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Page 1 of 2 The countdown to the 2006 Six Nations has firmly begun. I attended a BBC Radio Five Live Six Nations preview at Sardis Road last night and had much frivolity. Invariably, the actual broadcast was a trimmed version of the conversations that went on, but very valid points were raised. The media would love to put down Wales, and at the same time triumph over adversity. I have a very similar feeling to the way last year's tournament kicked off, and quite possibly history could repeat itself.
But why does the British media in general terms have such a negative view of Wales' efforts? Is it because the team has genuinely been patchy over the last year, and the common belief is that the will not be enough confidence in Alfie's Army to hit the ground running. There's no doubt that confidence is the key, and the pack will have to have it in spades to overcome England's thuggish brutes (how un-PC of me!). But lets face it, England are a team of monsters compared to the more reserved size of Ruddock's charges. We cannot all have Ray Gravell's enthusiasm though (but if you can bottle it, I'll bloody well buy it!) and I fear for the results whether they are positive or negative. The Welsh media behaved like idiots after the Six Nations last year. They hailed Wales' as World Cup Winners 2 years premature and did not stop going on about it until the disaster that was New Zealand last Autumn. And then proceeded to turn on everyone! Papers like the Western Mail and South Wales Echo are so close to gutter journalism is makes my skin crawl. How many times have you picked up a weekly edition only to be confronted with the likes of some unimportant Henson story, or an article directly lifted from a Sunday broadsheet (Jonathan Davies column in the Independent on Sunday has been referenced more than I can remember). Where's the real stories, from the real fans of Welsh rugby? No where to be seen because the whole point of Trinity Mirror Group newspapers (who own the Welsh media) is tabloid journalism. The colour of some Big Brother wannabe's knickers makes better news to these neanderthals than someone actually questioning why Welsh player positions are being moved all over the shop, or why no one is raising the alert that the Cardiff Blues are playing amateur level rugby? Visit any Premiership or lower rugby club in Wales not represented by a true region at any time of the week, and you will find fans arguing the case for a regional reshuffle. Maybe the likes of Scrum V should try doing real interviews instead of paying over inflated pundits whose bias is written on their foreheads. How mainstream media can fall so far off the mark is a mystery. So if Wales win the whole thing (regardless of Grand Slam), the monster will get bigger. And if Wales lose more than 1 or 2 matches there will be outcry. Either way, the true voice from the likes of fans from the disenfranchised Valleys get brushed over in broad sweeping statements about the narrow minded few. But back to the point. Like last year, the first match will be a very telling insight into the whole tournament. If Wales win, the trophy is there for the taking, but if Wales lose...we might end up heading for the wooden spoon. Don't count out Scotland for a surprise either - they'll give everyone some very good matches but being realistic, France will probably have the edge after the way their players have been performing in Europe. Rant over.
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