Word on the web
Wales favourites to beat Australia in Cardiff today
in the war fought for King and Country.
In the 1918 general election campaign, David Lloyd George promised a “fit country for heroes to live in”. The reality was very different. He did nothing for the soldiers returning from the Great War, or for the families of the men who died. He did nothing to help the war veterans when they had their pensions taken away.
He was the architect of the government, deferring the responsibility for the physical and mental health and welfare of war veterans to charitable organisations, and every government has adopted this cowardly policy ever since.
I urge everyone to support the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal because without these organisations veteran soldiers will have nothing.
My maternal grandfather enlisted on the promise that Ireland would be granted Home Rule, which was fully reneged on by the Westminster government in 1918. My paternal grandfather, like many Welsh miners, enlisted to fight on behalf of the small country of Belgium, which had been overrun by its imperialistic neighbours.
In my many years of research of the Great War recruiters never used King and Country in Wales, they used “The spirit of Glyndwr” to encourage Welshmen to enlist. In fact, it can be said that these recruits and the Welsh Army were the original “Meibion Glyndwr”.
Tomorrow, ignore the BBC and the insignificant people who will be attending these commemorations FAR from Gatland’s approach of this game not mattering, I would tell the boys that this is the time to put the pride back in the jersey and really set a marker down prior to the World Cup. If we fail again then Aus will have super confidence when playing us next year. But if we finally beat them this time that will give us an extra boost and mental advantage next year which no amount of training will. This IS the game that matters and losing is not an option. Let’s go out there and smash them! I CAN’T see how or where we can win this game. I hear people saying our line-out is better but you wait and see. Our front eight will have to work hard for the full 80 minutes. Our backs are on a par but I think Aus by 10. SINCE Shane Williams retired, Australia have always had that extra spark to break the game. We’re good at grinding teams down but rarely do we produce game winning moments.