From late morning yesterday Cardiff simmered.

As  rain gave way to white clouds, followed by late afternoon sunshine, as each hour passed  more and more Blue and red filled the city, it’s bars, its cafes, its restaurants and its museums.
The match, in effect, was a shoot out, whoever was left standing would be primed to move forward with a chance of taking the 2016 RBS 6 Nations title, and the loser left to rue what might have been.

In France’s case a win over Wales and  they would be only two games away from a Grand Slam, whilst Wales with a win under their belt, could travel to Twickenham for another shoot out, this time against England.

These great gladiators were used to title showdown in the 1970s, when Rives and Skrela came to town, and Gareth and Phil strutted their stuff to bring Grand Slams to Wales in 1976 and 1979.

The roof mechanism failed so the cold Cardiff night air permeated the stadium, the heat from the flame throwers was a welcome comfort.

The match was not a classic, but Wales never really looked likely to lose.

Two periods in the second half won the game for the men in red, the first eight minutes of the second half when Wales scored a penalty and a converted George North try, to take a lead of 16-3.

Later France spent fourteen minutes in Wales 22, but failed to register a score, after heroic defence from the home side, and much shrill whistle blowing from Wayne Barnes.

A 79th minute try from Guirado made the scoreline look more respectable but the honours on the night belonged to Wales

So, how was your Valentines weekend ?

The tricky task of balancing the RBS 6 Nations whilst appearing to give your loved one your undivided attention, takes some doing.

Now I have the edge on most of you in that department, as I had the glorious quirk of fate to have been born on Valentine’s Day, along with that great French legend, Phillipe Sella.

Sadly, for me, the great French centre, got all the decent rugby genes.

Last weekends matches, had moments of Valentine’s Day written all over them.

Yoann Maestri, the heartless Frenchman gave Johnny Sexton the elbow, and on the day before Valentine’s Day…the cad !

France scraped home by 10 points to 9 in a dull scrappy match against Ireland.

The best angle of running I’ve seen from a French back this year is Denis Charvet weaving out of the press box heading for the toilets.

In Cardiff we had to call the doctor firstly to break Scottish hearts and then to mend them

A super hero performance from The Hulk Jamie Roberts

George North fell in love with the try line once again and was reunited with the one he loves.

And in Rome on Valentine’s Day itself, England were shy and coy for fifty minutes before forcing themselves on their weary Italians, and the mood changed to tough love.

But in the end everyone kissed and made up !

250 police, 900 security staff, snipers on rooftops and sniffer dogs… Not the usual statistics provided for an opening game of the RBS 6 Nations.

My first as a member of the media could not have been more symbolic.

The last event at the Stade de France was on Friday 13 November a day a date that none of us will ever forget.

Yesterday despite what Guy Noves said, was about much more than sport, and much more than rugby.

Guy Noves spoke in the week

“We remember the attacks every day we don’t need a game to remember them”

Every street corner there were searches, my hotel had an armed officer in the foyer, and before kick off there was a slight feeling of anxiety.

But around lunchtime the sun broke through, Paris had its sparkly top on and the atmosphere changed into a joyous celebration of rugby and life.

The children waved their tricolours the French “DJ’ deafened us old folk with music that had a beat akin to high blood pressure or a migraine, but it was great.

A friendly machine gun  carrying French policeman told me he married a girl from Haverfordwest West, and I met my hero, the Prince of Centres, Denis Charvet in the Press toilets, all in all it was a pretty good day.

The rugby was exciting if not precise but yesterday WAS about more than that.

The President and all his men turned up for a show of solidarity and all passed peacefully with a French win to boot.

Guy Noves has a lot of work to do, but Danty and Vakatawa look very promising , and Plisson played well at fly half, kicking a monster penalty from wide out on half way , with 73:50 on the clock, as France were staring at a home defeat in the face.

Italy look to have found a decent fly half, at last, in the shape of Carlo Canna, who on his debut claimed a full house of try, conversion, dropped goal and penalty.

Poor Sergio Parisse, whose world class talent shone like a beacon throughout the game ,was on the losing side once again, but we are privileged to see this rugby  great in action, I have no idea how Italy will cope when he hangs up his boots.

So Paris slept soundly last night perhaps that was the greatest result.

I always associate the Stade de France with happy care free afternoons in winter and summer, preceeded and followed by good food, good wine and good coffee.

What else do you expect ? This is Paris after all.

As the song goes “I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles” and “I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles”

The concrete bowl at Saint-Denis in the Northen suburbs of Paris, provided me with one of the greatest rugby afternoons of my life, when in 1999, in front of 80,500 spectators, Graham Henry’s Wales, threw off the shackles and out played France to win 34-33 in a match that produced seven tries, including a hat trick by Emile Ntamack.

My other memorable visit to the Stade, was during the 1998 FIFA World Cup , when I watched a star studded Italian team beat Austria 2-1 to qualify for the knock out stages, on a warm sunny June afternoon , which was lit up by the likes of Alex Del Piero, Roberto Baggio and Paulo Maldini.

