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Well done Wales!

What a game!

First and foremost, the victory was made sweeter by the fact that it was against a truly world-class England side that had dominated the 6N right up until the final game.

England were beaten on the day but they can hold their heads high after showing their undoubted class by beating a great All Black team in November and then dominating the 6N right up until the final weekend when they came up against an old rugby foe who was simply too committed and too passionate on the day. Cymru am byth!

On the opening weekend of the 6N I put up a post saying that Wales may well have lost the 6N because of one terrible half of rugby against Ireland. They redeemed themselves in the second half against Ireland even if they went on to lose that game but they showed great character to win every game after that and while I have celebrated many great Welsh victories - especially in the 70s - I cannot recall a Welsh 6N win that inspired as much emotion and passion as this 2013 6N victory. Well done to Sam Warburton, Ryan Jones and Gethin Jenkins who all captained this great team at various stages in the campaign and special mentions to Justin Tupuric (a deserved Man of the Match today) as well as two-try scorer Alex Cuthbert.

Perhaps my emotions are running a bit high it's because only 3 weeks ago that we had a ceremony in the Pilanesberg for my late father who was a passionate Welsh rugby supporter all his life as well as a great lover of birds and nature - hence the setting of the Pilanesberg - where I sang Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau unaccompainied in front of 40 people in honour of my father. To the late Huw Edwards , this is for you, Dad! RIP.

Cymru am byth!

Well done Wales!

Good post I forgot in my gloating to give credit to England a young side who willl be a force

in the future.

To the late Huw Edwards RIP.

Thank you MO(NH). Spoken like a true rugby supporter!

What a great song to sing for your father....it must have been moving. May he rest in peace.

Have you a translation rooinek of the song?

Indeed may he rest in peace as I could think of one reason he would. 

So well done Wales a shock win but no question as to who was the better side. 

Firstly, may I say how sorry I am to hear about your father, Rooinek.  I'm sure it's been a tough few weeks for you, so my sincere condolences to you and your family.

Obviously I am disappointed for this England side to have failed at this year's final hurdle, but I don't think I was the only one who felt that this was certainly a match too far for them this year. Wales were too good a side on the day and I have no problem with that at all.

As long as we learn from the experience and from the way Wales played against us in winning the Championship, then I feel we are on the right track.

Overall, I am still happy with the way things are going. We've achieved a lot very quickly and I hope we continue to improve in the manner we have done so thus far. We have some good players waiting in the wings and I think we have many reasons to be hopeful for future successes.

Not a good day to be an England supporter, but a good day to be Welsh.

 A good day to be Welsh! I am trying to get my head aound that!

Thanks, mozart, Beeno1 and becs.

Beeno,

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwlad garwyr tra mad,
Dros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.

(Cytgan - Chorus)

Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad.

Tra môr yn fur i'r bur hoff bau,

O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.

Can be translated as:

The old land of my fathers is dear to me,
Land of bards and singers, famous men of renown;
Her brave warriors, very splendid patriots,
For freedom shed their blood.

Land (or country or nation), Land, I am faithful to my Land.

While the sea is a wall to the pure, most loved Land,

O may the old language Cymraeg (Welsh) endure.

Becs, very gracious in defeat, as always you judge on the rugby you are watching.I agree with your views regarding England and I think this loss will only spur them on to greater things. You and I know the banter with the Wales v England matches but to night in Cardiff both sides of supporters will mix and have a great night.

We will go through the same nerves and excitment next year, but now it is over I have to get back to playing golf on a saturday and enjoy watching the SH rugby before I tee off.

I don't post much these days and sometimes it's only over the weekend that I get to read the board. That said, my deepest sympathy Rooi, may your late father RIP. I'm sure your dad would have been mighty proud of you in singing that wonderful song.

 Thanks Rooinek a wonderful old song that must mean a great deal to the Welsh. Could not have been easy singing it either given the emotions of the day.

God bless and keep you and your family and may He reveal himself to you.

Your friend and rugby nemisis - Baboon ou!