Those of us who hail from West Wales are well aware of the meteorological disadvantage we have to endure on a daily basis. So when there are blue skies and warm sunshine in Llanelli, you have a sneaking feeling that something good is about to happen.

This factor is true for the most of Wales. Those of us exiled in foreign parts are all too aware that the moment your vehicle sets foot on the Severn Bridge from the English end, its windscreen wipers leap into action, but not this weekend.

Welsh rugby has worn a frown for what seems like an eternity, but that oval-shaped furrowed brow turned into a cautious semi grin as good news cascaded from the clear blue heavens.

Friday night in the capital, a packed crowd at the Arms Park and a result that gladdened the heart gave us a feeling of how things could be and a moment of respite from the grave position Welsh rugby finds itself in.

Munster came to town and the blue and blacks not only stood up to the Munster men, they displayed a passion and a fervour that earned them a 26-21 victory, keeping them in contention for a play off place.

The sunshine had disappeared temporarily in the evening skies, but the 11,253 present sang and cheered like days of old.

One swallow doesn’t make a summer, and after twenty-four hours of glorious weather, the normal consequence in Wales is for at least thirty days of rain to follow.

But Saturday morning broke and as the nation reached for their umbrellas, the bewildering sight of continued blue skies and sunshine had the residents of Carmarthenshire rooting through their bathroom cabinets for the ‘Factor 50’.

However, there was a dark cloud on the horizon the visit of Leinster to Parc y Scarlets and fears of a heavy defeat wafted around Pemberton Retail Park as one of the best sides in Europe arrived in town.

They always used to say beware of playing France in Paris with the sun on their backs, well maybe we can now the same of the Scarlets in Llanelli, even if a full day’s sunshine only turns up as often as Halley’s Comet.

Scarlets put in a performance to match the weather earning a bonus point win against a Leinster side admittedly with many stars being rested for next week’s European semi final, but even so, the visitors had plenty of Irish internationals on show and their strength in depth is renowned envied world wide.

A four try 35-22 win for the men in red is not be undervalued and Taine Plumtree’s performance was mesmerising and heroic in equal measure. Smiles in the sunshine were a welcome change from tears on the terraces.

The glorious weather continues this Sunday morning but the long range rugby forecast in these parts is changeable with the probability of a depression sweeping in at various stages.

But for one weekend at least the sun shone on Welsh rugby, let’s hope we get a heatwave and a hosepipe ban soon.

PS There was also sunshine in Swansea RF.

The mouth watering Investec Champions Cup quarter-final between Toulon and Toulouse did not need a pre match dangling parachutist to warm up the crowd.

Fortunately this week there were no Ariel delays to kick off as the match ball arrived in a more traditional and less perilous manner.

As the traditional pilou pilou drifted up into the grey drizzle laden clouds, the rouge et noir were ready to do battle and turn the words of their fabulous anthem into action.

A sign above the player’s tunnel, the last thing they see before stepping on to the lush green grass carries the wording:

‘THIS IS THE MAYOL RESPECT THE LAND OF OUR ELDERS’

Ten years ago those rugby elders were sweeping all before them in the Champions Cup with a team of stars that lit up the clear cloudless Mediterranean skies. Halfpenny, Habana, Botha, Guirado, Hernandez and co lifted the Champions Cup at Twickenham in 2015 after defeating Clermont 24-18, the last time they won the title.

Toulouse of course have a much more recent winning pedigree, being reigning champions and six times holders of the cup.

Beauty as they say is in the eyes of the beholder and if you are beholden to tense error strewn physically brutal rugby then this was the game for you.

The immaculate boot of Melvyn Jaminet gave Toulon a 12-6 half-time lead as Toulon’s as Toulouse’ attempts to breach the opposition try line proved fruitless.

But the second half could not have started much better for the visitors. 

A Ramos penalty and a Jack Willis try in the opening two minutes brought them to within a point of Toulon (12-11). Plus, a yellow card was awarded to Baptiste Serin.

