On the great escape

There is an old Yemeni saying that every man has one chance to escape perdition in his life.

That chance may well have been used simultaneously by 22 Welshmen and 3 coaches on Saturday, when Wales, by the narrowest of margins, managed to squeak past a braver, better organised and ultimately hungrier Scottish side.

In fact, it was the greatest escape ever. It couldn't have been greater if Gatland had brought on Gordon Jackson and Richard Attenborough to shore up the pack, and Steve McQueen to inject some pace into the backline.

It is hard to give Wales credit. The Scots were down to thirteen, the winning try came about 2 weeks after time was up, most of the Scots were already in the showers getting ready for a few beers, and even nominal defence coach Sean Edwards had the sort of look on his face at the final whistle that reminded one of OJ on hearing his verdict.

To say "we'll take the win, however it comes", rang about as true as if those same sentiments had been offered by the England cricket team after squeaking home by 2 runs in the final over against the Rotherwick 3rdXI.

It should have been a Scottish defeat on the scale of Bannockburn, but instead it was nearly Culloden.Or should that be the other way around? Who cares.

On that showing, even the Wops will fancy their chances against Wales, and as for the French, well, they'll be smoking Gallois a week on Friday.

Wales undeniably have some talented players, but until they change coach they are doomed. Keen students of the game will recall that Gatland also had an initially successful spell as coach of Ireland, but the Irish, too canny to be suckered, worked out he was there to ruin their chances in the World Cup and got rid of him. Recent evidence suggests he is playing a similar role in Wales - win a Grand Slam, make the job a sinecure until after the World Cup, then quietly but surely baffle the players with illogical selections, obscure gameplans, and ensure that come 2011, they are in disarray, paving the way for the All Blacks to finally win.

So fire the Kiwi Quisling, is the call from NOSF, bring back Ruddock (now Alfie and Henson are gone there's no-one in the dressing room who objects to a ban on make-up) and lets show the ABs that 15 good men from a small part of one island still have the wood on 15 blokes from lots and lots of islands when it really matters.