But sadly the tragic events of November 13 2015 added a sickening and unworthy chapter to this stadium’s history.

So it is with a touch of sadness that I return there this weekend, I will pay my respects to all those whose lives were changed for ever on that fateful day, but also I will smile and give thanks that the spirit of our beloved game epitomises all that is good about mankind.

French captain Guilhem Guirado has stated that the team want to make the fans smile after all the difficulties…..

We will all drink to that !

Salut !

A busy day for all concerned at last weeks RBS 6 Nations launch, in the plush surrounds of The Hurlingham Club in London.

The coaches and captains spent around six hours with the media and here are the best quotes of the day

Sam Warburton

“Thanks for the chocolate Mike you are a legend ”

Warren Gatland Wales

”  We have selected a squad that rewards players form as well as picking a lot of experience, and that continuity is important to us. We are in a pretty good state and excited about where we are”.

Eddie Jones England

” I think the players are going to find it difficult, because sometimes if you play in the premiership here and you do well then you get selected for England and you are quite comfortable”,

“You’ve got to be hungry for success absolutely fanataical about wanting to be in a winning  England team”.

Vern Cotter Scotland

“Its important we believe we can compete for the title ,the World Cup is behind us, we move forward”

Jacques Brunel Italy

“” There are lots of new players and three who have shown they deserve a place in the squad to prepare for the first two games of the tournament”.

Guy Noves France 

“Every time we won a title at Toulouse we did it thanks to great performances from our forwards, who enabled our backs to shine. The last World Cup showed that the effective teams were also spectacular”

“Our ambition is to understand that that is the way the future of rugby is going, its also about showing the French public they can be proud of their team”.

Joe Schmidt Ireland
“To be as candid as I can I think a top half finish would be a good six nations for us. We start with Wales and France in a six day turnaround and then go to England. That could put us in a very tough position before weve even got our feet fully grounded in going forward”

 
My first encounter with Guy Noves was in February 1979 in an icy snowy swept Paris.

I was a nineteen year old watching Wales play France, at Parc des princes, and the man wearing the number 11 shirt for France that day was a certain Mr Guy Noves of Toulouse.

So, there we were, almost thirty seven years later , at the launch of the 2016 RBS 6 nations in the plush surroundings of the Hurlingham club.

The new France coach is looking lean and elegant in his dark suit, and over coffee we discuss the upcoming RBS six nations championship.

Guy Noves is Mr Toulouse, he played 189 times for them, and then went on to coach them f0r twenty two years, winning 4 European cups, 10 French championships and 3 Yves Du Manoir trophies.

Taking over the France team at the age of sixty one he joked ;

“I know I am a Grandad I have no time to lose”

“We are trying to prepare a French squad which will in a large part be with us for four years”

“We’ve started a game plan and looked at the compatibility of the players, and tried to go for the most coherent choice possible”

It appears that Noves is looking for his players to play “heads up” rugby  to scan and make decisions on the field, rather than the robotic structure we have seen in recent years.

Wesley Fofana is regarded as the one man France cannot do without

“Wesley is perhaps THE indispensable player of France, his qualities are such he is capable of using them at centre or on the wing, we will see what the better option is for him, depending on what problems we have “

It is evident that, despite injury problems, Francois Trinh Duc is an integral part of Noves’ plans.

“Francois is back playing for Montpellier after injury, he knows what we expect of him and he is part of our game plan and squad”

We talk about the youngest player in the France squad, uncapped twenty year old Camille Chat, from Racing 92,

“Camille will face the highest level but if we wait too long it might be too late we’ve had great feedback from his coaches”

The great French legend Jean Pierre Rives had this to say about Noves:

“Stade Toulousain is a true school of rugby, when you play there you are a “stadiste” for life”

Noves and his staff are going to succeed with France, I know that it will work, I want him to have fun and I think they are going to entertain us”

Sitting back in his chair Noves does not seem over excited at the prospect of his first 6 Nations tournament, maybe at his age he has seen it all, or maybe he realises the huge task he has in restoring France’ fortunes and reputation

Having spent time in his company, I feel sure that his French team will not lack effort or passion, also the players will know exactly where they stand, Noves will not suffer fools gladly that’s for sure.
 

One of the great names of French rugby, Beziers are currently in ProD2 and hoping for a return to the big time.

Here is my XV of French internationals who all  graced this magnificent club.

I have picked wine producer Richard Dourthe at centre on the proviso that he provides plenty of samples of his family’s produce.

15.  Julien Laharrague

14.  Jean Phillipe Grandclaude

13.  Richard Dourthe

12.  Cedric Debrosse

11.  Jack Cantoni

10.  Didier Camberabero

9.   Richard Astre

1.   Armand Vaquerin

2.   Alain Paco

3.   Cedric Soulette

4.   Alain Esteve

5.   Michel Palmie

6.   Yannick Nyanga

8.   Alain Carminati

7.   Pierre Lacans

It’s less than five days until the Six Nations starts, a tricky period to negotiate for us fans.