Pita Ahki’s 50th minute try and Ramos’ subsequent conversion gave Toulouse an 18-12 lead.

Jaminet’s faultless boot added two penalties on 59 and 62 minutes to draw the sides level at 18-18.

It was evident that one single moment of genius or a simple error would decide the outcome of this titanic contest, and so it proved to be.

Gabin Villiere failed to gather a high kick in his own twenty-two and from the knock on Toulon were Penalised from a resulting infringement 

With 80:13 on the clock Ramos slotted over the pressurised kick then as the final whistle blew he crouched over in tears as the enormity of the moment overwhelmed him, Toulouse had done it and Villiere’s contrasting emotions were equally emotionally intense and visible 

So the cup kings head to a semi final in Bordeaux against their fierce Top 14 rivals, that could be quite some game.

Immediately following this game I collapsed and was rushed to hospital after many tests and 24 hours in hospital I have been allowed home hence the lateness of this article.

There were concerns about how slow my heart was beating apparently world class athletes have a similar heart rate but they don’t collapse in their own kitchens.

But like Toulouse I live to fight another day 

Despite March beginning its final countdown, the daffodils are still a beautiful site adorning the grounds of Cardiff Castle, reminding us that Spring has sprung as the lighter and longer days continue to extend.

But just across the road, it was a bunch of Red Roses that stole the rugby flower show yesterday as they bloomed under the roof of the Principality Stadium.

It came as no surprise that England extended their unbeaten run to twenty-two matches, and also to thirty Guinness Women’s Six Nations matches without a loss.

As we all put our clocks forward in the early hours of Sunday morning, Wales were no doubt wishing they could put theirs back eight hours in an attempt to achieve a different outcome to a match in which they were thoroughly beaten.

Transport for Wales may have reliability issues as train users in these parts will testify but the Keighley Express Ellie Kildunne can always be relied upon to reach the try line without disruption, Wales would have required a fleet of bus replacement services to derail the non-top touchdown service provided by her and the women in white.

On the plus side, the glorious sight of a record crowd for a women’s sporting event in Wales (21,186) gladdened the heart and proof if it were needed that women’s rugby continues to grow, not only in attendance terms but also in quality and excitement.

Eleven tries conceded and a 67-12 scoreline do not provide a barrel load of positives for the women in red, yet for the first ten minutes they dominated possession and took an early 7-0 lead 

One thing Wales most definitely are not is slow starters, as they showed yesterday and also in their previous match against Scotland.

This is a new era for Wales Women and the gulf between them and the World number one side is brutally evident, but this team will improve the more time they have with the new coaching set up and perhaps the matches against Ireland and Italy will provide more of a level playing field to assess where Wales stand in the current world order.

The Médipôle Clinic on Rue de Girons in Toulouse was the centre of the rugby universe last Monday as Antoine Dupont finally underwent surgery on the right knee he so badly damaged in Dublin on Saturday, 8 March.

If there was a feeling of déjà vu, it was because five years ago he underwent the same surgery on the same knee on the same cruciate ligaments.

However, in 2018 it was solely the cruciate ligament that was damaged, this time the meniscus and the collateral ligaments were also affected.

Dupont decided to stay in the French camp following his injury suffered in the match against Ireland, and his severely swollen knee did not prevent him from lending his support to the squad.

With a protective boot, he collected his Six Nations Championship winner’s medal and helped lift the trophy after victory against Scotland at Stade de France.

Following the operation on Monday morning, he returned home the next day and sent a post on Instagram offering his thanks for the thousands of goodwill message he had received and also reassuring fans that the operation had gone well.

A long period of rehabilitation now awaits, with the recovery period calculated as between six and nine months.

The previous injury seven years ago kept him out of action between February and October. But you can be assured that Antoine and his medical team will be working hard on a daily basis to ensure the safest and speediest recovery possible.

The Rugby world will undoubtedly be all the poorer for his absence, particularly at this time, the business end of the season, with Toulouse gunning for European and Top 14 titles.

