WALES v IRELAND REACTION:WARREN GATLAND'S unfortunate and, by his own admission, over the top remarks earlier in the week may have upped the ante, but they also embarrassed many Welsh fans as much as they irked Irish ones, and it was clear in Saturday's long aftermath that there was genuine magnanimity in defeat and happiness for Ireland's long overdue Grand Slam. This even extended to some of the players who supposedly disliked Irish players the most.
“I’m not going to end up scrapping with Tommy Bowe in the car park,” quipped Shane Williams of his club team-mate and opposing winger on Saturday. “We are great mates. We are friendly. There is always banter there but that’s rugby for you. You get it whether you are playing Division Six West or international rugby. It’s all mind games before the games and then once you play it’s all the physical side of it.”
“There is no arguments between any of us and the Irish sides. We are good friends and that’s the way it’s going to remain. Hopefully there will be a lot of boys from Wales and Ireland going on this Lions tour and we are going to have to get on over there as well.”
“It’s great for Tommy,” added Williams. “I’ve experienced the Grand Slam before. It’s a great feeling. The Irish lads are going to go home as heroes now. It’s a great welcome they’ll have. They’ve deserved it and Tommy’s deserved it. He played really well today, he worked hard and deserved a very good performance. It’s great for the Irish boys that they can experience a Grand Slam. It’s a great feeling and they probably do deserve it.”
The Welsh winger felt he and his team-mates had given their all and said: “That’s all we could have asked for. It’s very difficult to win every game in this championship. They are tough games, you are playing against the best sides in Europe. To win every game, the Irish thoroughly deserve it.
“I think they have been the form side of the Six Nations and they have proven that today.”
Gatland himself said: “You must be gracious in defeat and say well done to the Irish. It was a very tough Test match. Ireland have won all their matches and learnt the way to win games. They pick and go a lot and kick intelligently. They kicked significantly more than we have today but have done it well. When they get opportunities they tend to take them and you must give them credit for doing that.”
“They know how to grind out victory and grind out results. When they get in front they normally hang on and when they slip behind they know what to do. There’s a lot of experience in that Ireland side and they were good enough to win the Grand Slam.”
Unconcerned by finishing second or, as it turned out, fourth, the Welsh coach maintained: “I think the best two teams in the competition played in Cardiff today and it was a Test match of real high drama.”
Shaun Edwards, his defence/assistant coach, described it as “a rip-roaring Test match and not one for the faint-hearted while the Welsh captain Ryan Jones echoed Gatland’s view. “It was the best two teams (in the championship) going hammer and tongs – and it’s a fine line between coming off winners and coming off disappointed losers.”
“Take nothing away from Ireland, they got what they deserved and played very well. Over the period of this competition Ireland have shown a composure and discipline to grind out results. That wins you championships and that’s something we can take from this.”
However Gavin Henson struck a discordant note and bemoaned his first Six Nations defeat in the starting team: “We haven’t played to our potential at all. I don’t think our game is right at all. I honestly don’t believe any table lies. Fourth place is exactly where we are right now and I think our game could get a lot better.”