Weekend social invites have to be diplomatically declined, or at the very least postponed until  the “rest” weekends, or ideally until the end of March.

Now I count myself extremely fortunate that no one in my circle of family,or friends,has a birthday during the tournament, in fact there is one …. Me ! My birthday is on February 14th, and is always on, or around , a six nations weekend ….result !

I believe many years ago, when the six nations were only five, a family member arranged their wedding on the day of a Wales v England match, they were subsequently ostracised, never spoken of again, and I can no longer find their names on the family tree.

In Wales, even funerals have been carefully timed, and arranged, blood may be thicker than water , but you have to draw the line somewhere.

When I was young, the Five Nations lasted from January to April, there was only one game per weekend, it was brilliant, often starting in a wintery Cardiff  with wind, mud and pouring rain, and ending in a Cardiff Spring consisting of wind, mud and slightly warmer pouring rain.

One thing has never changed, that sense of anticipation as January passes by, I am excited even as I write this!  I am already calculating how all the other results have to go, should Wales lose to Ireland on the opening weekend.

For one who failed CSE Maths, this is a terrifying ordeal !

The tournament is now a highly commercialised well oiled machine, and things have changed immeasurably since my first match in 1974, and yes JJ Williams DID score that try Mr West.

No more standing in pouring rain two hours before kick off, getting drenched from above, and from behind with warmer Amber  liquid (and no it wasn’t fosters)

But I do miss some things , Bill McLaren, the singing at the Arms Park, Parc Des Princes, Merion Joseph refereeing in a V neck sweater, the Western Mail pull out supplements, the orangy sports echo, and rosettes.

So where ever you watch, stay safe, let’s hope for good weather and good company and of course good rugby.

Pilates is often classed, incorrectly, as women’s exercise.

You May therefore be surprised to learn that it was originally created for men.

Joseph Pilates was a boxer, and the legendary German heavyweight Max Schmelling was a regular at the founders New York studio.

A growing number of rugby players are now using Pilates as a way to improve coordination, mobility and flexibility, as well as for the prevention and recovery of injuries.

Wales and the All Blacks have incorporated Pilates into their training schedule, in an effort to gain the benefits that it undoubtedly offers.

Rugby demands rapid directional change, often at full pace, so an inflexible physique will hamper the movements required to achieve this.

Players are also required to deliver power from unbalanced body positions, at scrum and line out, and during tackling.

So as modern players get bigger, weights are an essential element of training , yet a body that has been bulked up in the gym can become rigid and restricted in its range of movement, and also leave it susceptible to injury.

Welsh international wing,Eli Walker ,has had endless problems with long term, and recurring hamstring injuries.

He turned to Pilates, focussing on the stabiliser muscles of the pelvis, the buttocks and the groin which goes a long way to preventing injuries of this nature.

Eli Walker

Adam  Kwasnicki, a physio and former England U18 coach says:

“From my experience as both a professional rugby player and physio, the majority of rugby players are lacking in both functional flexibility and core stability”

“Anyone who thinks Pilates is for girls, had obviously never tried it ”

So there you go, as summer approaches and fitness resolutions abound, you could do a lot worse than join a local Pilates class, if it’s good enough for the World Champions, then it might just be good enough for you.

Clive Ashby    England Scrum Half                      Aged 78

Norm Berryman   All Blacks Centre                    Aged 42

Jerry Collins   All Black                                           Aged 34

Brian Cox   Australian Scrum Half                       Aged 86

Jimmy Docherty   Scotland Centre                       Aged 83

Arthur Dorward   Scotland Scrum Half                Aged 90

John Elders   England Coach                                   Aged 84

Stan Hodgson MBE   England Hooker                  Aged 86

Phil Judd   England Prop                                          Aged 81

Mark Keyworth   Swansea/England Flanker        Aged 66

Jack Kyle OBE    Legendary Ireland Fly Half         Aged 88

Eduardo Lamborde   Argentina Centre                Aged 47

Trevor Lloyd   Wales & Lions Scrum Half            Aged 91

The One And Only  Jonah Lomu                             Aged 40

Sandi Magxala   Springbok Full Back                    Aged 73

Norman Mair   Scotland Hooker/Jouranlist        Aged 86

Abie Malan     Springbok Hooker                           Aged 78

Piet Malan      Springbok Flanker                           Aged 96

Jim McCarthy   Irish Grand Slam Winner 1948   Aged 90

Douglas Muir   Scotland Lock                                  Aged 89

Howard Norris   Wales & Lions Prop                     Aged 80

Martin Regan     England Fly Half                           Aged 85

Noel Turley      Ireland Flanker                                Aged 80

Ross Turnbull     Australia Prop/Team Manager   Aged 74

Gordon Stone    Australia Scrum Half                   Aged 100

CD Williams      Wales Flanker                                Aged 89

Ray Williams OBE   The worlds first full time proffesional rugby coach and WRU secretary     Aged 87