#Wales legends on winning Grand Slam as Gatland’s side chase 12th sweep"

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Wales legends on winning Grand Slam as Gatland’s side chase 12th sweep

One win from glory, the 2019 Welsh rugby team could join the greats of the past by becoming Six Nations Grand Slam champions against Ireland on Saturday.

Ahead of the match Sportsmail gathered together a group of Welsh legends who were part of all the six Slams in living memory for a trip down memory lane.

     Wales can become Six Nations Grand Slam champions by beating Ireland on Saturday

1971

22-6 f England (Cardiff); 19-18 v Scotland (Murrayfield); 23-9 v Ireland (Cardiff); 9-5 f France (Paris).

Sir Gareth Edwards: 1971 was exciting, off the cuff, with little fuss. Our coach, Clive Rowlands 'last word to me before each game would be:' If it's good ball, use it. If it isn't kick it! "

We trained on Aberavon beach and just had one back move where Arthur Lewis would cut back against the flow of play. Guess what we called it? "An Arthur!"

Looking at today's complications, that's ridiculous! JPR Williams was such a masterful runner, we didn't need much else.

Against Scotland Gerald Davies had curved fit full back Ian Smith, but couldn't score among the posts. John Taylor then had a conversion right on the touchline in the last minute to win it.

     Wales scrum-half Gareth Edwards runs with the ball during his team's win over France

Delme Thomas couldn't look. I said: "To think we've come all this way, played some great rugby and will lose!" It was too much of a fairy tale – but he got the kick.

We tended to lose to France in Paris, but not that final day. Despite the 9-5 score-line it was one of the classiest games I played in. Everyone still drools about it when I go to Paris now!

JPR intercepted Roger Bourgarel five out of our line. I thought: "I better follow him." With about 20 yards to go he threw the ball and I scored in the corner.

1976

21-9 f England (Twickenham); 28-6 v Scotland (Cardiff); 34-9 v Ireland (Dublin); 19-13 f France (Cardiff).

Edwards: We were more dominant in 1976 – a confident side with experience in the places that mattered, with the Pontypool front row of Charlie Faulkner, Bobby Windsor and Graham Price.

JJ Williams: I used to have honey and toast before a game, but the Pontypool boys would have a bloody steak! Sometimes they wrapped one in a napkin and ate it after the game – never waste a steak!

We stayed at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff and on Fridays would walk up Queen's Street to the cinema – seeing Blazing Saddles one time – all with an ice lolly! It was fabulous, but so bloody corny.

On match-day you'd open the curtains and see a sea or red outside the window. You don't go out, if you'd be swamped.

John Dawes would pick the smallest room in the hotel for a team meeting, to make the atmosphere more tense and tight, then we'd come down the lift and squeeze through thousands trying to grab you as you walked across the road to the ground.

     Edwards makes a break during the Five Nations match against England at Twickenham in 1976

Edwards : One of the first things John said to us that year was : "You might not be a good team at the start of the season, but you're going to be a good side of the end!" We believed him.

JJ Williams: The dressing rooms at the Arms Park were very quiet, but when you came out of the tunnel the wall of noise hit you.

France were after our blood, but it was our peak after the invincible 1974 Lions tour. Mervyn Davies led from the front as a great captain, and we followed.

The necklaces were closing down, so the special Slam gift Wales a huge lift. Max Boyce was starting out then too. As we've got better, we've got more famous!

So did the Grogg shop in Pontypridd – they made caricature models of Mervyn and JPR to sell. All of that became part of the folklore. Possibly the best Grand Slam Wales ever won.

1978

9-6 f England (Twickenham); 22-14 v Scotland (Cardiff); 20-16 v Ireland (Dublin); 16-7 f France (Cardiff).

JJ Williams: 1978 was tougher as teams were after us. In 2005 everyone went bonkers because the modern generation didn't have a Slam and had gone through so many dark times.

In the 1970s if we didn't it was considered as a failure. The pressure was enormous, and we all had day jobs, so if we had lost the public on a Monday morning!

Edwards: We could've easily lost against England. It was a bloody trudge through the mud, but Phil Bennett tonked over a late penalty and we won 9-6. That was my 50th cap too, so I'll never forget it.

     Wales wingerJJ Williams goes over to score a try during the Five Nations in 1978

In Dublin at half-time it led 13-6 but the Irish came out like a warring faction. I never saw the ball in the second half! It was a super-human effort from our pack.

We were so exhausted that after an hour we were still sat in our kit. Friends wanted me to come out but I was too tired and went to bed early!

JJ Williams: Then the first 10 minutes against France were like Waterloo. It was mad. But when it settled down we'd try to get the ball out and play.

Edwards: For winning we were given a decanter, and a silver badge that reads 'Wales Grand Slam' but never had medals. A good shake of the hand from the selectors was it!

JJ Williams: I think we were given a blazer too, but it never fitted!

2005

11-9 v England (Cardiff); 38-8 v Italy (Rome); 24-18 f France (Paris); 46-22 v Scotland (Murrayfield); 32-20 v Ireland (Cardiff).

Martyn Williams: No one thought we would win the Grand Slam in 2005, having been poor in the years previously.

Our style caught the imagination and after beating Scotland scoring some great tries, with no Slam for 27 years, it might have felt the weight of the world was on our shoulders.

Coming into Cardiff to play Ireland I felt nervous, but unbeatable. We didn't realize just how many people were in town, as we had come in the back end.

