Is this the start of another golden era?

I've been an avid follower of Welsh rugby since the mid 1980's, pre 87 world cup in fact. I can remember going to see Ray Gravell and Phil Bennett even before this but I wouldn't say I was a follower at that time (more like an interested spectator). I've seen more than my fair share of false dawns, Grahame Henry and the 88 triple crown for example.

What I've noticed is that since 2003 there has been a steady strengthening of Welsh rugby. Starting with "that" game against New Zealand, Wales has been steadily growning in stature. When I contrast the current Welsh team with the side that lost 51 - 0 vs France or 96 - 13 vs South Africa in the 90s; for the first time I feel a genuine confidence in the future. What I've witnessed over the last few years isn't rugby built on headless chicken running but on fitness, power and skill. Speaking to my dad there are obvious comparisons to drawn with the Welsh team of the late 60s. They won a couple of championships during the mid 60s but they were inconsistant. Then at the end of the decade a number of players joined the side. JPR, Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies, Barry John and Phil Bennett . No, I'm not suggesting that this team is as good as the 70s team. What I'm suggesting is that there is a parallel of potential. They are young and are learning how to win with a ruthlessness that I don't think I've ever seen from a Welsh team before.

I'm sat in front of the Wales vs Fiji game. I see the scrum drive the Fijians at will and the backs ripping through with seeming ease. For the first time in my memory I'm approaching all games with the confidence that we will win and a certainty that we will compete.

I always read the posts on this board with interest. There are a number of characters, but the one common factor with all of the Welsh posters is that there's an affirmation that Wales is one of the best sides in the world and should play as such. For me, with my scarred view of Welsh rugby, I have no doubt that there is an element of parochial pride but having seen how bad Welsh rugby can be, this attitude takes some getting used to. I'm still half asleep and this is a little rambling but does anyone else get a sense that the team being assembled might, just might emulate the greats of Welsh rugby past and fullfill their potential?

Wait untill we win the WC at least...

We can beat anyone on our day

this is part of the way through a golden era, unless gatland leaves us after the world cup in which case it will be the end of our golden era.

ahhh, post match euphoria has left me and im back to my pessimistic self.

I think that the last few years have been about restoring pride. With the next generation of players it'll be about winning championships and trophies. We've been good but not great.

I think this world cup has come 4 years too early. Don't get me wrong, I'd love Wales to win a world cup but if there's an archillies heal, it's their inexperience. This is something Ireland have in spades and having watched the Ireland game, whilst there's nothing I've seen to unduely worry me, the Irish are a wily old bunch and I'm sure they wont make it easy.

Two wins against Samoa and Fiji is a golden era... against the Pacific Island teams.

Wales are looking good, don´t get me wrong. But let´s get some results against some of the top teams on a consistent basis before we start talking of a golden era.

I 100% agree, what I'm talking about isn't about a couple of results here and there. I'm talking about the fact that Wales is fielding a young team with bags of potential. This side haven't done anything to set the world on fire (even if they had beaten S Africa this statement would still stand) yet, but they have the skills and mentality to win consistantly over the next decade.

No Wales will never dominate like they did between 1969 and 1979 again. everyone is professional now and even if some maverick coach find a new blue print for success it will quickly be copied and added to all the other teams.

Woodward came up with the multi coach idea, kicking coaches, defense coaches, specialist forward coaches and analysts etc. everyone cottoned on to it and copied it.

Graham Henry invented the Pod system and now all teams use it.

Wales, Ireland, England and France all have pretty similar academy systems and are really focussing on developing young talent.

For every George North, Sam Warburton, Toby Faletau, Scott Williams, Leigh Halfpenny, Dan Lydiate, Rhys Priestland, Lloyd williams, Tavis Knoyle, Justin Tipuric, Jonathan Davies we have coming through I am positive an Irish poster will give you a just as impressive list of Irish talent they have coming through!

I've been a Wales supporter since the mid-1950s, so have seen many false dawns as well as the genuine golden era of the 1970s. You can only really talk about a golden era when it's over, or at least a good way through with a number of wins against top international sides.

There were only 3 ever-present world-class players in the 1970s - Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams and Gerald Davies. Yet every Wales side contained about 8 players who were at or near world-class. There was an amazing conveyor belt of replacements who kept up the playing standards and exciting style of the team.

The names trip off the tongue but of course they weren't all playing for Wales at the same time - Barry John, Phil Bennett, John Bevan (wing), JJ Williams, John Dawes, Roy Bergiers, Steve Fenwick, Ray Gravell, Graham Price, Bobby Windsor, Barry Llewelyn, Delme Thomas, Allan Martin, Geoff Wheel, Dai Morris, John Taylor, Mervyn Davies, Derek Quinnell, etc.

I think the best-ever Wales team, playing the most fantastic rugby, was the side that won the Grand Slam in 1971 - not long after the start of what's now called a golden era. Half the players listed above weren't on the scene then - for example, no Pontypool front row, no Phil Bennett at outside-half (just Barry John!).

