What a difference two years make! This season,s remarkable turn around of Welsh rugby was difficult to envisage after the 2003 season when the Welsh team failed to win any of their five six nations games, the interesting thing is that the nucleus of players was the same as the current Welsh Team.
It is both inspirational and instructive to look at what has brought about this huge change in fortune.
The theory that great team work can lead to a synergistic effect where the sum of the parts is greater than the individual components, is perfectly illustrated by this current Welsh team. There are few superstars in the current Welsh line up, however each individual knows their own role and performs to the best of their ability in the achivement of a common purpose i.e to win rugby matches.
The management team has also created an atmospere of open communication, support and trust for each other which has enabled the team to overcome difficulties, as during the French match in Paris, where the Welsh team were really under pressure after the first half but staged a remarkable recovery to emerge victorious.
Just what can be achived by this level of teamwork was illustrated during the first half of the game against Scotland which elevated the game of rugby to heights not seen before by this writer, the Scottish team may not be the best in the world but the way Wales had won the game after the first 20 minutes was remarkable.
The final test of this season will come in the Grand Slam decider against Ireland on Saturday but I think that they really believe they can win and in doing so create a little piece of Welsh history.
Mike Ruddock must be congratulated for creating a vision for success and getting his team to buy into it, the process is one that all leaders and the teams they lead should follow.
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