But hopefully there are plenty more miles in the tank for the man from Lannemezan.

Read Antoine Dupont’s story in my latest book Behind Enemy Nines available via the link for only £5.99 post free.

https://amzn.eu/d/2PmwYJI

Wales Women were sent home from Edinburgh tae think again, as Scotland claimed a narrow 24-21 victory at the Murrayfield gazebo.

This pulsating match had with more cards than Clintons and an over enthusiastic TMO whose constant interventions frustrated fans and players alike.

Goodness knows, Welsh rugby and its followers needed a lift, and a try by Carys Phillips after just four minutes did just that to create a 7-0 lead.

A 17th Munster penalty from Helen Nelson narrowed the gap, and the remainder of the first half was all Scotland (and TMO).

Wales defended that narrow lead heroically, but the dam burst on thirty-six minutes when Sarah Bonar crashed over for a try converted by Helen Nelson to give Scotland a 10-7 lead at half-time.

As the Edinburgh dreich turned into a mini monsoon, Scotland took just four second half minutes to extend their lead with an Emma Orr once again converted by the admirable Nelson.

Wales then went on a rare attack with Chloe Rollie driven back over her own try line, A high tackle by Georgia Evans earned her a second yellow card having only just returned to the field.

Wales however refused to lie down, and after Evie Gallagher was shown a Red card for a dangerous lower limb clean out. Wales attacked from the line-out and the resulting maul concluded with Abbie Fleming crashing over for a try on 53 minutes. Keira Bevan’s conversion reduced the deficit to just three points (17-14).

Leah Bartlett’s 65th minute try looked to have won the game for Scotland, but this dogged Welsh outfit refused to lie down and from a driving maul Gwenllian Pyrs announced her arrival from the bench with a crucial try. Bevan’s conversion made it 24-21 with five minutes remaining.

Scotland managed the game well in the dying minutes as Wales tried desperately to win back possession to eke out an opening day victory.

New Wales head coach Sean Lynn who has only had a few days with his charges said: “What I asked the players to deliver this week, to bring energy and passion, I couldn’t fault them out there today. We talked at half-time to try and play a more territorial game because our set piece and driving maul had gone really well, and they delivered that. I’m super proud of the group. There were some defensive system errors which we feel are easy fixes moving onto next week, and with England we’ll definitely need to.”

‘I’ve paid my dues, Time after time
I’ve done my sentence, But committed no crime
And bad mistakes, I’ve made a few
I’ve had my share of sand Kicked in my face
But I’ve come through’………Freddie Mercury

France are the masters of late night rugby and the newly crowned kings of Europe play their best stuff when most of us are heading to bed.

As home kick off times lurch further and further past 9pm Les Bleus come into their own and last Saturday night was no exception.

By the time the worthy 2025 Guinness Six Nations champions left Stade de France ‘Super Saturday’ had become ‘Disheveled Dimanche’ as the celebrations straddled the midnight hour and beyond.

There were a few nervous moments as Scotland attempted to spoil the party but France’s power and pace, which is bordering on the scary, won through.

Bad mistakes ? Yes they made a few but they only had sand kicked in their face on one occasion and that was at Twickenham, where a plethora of try scoring opportunities butchered in that match will play on their minds as it robbed Les Bleus of a Grand Slam, but lifting the trophy at Stade de France in front of 80,000 was pretty good compensation.

Records also tumbled as Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored the most individual tries in a Six Nations tournament (8) to add to that feat he also touched down in every one of France’s matches.

France scored 30 tries in the tournament another record.

Thomas Ramos became France’s highest points scorer overtaking Freddie Michalak’s total of 436.

Now here comes the good news and the bad news.

The good news for rugby lovers and the bad news for opponents is the age profile of this French squad.

Only two of the starting XV are over the age of thirty. Uini Atonio is 34 and Antoine Dupont’s stunt double Maxime Lucu is 32.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey is only 21 whilst fly half Romain Ntamack a tender 25.

