Grand Slam
Wales went crazy on March 19 and Menai Bridge-born hooker Robin McBryde was in the thick of it. So what was it really like to be in the 2005 Grand Slam winning squad?
How does it feel to be the first North West Wales man to help win the Grand Slam?
Am I? I didn't know that - but that's great!
Are there any other players from the north we should watch out for?
There are five or six coming up, like Cai Griffiths of the Ospreys and the Wales Under 21s who also won their Grand Slam. There's also a guy from Mold in the Scarlets academy who's doing well so they're coming up in dribs and drabs.
The Scarlets are responsible for looking for talent in North Wales, though I think the area is too big for one region to deal with. I think anyone from the north should seek help from whichever club they're interested in training and playing for.
What was it like to be in the Grand Slam squad?
Great - all the games seemed to fly by. We got a lot of confidence after the win against England but I think we really began to believe that we could maybe win the Grand Slam after the French game.
Although, people keep on asking everyone what went on in the changing rooms at half time - the answer is, nothing - nothing different anyway. Nothing was said that hadn't already been said before the game. We just assessed what had gone on and the players went out to improve on things.
The team had been so close to winning the games in the autumn of 2004 - we'd just missed out by three or four points and we knew we had it in us to score a few more and win.
What was the atmosphere like in the stadium?
Amazing. We really began to feel it when we drove through Cardiff in the bus and saw how many people were out on the streets. I've never heard such singing in the stadium - especially when Max Boyce stayed behind at the end to entertain everyone. One guy told me he'd stayed there for at least an hour after the whistle. It was fantastic.
What about the forthcoming Lions tour?
I don't know - I'm not really thinking about it until the squad is announced. I've got a chance I suppose, but it's not on my mind right now - I'm concentrating on the rest of the season with the Scarlets - like the Celtic Cup this May.
Do you have any advice for young players inspired by the Grand Slam victory?
All sizes can play rugby - big and small, so just enjoy it. It's also a great social sport - you don't have to take it really seriously.
But if you do, and you're good enough, there are some great opportunities out there. Good luck!
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