played as we looked, like clowns. I still giggle at that one.’’
Ruddock, whose wife, Bernadette, is a Dubliner, and whose elder son, Rhys, captained Ireland before Christmas, has been coaching there since he parted company with Worcester almost ten years ago.
Four of Ireland’s starting line-up yesterday – Garry Ringrose, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan and Josh van der Flier – all graduated from the U20s during Ruddock’s four years in charge of the supply line. Wales’ loss has been Ireland’s gain.
“With Wales there was a certain level of tension off the field. That wasn’t quite as enjoyable”