And it’s not just the backs. The forwards are also well away from their sell by date with Paul Boudehent (25) Jean -Baptiste Gros (25) and Mickaël Guillard (24) set to terrorise opposing packs for many years to come.

So the sky is the limit for this group.

Antoine Dupont will be operated on in the coming weeks as he continues his lengthy rehabilitation from that cruel ACL injury he received in Dublin, but it was a delight to see him smiling at the trophy presentation as he threw away his crutches to grab his Guinness Six Nations winners medal.

Thank you France for showing us the beauty and brutality of our wonderful game in the way which only you can.

‘We are the champions, my friends
And we’ll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
‘Cause we are the champions’…..

We don’t wanna be your enemy,
But when we’re on the field,
It’s red, white and green,

Get beat by the Irish,
Get beat by the Scots,
The French ought’ta struggle,
But you’re the one we want,

As long as we beat the English,
As long as we beat the English,
As long as we beat the English, we don’t care

The Stereophonics carved their place in Welsh rugby folklore when they composed this classic song for a BBC Wales promo ahead of the clash with England at Wembley in 1999.

These days, it’s a case of as long we beat somebody-we don’t care who it is. But there is still something special about defeating the old enemy, especially for those of us living and undertaking missionary work on the wrong side of the River Severn.

The final day of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations Championship straddled the seasons. An icy cold wind wrapped in bright sunshine bathed Cardiff in a blanket of hope, one that would see Wales finally get that elusive and shackle-breaking win they were desperately seeking.

There was something in the air pre match, the prospect of a win based purely on hope and history and very little evidence.

Perhaps Wales Under 20s defeating England the previous night and depriving them of a Grand Slam set the tone, whatever, it was almost tangible.

The front page of Wales’ National newspaper The Western Mail had a one word header ‘Calon’ the Welsh word for Heart.

Sadly, all those hopes, feelings, and expectations were brutally blown away as England scored ten tries to rip the heart out of Wales.

For the Welsh fans, it was heartbreaking. To see their team demolished physically was a sobering experience and a sad reminder of where they sit in rugby’s world order.

Everything 50/50 went England’s way, which is usually how it goes when your team is on top, tries from headed assists included.

Wales had their chances, a dropped ball over the line, an early disallowed effort from Blair Murray who on another day could have had a hat trick.

But ifs and buts are almost an irrelevance when you lose a match, 68-14.

It was sad to see so many fans leaving the last chance saloon before last orders, but a heart, or should I say calon, can only take so much.

Hope was springing eternal, the whole of Wales was willing and praying for this to be the day that the Welsh victory drought finally found rugby precipitation.

But Wales left Murrayfield parched and the thirst for a win continues for at least another week.

The signs were good, an unchanged starting fifteen for the first time in sixty six matches, and an uplifting inspiring performance in the previous game against Ireland to put wind in their sails.

Wales displayed the good, the bad and the ugly in this Jekyll and Hyde performance, sadly the bad and the ugly massively outweighed the twenty minutes of good.

The first half bordered on the grotesque for the men in red as Scotland achieved a four try bonus point after only thirty three minutes.

All the power and precision evident in Cardiff was nowhere to be seen as the home side cut through at will. Scotland’s 28-8 half time lead was extended to 35-8 eight minutes into the second period, but that was the last time Scotland troubled the scoreboard.

Finn Russell’s departure signalled a Welsh revival and with the match seemingly won the Scots disintegrated.

Three tries in the last quarter earned Wales a try scoring and a losing point, those two points might even allow Wales to avoid a wooden spoon depending on next week’s results.

Had Taulupe Faletau’s try not been disallowed Wales might well have achieved one of the great rugby comebacks, but they need more than ifs and buts as their losing run extends to sixteen matches.

Next week it’s England under the roof, and if the rugby gods have read the script the Welsh capital will turn into an oasis as the long drought finally comes to an end, it’s time to offer up a prayer or two.

French rugby fans simply adore Dublin, they fly over in their thousands every other year to watch Ireland face “Les Bleus”.

