Lyn Howells biog released

TIE A WHITE RIBBON ROUND IT. OR MAYBE NOT

Extract from Paul Rees' rugby blog for The Guardian

Lynn Howells, the former Pontypridd, Cardiff and Celtic Warriors coach who was a member of Graham Henry's Wales management team, has just published his autobiography: Despite the Knockbacks (Y Lolfa, £9.95); as befits a man with a militant mining heritage, he is no respecter of reputations and tells it straight, cursing the day Wales abandoned the club game.

Sir Clive Woodward receives a volley, not for being English but for not losing with grace, not that Wales enjoyed much success against England for more than a decade after 1989.

Woodward's England were at Wembley, Wales's home while the Millennium Stadium was being developed, in the final round of that year's Five Nations, as it then, for the last time, was. They needed to win to secure the grand slam and there seemed no stopping them at half-time.

Wales, said Howells, still believed. "As we took the long walk from the tunnel to the benches (after the half-time team-talk), we had to pass the Five Nations trophy," he recounts. "Woodward, who was in front of us, went up to the guy standing by the cup and said to him: 'You can put the white ribbons on that now. We've got that.' I was there. I actually heard the arrogant man say it."

Wales won with a late try by Scott Gibbs and conversion by Neil Jenkins and England were to fall at the final hurdle in each of the next two seasons before securing the grand slam in 2003. "Woodward never came near us after the match," Howells goes on. "John Mitchell, the assistant coach, great guy that he was, came and spoke to us but from Woodward there was nothing at all."

Typical arrogant English.

I thought it was in the bag too at the time, didn't count on the mercurial boot of jenkins tho..

Morg...

Last ever five nations match.
Bulldozer scores.
Ginger monster kicks.
England lose grandslam.
Scotland win championship.

It was a fairytale.

I'm surprised Wales have only had 5 grandslam opportunities in 30 something years and they won the last 3 on the trot, only failing at the final hurdle in 1988 and 1994.

I hope Lynn does well with the book, if anyone should coach the Blues it should be Lynn, I doubt he would want anything to do with Cardiff but the Dragons may be a different story even if it to get them into some sort of shape.

Aye

I always liked Lyn Howells, there have been a huge number of top welsh players that came through his and Dennis Johns hands. Gethin Jenkins, Martyn Williams, Neil Jenkins, Ryan Jones to name just a few.