Rugby Six Nations 2009

[Peter C.]

Wales did win last year Peter and got the Triple Crown and Grand Slam too.

It's been a while since Wales has had such a run of success - back in the 1970s it was the norm.

And we don't ALL like Max Boyce!

I realize that Trefor, and you can't all sing either Present company excepted.

I first heard of Max Boyce in 1973 or 74 when some Welsh friends in the mess brought in an LP of him that they were raving about. At the time I couldn't understand a lot of what he said, but he grew on me. Rugby was his favourite subject ofcourse and what I liked was that he could make fun of opposing teams in a way that even the opposing team could laugh at it.
In those days the Welsh team was admired and held in the same esteem as the all blacks were a few years ago.

I am out of touch now because we don't see the games over here. I wouldn't have known the 6 nations was on if it hadn't been for this thread.

The last rugby I saw was the world cup when Bryn Terfel and Shirley Bassey did the on pitch concert for Wales and a popular australian folk singer and Rolf Harris did it for Australia. I'm not sure what year that was.

Peter

[McClef]

Bryn Terfel once sang Rule Brittania at the Last Night of the Proms wearing a Wales rugby outfit!

I think the Max Boyce bit is due to the chorus of a song he wrote that was taken up by the rugby supporters:

And they were singing, hymns and arias
Land of My Fathers
Ar Hyd y Nos

[Peter C.]

Bryn Terfel once sang Rule Brittania at the Last Night of the Proms wearing a Wales rugby outfit!

I think the Max Boyce bit is due to the chorus of a song he wrote that was taken up by the rugby supporters:

And they were singing, hymns and arias
Land of My Fathers
Ar Hyd y Nos

I would have loved to have seen that, I do like Bryn Terfel.

I think you are right about the Max Boyce song because we used to hear the fans singing it and he used to get his audiences singing it at his shows and it was quite stirring, and stuck in the minds of us guys from over the border.

What does "Ar Hyd y Nos" mean?

Peter

[McClef]

It's the song that you would know as All through the Night Peter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ar_Hyd_y_Nos

[thanmuwa]

While England are playing its great, there is always a team to support............the other one

Yup . For me Ireland first (for obvious reasons), Scotland second (cos I live here) and then whoever plays England . Lovely start for Ireland against France! Still not sure they should be playing in Croke Park though...

[MartinW]

Cymru Am Byth - need I say more.....

Sorry but it has to be Wales 100%......then I am torn between Scotland and Ireland, but since I like Scottish history more, I guess I will go with Scotland.

Didn't Wales play well against Scotland last Sunday....let's hope they play the same way against England next week and keep it up for that little bit longer (such as 20 minutes - )

[Peter C.]

It's the song that you would know as All through the Night Peter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ar_Hyd_y_Nos

Thank you Trefor, I didn't realize, I have a recording of Bryn Terfel singing that in Welsh, it is absolutely beautiful, but I didn't pay any attention to the words because I didn't understand them.

Peter

[###KILTEDKIWI###]

Personally i like watching Ireland and Wales play, because of the tendency to run the ball regularly...and its always a good game.

[Philip S. Tibbetts]

I wouldn't have known the 6 nations was on if it hadn't been for this thread.

Happy to help

I most also praise you for your view of being able to support the other British Isles teams. My policy for support is similar, I don't get too concerned about nationalities but I do want a British Isles team to win, I also have that very British desire for the Underdog to win so I tend to balance these two parts of me.

For instance when two British Isles teams play each other I'll usually support the underdog. Unless if the underdog winning causes a non-British Isles team to win the tournament. This translates to the rugby world cup where my first aim is for a British Isles team to win and if that's not possible another European team

Can't wait for the British Lions tour this year!

On the Bryn Terfel conversation - I too think he's brilliant. Loved his album 'First Love: Songs from the British Isles'

Anyone here seen 'Forever Strong' a sports film about high school rugby in America?

[Tony]

I would have loved to have seen that, I do like Bryn Terfel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR_bJFpilu8