When I was young, which admittedly is an awfully long time ago, they used to bring over live cockerels and release them on the field of play, obviously this is now outlawed, or it may just be that chickens find Air France fares a bit too expensive these days.

The Irish will charm you, entertain you, smile at you and then kick the living daylights out of you on the rugby field, there aren’t many more hospitable capitals on this planet than Dublin, as any Six Nations fan who has been there will happily tell you, once they have recovered from their lack of sleep and mind-numbing hangover.

Yesterday at the Aviva Stadium the match had the feel of a championship decider and ultimately that may well be the case.

France had a blip in round two against England, Ireland were blip-less, in fact there have been no sightings of blips in these parts for quite some time.

But at the Aviva Stadium France displayed an industrial beauty as they physically dominated one of the best sides in the world.

And It wasn’t all industrial, the backs painted pictures that would have put Renoir to shame.

The loss on 28mins of Antoine Dupont, to what appears to be a very serious knee injury, stunned France, but replacement Maxime Lucu provided his best game in a French jersey and was a major catalyst for everything that shone in Les Bleus attack in an unbelievable second half.

France led narrowly 8-6 at half time but a Dan Sheehan try on 43 minutes gave Ireland a 13-8 lead before three tries in twelve minutes from Boudehent, Bielle-Biarrey and Jegou took France ahead 32-13.

A Ramos interception on 75 minutes set up Penaud for a fifty metre run in which made it 42-13, France were home and hosed.

With a metaphorical glass of red and a Gauloise in hand they allowed Ireland two consolation tries in the final three minutes.

With ten minutes to go the French had a metaphorical glass of red and a galloise in each hand and allowed Ireland in for two tries that made the scoreboard look slightly more respectable.

The title is now in France’s hands when they face Scotland in Paris at 9pm next Saturday.

Historically for many Welsh fans, the favourite away trip has always been the one to Edinburgh and for so many different reasons.

 One of which is the fact that until 1975 the matches at Murrayfield were not “All Ticket” so people paid at the gate, as a result, the Welsh always travelled in heavy numbers.

The red tsunami flowing down Princess street as the Scarlet hordes made their way to the famous stadium, framed by the beauty of the castle and the Scott Monument, was a wonderful sight on those crisp cold Saturday winter afternoons.

However, things went horribly wrong on St Davids Day 1975 when at least 104,000 were squeezed into the ticketless stadium for the biannual encounter.

It was a miracle no one was seriously injured, and after that narrowly avoided disaster, Scotland matches then became ticket only affairs.

That weekend trip to see Wales play Scotland in Edinburgh was perceived to be a test of manhood undertaken by many generations of Welsh fans.

The arduous train journey to the game was known as ‘The Killer’ leaving Cardiff at 2100 on Friday night. The train would arrive in Edinburgh at 0700 on Saturday morning. 

The return journey commenced immediately following the match, with the train leaving Edinburgh at 2100 on Saturday night, and arriving in Cardiff at 0500 on Sunday morning. It was not a journey for the faint-hearted.

I know of people who travelled on this weekend marathon and never even got to see the game due to socialising a bit too fervently. 

They returned home with a mysterious and rare form of amnesia, unable to recall the events of the entire weekend, but despite this malady the moment the victims arrived home they started saving, weekly, for the next trip in two years time.

What used to be a pilgrimage now appears to have turned into something of a wake as Wales’ losing run extends further. 

Memories of past wonderful triumphs drift further from the mind in the suffocating gloom that is choking Welsh rugby.

But if Wales haven’t quite found the light at the end of tunnel, they have at least located the tunnel.

Despite a 15th consecutive defeat at home to Ireland last weekend, Matt Sherratt, the interim Wales coach, has delivered some rugby CPR to his group of players. After pushing the men in green so close, there is some cautious hope and even, dare I say it, optimism coursing through the travelling fans veins.

Should that elusive win come at Murrayfield next Saturday, then ‘The journey home on The Killer’ will feel like a trip on the the Orient Express.