YOU’LL ALWAYS HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEARTS
Gatland’s daughter says ‘diolch’ to ‘most kind, welcoming and passionate’ Welsh as coach departs:
THERE were jubilant scenes at Alun Wyn Jones’ boyhood club, Bonymaen RFC, after South Africa beat England in the Rugby World Cup final yesterday.
The club had spent the past few weeks following Wales and their inspirational captain, who still has close ties to the club.
But, after Wales came up just short in their semi-final of the World Cup against South Africa, members decided to switch support to the
Springboks for the final.
The players all dressed up in South African jerseys as they watched the final at the club’s HQ high above the Ospreys’ Liberty Stadium home on the outskirts of Swansea.
And they went wild with delight as the Springboks wiped the grin off the face of England coach Eddie Jones with a 32-12 demolition job in the final in Yokohama.
Chris Stokes, a player and social media manager at the club, said:
“Every week we have a ‘nutters’ club’ where a player nominates an item we all have to bring. If you don’t bring it you get a fine, which goes into improving the club.
“The social committee decided after the England win last week that we would have to dress up as whoever won out of Wales and South Africa.
“Sadly, Wales lost but we still had to dress up. The players have spent more on buying Springboks kits than we would have been fined hadn’t worn them!”
Meanwhile, Prince Harry praised the England rugby team for an “outstanding job” despite their dreams of Rugby World Cup victory ending in disappointment.
Harry, who joined Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino in the stands for the final in Yokohama, said the players should be “incredibly proud” of their achievement, despite their 32-12 loss to South Africa. if we
“Tonight was not England’s night,” the duke said, in a message posted on the Sussex Royal Instagram account.
“But the whole nation is incredibly proud of what @EnglandRugby have achieved over the past few months,” he added. “Hold your heads high boys, you did an outstanding job and we couldn’t have asked more from you.”
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