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Warburton hails 'phenomenal effort' as Wales bridge six-year title gap
By Online Editors
Former Wales captain Sam Warburton has hailed the "phenomenal effort" from Warren Gatland's side as they beat Ireland in Cardiff to win the Grand Slam.
Hadleigh Parkes scored an early try and Gareth Anscombe added 20 points with the boot from a conversion and six penalties to help Wales win 25-7 at the Principality Stadium.
Warburton, who led Wales to the Grand Slam in 2012 and famously lifted the trophy with one arm after suffering a shoulder injury, told BBC One: "If for whatever reason Wales didn't win today they wouldn't have won a championship since 2013.
"Wales have been too good over the last five or six years not to have won a title. I'm so, so happy for all the players involved. For Warren, all the coaching staff.
"There's been some ups and downs over the past five or six years but after the performance today to win 25-7 against the second-ranked team in the world, Ireland, is a phenomenal effort. A phenomenal effort. I'm so pleased for everyone involved."
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Martyn Williams, who won Grand Slams of his own in 2005 and 2008, echoed the thoughts of his fellow back-row forward.
He said: "It was an incredible performance from the whole Welsh team. Wales just made a very, very good team look very ordinary.
"They out-harried them, they were more professional, they were more detailed, they won those big moments and it was just an incredible final-day performance from Wales. They thoroughly deserve the Grand Slam."
Former England captain Martin Johnson felt the crowd in Cardiff played a big part in pushing Wales over the edge.
He said: "It's an amazing atmosphere here when they get going. The players have inspired the crowd. The crowd in turn inspire the players.
"That second half Ireland were never coming back. The crowd got into it and Wales were just on top of the game.
"It's easy sat here with a cup of tea telling you what you should do. When you're playing in that atmosphere its very, very difficult. It's been a privilege being here. The atmosphere has been very, very special."
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Latest Comments
But he chose rightly or wrongly to play for Tonga. If he wanted to play for the ABs why didn’t he hold off?
Go to comments“A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”
Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.
“The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”
I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.
“Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”
I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.
“The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”
I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!
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