     Martyn Williams celebrates after the final whistle in his side's victory over Ireland in 2005

I saw the news on the Sunday, with 250,000 people outside City Hall, and thought: "Wow , I'm slippery I didn't see that on the way in! '

It was a perfect sunny day so the roof was open, but it didn't matter – the atmosphere was electric. Ireland had Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell and Ronan O'Gara, so we knew it would be tough.

Gavin Henson hit a drop goal and then when a Gethin Jenkins charge-down settled us Kevin Morgan scored we knew we'd done it. For the last three minutes I was looking at the clock before the elation and relief.

I was three when Wales suffered last won a Grand Slam, so to be part of one took a long time to sink in.

Because it had been so long some wanted an open-top bus tour on the Monday, but the players said no. You only do that if you win the World Cup!

A crazy time to be involved; the highlight of my career. Although, because I was man of the tournament I had some press interviews on the Monday – difficult after our weekend in town!

     Williams and Kevin Morgan celebrate with the trophy following the win over Ireland

2008

26-19 f England (Twickenham); 30-15 v Scotland (Cardiff); 47-8 v Italy (Cardiff); 16-12 v Ireland (Dublin); 29-12 f France (Cardiff).

M Williams: I'd retired after the 2007 World Cup disaster but at 32 as soon as Warren Gatland rank and asked if I wanted to come back I didn't take long to say yes. I knew we had a good team and saw what Warren and Shaun Edwards had done at Wasps.

With 13 Ospreys playing at Twickenham we beat England in a game we probably never should have won. Warren has this uncanny knack of giving players belief – we should have been dead and buried, but never looked back.

None of us had won at Twickenham – no Wales side had since 1988 – so suddenly with Scotland and Italy next at home we had momentum.

     Wales players spray champagne as they celebrate the Grand Slam against France

Jamie Roberts: I made my debut against Scotland, the only game I played in that tournament, so whether that counts as a Grand Slam I don't know! On reflection my selection was probably to put a rocket up Mark Jones.

It was Gatland's first campaign and he wanted to stamp his authority quickly – I was the beneficiary of that decision! I was a pitch-side for the France game, so lived every minute, and did get a medal!

M Williams: It was a completely different style of winning to 2005. Then we were like Kevin Keegan's Newcastle, you score, we score. But in 2008 only two tried – still a record.

Shaun had worked his magic with the defense. It was a very un-Welsh way to win. We basically won because of Shane Williams, and our defense! At Croke Park, with Shane got us out of jail. We then sealed it against France at home again.

     Williams holds the Triple Crown (right) and the Six Nations trophies after the France game

2012

23-21 f Ireland (Dublin); 27-13 v Scotland (Cardiff); 19-12 v England (Twickenham); 24-3 v Italy (Cardiff); 16-9 f France (Cardiff).

Roberts: The previous four years had harbored so much disappointment. In 2009 I lost a European Cup semi-final on penalties, let Ireland win a Slam in Cardiff with a last-minute drop goal, lost a Lions second Test in the last play against South Africa, and then was knocked out of the World Cup semi-final by a point in 2011. So by 2012 I was in my mid-20s and praying for no more disappointments.

Warren worked us so hard and made us believe we were fitter, faster and stronger than everyone else.

Against Ireland you have to empty the tank physically and mentally. Those matches hurt. We absolutely battered into them and Leigh Halfpenny won it with a penalty in the 79th minute.

     Wales center Jamie Roberts scores his try during win over Italy at the Millennium stadium

At Twickenham I ran into Manu Tuilagi and felt a click in my medial ligament. Scott Williams came on for me and won the game after stripping the ball off Courtney Lawes – it was an amazing win which sealed the Triple Crown but I was worried I'd be dropped!

Luckily I recovered – getting all the abuse and 'Lazarus' nicknames from the lads – and scored a try from 60 meters against Italy. I didn't score too many, so that was awesome.

Alex Cuthbert was an academy boy, straight out of university on £ 5,000-a-year and scored three tries in the Championship – the step off his right and change of pace against France won us that final game – and Dan Lydiate was Wales personified – his attitude to level people was incredible.

For the core group it felt like we finally had reward for our efforts. The 2011 World Cup was savage – the worst moment of my career – so 2012 was special. And when you win trophies in Cardiff there are no early nights!

     Roberts and his team mates celebrate after winning their country's fifth Grand Slam

2019?

24-19 f France (Paris); 26-15 v Italy (Rome); 21-13 v England (Twickenham); 18-11 v Scotland (Murrayfield); Next – Ireland (Cardiff).

M Williams: Recently this is the best team who've come here on the final day. Fingers crossed the magic of Cardiff will get Wales through and everyone will be dancing in the streets again. I'll be back all day long.

Edwards: They're on a fantastic run, but it is still done. I'll be proud if Alun Wyn Jones joins the group alongside Gerald Davies, JPR Williams, Ryan Jones, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins and me who have won three Grand Slams – we'll welcome him to the club with open arms!

He deserves it. Would my team beat this one? Well, lots of us are over 70! Good luck to them, I hope they achieve it.

     Warren Gatland is one win away from seeing his team join the greats of the past

Roberts: Warren, Shaun Edwards and all the coaches deserve a perfect send-off. I have a huge amount of respect for the resilience of this team.

I can't see Wales losing. Their attacking game hasn't been allowed to shine yet, so I hope they blow Ireland off the park and score some great tries. Prepare the heart to beat at 200-beats-per-minute!

JJ Williams: This crop has shown glimpses of being a great team. We would've been proud of the Josh Adams try against Scotland. It was perfect.

This team are not spectacular – Gatland's teams will never play flamboyant rugby – but are defensively oriented and comfortable without the ball. They've done well and will get better. I am confident.

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