From memory, we fans were thrilled by the 1971 team, and equally thrilled when many of them went to New Zealand and won the Lions series in 1971, but we didn't start talking about the start of a golden era. We didn't know what would happen in the future. Let's just enjoy the success of the present Wales team and hope they carry it through to the final of the world cup.

Sorry, but for my money a 'golden era' worthy of the name for any NH side has to be when they regularly win at least 4 6N games each season several years in a row, and reach parity with a least 2 of the Tri-Nations sides by regularly beating them home and away.

Even if any of the NH half of the draw in this year's RWC wins the tournament that would be no more than a very effective few weeks of rugby. Only Ireland's great result against Australia and the win in the final against whichever SH side would be truly standout results.

In sum, I don't think any NH side realistically might start even to think of being anywhere near a 'golden era' for at least another 18 months of winning rugby across both hemispheres. Anything less would be regional bragging rights, no more.

How easy did South Africa have the last world cup!
1/4Fiji
semi-Argentina
final-England

They didn't face any tri nation team but still that group get called world class and Jake White still gets bubbles blown up his ass over the whole thing,

You can only play the path that is given so its very harsh to disrespect any one who wins trophies.

I'm not disrespecting anyone, I'm just saying let's not get carried away by the RWC in isolation. You need a load of luck and strong nerves to win the thing. I agree that S Africa didn't have to work their way through a field of giants to win RWC 2007. Others had done the heavy lifting for them - England surprisingly to many beat Australia then France in Paris, after France unexpectedly had knocked out NZ. Nor am I convinced that England would have beaten NZ in 2003 (see below for The RWC Rules), but they won the trophy. So if England work their way through their half of the draw and beat presumably SA or Aus in the final (The RWC Rules are clear - England will never beat NZ in the RWC ) I as an Englishman would be delighted. But it would be a 'golden era' of English rugby for me only if they then added a Grand Slam or two and some wins away on Tri-Nations territory in the next 2-3 years.

We are an improving side, the youngsters who have put their hands up and playing with contagious confidence and enthusiasm that the rest of the team seems to have succumbed to. Its fantastic that the stand out players so far for Wales have been the young ones who this time last year the majority of us probably wouldnt have even imagined being part of the world cup.

Players like George North, Dan Lydiate, Lloyd Williams, Scott Williams, Toby Faleatau and Rhys Priestland. While they may have had the minority support, they didnt look like breaking into the senior squad last year, and now they are mostly first choice.

And this is the first time in a long while where I've seen our backrow capable of competing at the break down and ball carrying against the best, gone are the days of relying on players who haven't played a good game for Wales in years. Even James Hook, as talented as he is, will likely struggle to get onto the first team now.

The OP isn't saying we're in a golden era. Just that we have a core of players with the potential to be a very good rugby team. While I would hesitate to use the term golden era I agree with him

I agree. These are potentially exciting times for Welsh rugby. Good luck to you in your quarter final against Ireland. May the better team win.

Looking further ahead, I hope we all can agree it would be very nice if there were several NH teams capable of taking on and beating the SH 3.

In answer to the OP' heading "no". Ok, Wales have placed reasonably well agaisnt Samoa and Fiji but fell when they had a good chance to beat SA. A good team would have beaten that SA team, I'm afraid to say.
Every team has the potential to blossom into something great but, as someone said above, all other teams (apart from Scotland) are evolving just as quickly, and let's not forget that there may be rule changes brought in which may not suit the Welsh style of play etc.

Well...at the risk of hyperbole....it looks like it could be a golden era for all four home nations, and yes I include Scotland in that. All four sides have people in their early 20s who are starting to make a real impact on world rugby.

You could pick a decent Lions XV who are all under 25.

Gatts wrote:We can beat anyone on our day

Yeah unfortunately the opposite is also true.

i dunno guys - there is nothing saying its a golden era- you have to do something first- dont jump the gun, a narrow loss and a couple of wins aginst tier 2/3 countries isnt much to go on

biltongbek wrote:

Gatts wrote:We can beat anyone on our day

Yeah unfortunately the opposite is also true.

Its called irony Biltong

It´s called fantasy actually.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:It´s called fantasy actually.

Fantasy...what, like NZ winning the world cup again?

Haha nice one. We´re undefeated at home in World Cups actually. Welcome to reality.

And with no Carter that will change against SA

SA have to win first but I´m picking Slade top points scorer in that match if it does happen with a try to his name for good measure. Good luck against Ireland. I think you have every reason to be confident there.

Cheers Kia. Confidence is the key issue.

I know very little about Slade, if I am honest, i am more inclined to back the blacks now they are under the cosh a bit. i like the underdog generally - you have to being a Welsh fan- and i think with all the pressures they are under , expectation, at home, rwc history and now carter gone, i will be very impressed if they make it. In my view only the ABs themselves, SA, or a completely rampant ireland could stop that but we will see

Ooh. I thought this was an Irish thread. Sorry. Carry on.

Gibson wrote:Ooh. I thought this was an Irish thread. Sorry. Carry on.

So did I but I'm staying for a laugh