From Pontypool U11s to Stade de France... what a
ONE of the hats I’ve been proud to wear since retiring as a player is as President of Pontypool Schools under-11s, the side where a young Toby Faletau first came through.
So, as you can imagine, myself, other officials and coaches past and present will have huge smiles, and enormous pride, when the player who came through the system with us runs out to win his 100th Wales cap in the game against France.
As a side issue, Mako and Billy Vunipola were also products of that system, albeit they accepted scholarships to go to Harrow, paid for by an English club, and as a result were lost to Wales.
To think that the three of them lined up together for Pontypool Schools under-11s is incredible really and it’s certainly been to Wales’ advantage that Taulupe, the best of the trio, opted to stay within the Welsh set-up.
From the first moment he broke into the Wales side, Faletau displayed a talent, at the coal face and also in the wider channels, that have rightly marked him down as a truly world class No.8 for many years.
Because I was fortunate myself to play with so many great Welsh players from the 1970s, I’m frequently asked who’s the best between stars of that era and certain members of the modern game. The kind of thing that occupies hours of debate down the pub among fans, too.
Taulupe Faletau or Mervyn Davies, the great Merv the Swerve, is one of the questions that crops up. It’s inevitable to a degree, given they are the two standout No.8s in the history of the Welsh game.
I always say it’s nigh-on impossible to compare different eras like ours to today’s. We were amateur, remember, had to work 40 hours a week and fit in our rugby, be that training or playing, as a hobby in our spare time. One or two coaches at club or international level would hopefully point you in the right direction, but by and large you’d learn from personal experience or via tips from the previous generation of players.
These days players eat and sleep rugby, have coaches guiding them on every aspect of the game, including strength and conditioning and nutrition.
You can’t go forward, you can’t go backward, you can’t suddenly ask Taulupe and Merv to play against one another to see who’s the greatest. So I suppose the closest you can get is a thought experiment. Just imagine, for example, Gareth Edwards, widely regarded as the finest player in history, with today’s planning and preparation for a game.
Wow! Or, I suppose, you could say that for every member of the 1970s side.
The big difference, something you can’t compare, is the size of modern players, yet even in that respect Merv was a freak of nature. He stood at 6ft 4ins, was athletic, quick and had the jump of a basketball player in the lineout.
We used to do a variety of tests in training and one of them was a standing still vertical jump where you had to reach up and put your fingerprints on a blackboard above. Merv reached up at three feet, way above the rest of us. As usual, he led the way - on and off the field.
Having earlier reflected upon Taulupe’s start with Pontypool Schools under-11s and his subsequent breakthrough, it makes me smile about a conversation that took place at a London Welsh selection meeting towards the end of the 1960s when one of them said, ‘There’s a No.8 playing for the seconds - he’s not very good but he’ll guarantee you ball at the back of the lineout.’
Understatement of the century, perhaps? Within three months Merv was having a Welsh trial, the start of a wonderful career that saw him play 38 consecutive Tests for Wales and eight more for the Lions. Remember, we only played four or five times a year back then, compared to 12 Tests a year today. So Merv’s 38-game achievement was the equivalent, I guess, of Taulupe’s stunning landmark at the Stade de France this weekend. Remember, too, he was forced to retire early, or the figure would have been even greater.
When the Lions beat New Zealand in 1971, still the only time, their legendary captain Colin Meads said Merv had the biggest outcome on the four-Test showdown. Considering The King himself, the great Barry John, was widely acclaimed as the Lions’ talisman with his own utter brilliance, coming from Meads that compliment about Merv puts his own excellence as a player well and truly put into perspective.
Back to Taulupe - when the Lions drew with New Zealand in 2017, I remember Zinzan Brooke, himself a great No8, saying before the first Test that while Faletau was good at everything, he was not influential enough in games.
Zinzan had to eat his words, Taulupe was brilliant on that tour. He
WALES are under a very different type of pressure this weekend compared to the game against Italy. Last Saturday was about avoiding the wooden spoon, this week it’s about avoiding a thumping.
France had been a sleeping giant for much of Warren Gatland’s first period as coach but they are back at the pinnacle of the game for his return. Their demolition of England was wonderful to watch.
Wales were improved against Italy, their strategy worked well of getting the ball deep into the opposition’s territory and wait for them to make a mistake. Sound game management against a side pushing the limits of their abilities.
The dilemma facing Gatland in Paris is whether he chooses damage limitation approach rather than a more audacious attitude of actually trying to win.
Playing Louis Rees-Zammit at fullback over Leigh Halfpenny is a bold move. But Dan Biggar starts at flyhalf. If Wales believe Joe Hawkins is the next Dan Carter, then start him at 10. Gatland has also stuck with Adam Beard at lock, rather than give Rhys Davies a chance.
There is a danger that by putting too many inexperienced players in against such formidable opponents things could get messy very quickly. But Wales have looked so impotent in attack throughout this campaign you do think that something radical needs to happen to change the status quo.
I suspect Wales will draw some inspiration from last year’s encounter in Cardiff. Despite France being firm favourites, they looked pretty disjointed that evening as they were drawn into the dreaded arm-wrestle. The game was slow and low in quality and Wales had their chances to pinch it, narrowly losing 13-9 in the end. However, I am pretty sure that Fabian Galthié will be equally aware of what happened last season and will have worked on keeping the tempo and attacking intent as a priority for Saturday.
France must be thinking that they need a bonus point win to put as much pressure on Ireland as possible.
I get the impression that the Six Nations has been a soul searching experience for Gatland. The hallmark of his previous tenure was consistency in selection, good discipline and a sound defence. Instead, it has been wholesale changes in each game, shocking penalty counts, a passive and porous defence and two record defeats.
If Gatland knows what his best team is, he is hiding it well. I think Gatland is hoping to just get through
this final match against France without too much damage being inflicted and then he will concentrate on getting the squad into the best physical condition he can over the summer. I cannot conceive of a way that Wales can win in Paris. France are superior in every facet of the game. I worry about their forward power, the dynamism of their ball carriers, the blend of power and subtlety of their backs and the influence of the world’s best rugby player, the mesmeric Antoine Dupont.
No matter who takes the field for Wales, what I want to see is aggression, determination and a willingness challenge France. France had one of those special days last weekend where every pass stuck and every move worked. They will expect to recapture that same feeling this weekend but no two games are the same and Wales must not allow them easy opportunities. I would like to think that after eight weeks together, we will see something constructive in attack from Wales. A hint at the type of rugby Alex King has been working on.
Wales lost by 24 points against Ireland and 28 points against Scotland. If you offered me losing by 15 against France, I would bite your hand off.
It is the reality of where Wales are. How our expectations have changed! ■ S4C’s coverage of France v Wales gets underway at 2pm today. Also, watch coverage of France Under 20s v Wales Under 20s from 7.45pm on Sunday night, English commentary available.