Ruddock senses a repeat of 2005 for Wales

Three years ago, Mike Ruddock guided the Dragons to a first clean sweep since 1978, climaxing in a 32-20 victory over Ireland at a rocking Millennium Stadium.

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Despite the acrimonious nature of his departure barely a year later — forced out by player power — the man who is now Worcester's director of rugby has revelled in the achievements of the national team during this RBS Six Nations.

Ruddock knows exactly what Gatland, his assistants and his players will be going through, not only at the weekend but over the coming days. He understands the pressure of the country's frenzied support and expectation, but is adamant that it will not stifle those whose job it is to deliver the dream.

'I think Wales will do it, they will win the Grand Slam,' he said. 'They have made the most of their opportunities in this championship and they are growing as a team all the time. Playing in front of a Welsh crowd, I just can't see them letting this opportunity slip away.

'They have been playing a lot of quality rugby and seem determined to keep the ball in hand as much as possible, so I suppose there are similarities with the team of 2005. That type of attacking rugby suits Welsh players.

'France have got only a six-day turnaround from their last game, so their coach will have a massive problem getting things right in time. Home advantage is crucial too, so everything is in Wales' favour now.'

Ruddock and his management team chose to scale down training in the week leading up to the Grand Slam game in 2005. With the onus on resting tired bodies, beds were even brought into the team room at the hotel, allowing players to grab 40 winks between analysis and planning sessions.

Gatland is committed to quality over quantity at the best of times when it comes to team preparation, so he is bound to employ a similar strategy. But according to Ruddock, the issues which required most attention were mental rather than physical ones.

'The madness around Wales in the build-up to the game is difficult to deal with,' he said. 'Everything is going crazy outside the squad and no matter how hard you try to switch off , you are aware of it.

'All the players have families who are excited about the game. There are also newspapers floating round the team hotel with headlines about the glory of a Grand Slam.

'It is a difficult situation to manage, but we did it in 2005 and a lot of those boys are involved again. It really was a case of adopting the old cliche about taking one game at a time, because that is the only way to keep everyone calm and focused. So, as a management team, we never once mentioned the opportunity of a Grand Slam.'

While Ruddock's team were without question the best in the championship that season, the fear was that some players might lose their nerve on the biggest occasion.

'Freezing on the day was the only thing that could have stopped us,' he said. 'But, when it came to it, the guys didn't freeze at all. This time around, the experience of 2005 and the quality of the coaching team should ensure that the current team don't freeze either.'

Three years ago, Wales had built up such a head of steam by the Ireland game that defeat appeared unthinkable. The visitors had the look of hired extras in a nation's rugby fantasy. Ruddock felt it was meant to be. He just wouldn't say so.

'There was a sense of destiny, but none of us dared to talk about it,' he said. 'The only time I came across a similar atmosphere surrounding a big game was when Ulster won the Heineken Cup in 1999. They had a feeling they would be unstoppable. Privately, I had that feeling.'

Twelve of the 22 who accounted for Ireland three years ago are in contention for selection and memories of collective self-belief should help ease them through.

Gatland reveals his hand on Tuesday, with half backs Mike Phillips and Stephen Jones under pressure from Dwayne Peel and James Hook. Up front, hooker Huw Bennett will be in contention to replace Matthew Rees after missing the win over Ireland with flu.

Meanwhile, France coach Marc Lievremont has shelved his experimenting, with a raft of experienced players recalled to the squad, including Toulouse quartet Vincent Clerc, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, William Servat and Thierry Dusautoir.

France (squad): Backs: J-B Elissalde (Toulouse), D Yachvili (Biarritz), F Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), D Skrela (Stade Francais), D Traille (Biarritz), Y Jauzion, V Clerc (both Toulouse), J Malzieu (Clermont-Auvergne), C Heymans (Toulouse), A Floch (Clermont-Auvergne). Forwards: D Szarzewski (Stade Francais), W Servat (Toulouse), F Barcella (Auch), J-B Poux (Toulouse), N Mas (Perpignan), L Nallet (Castres, capt), A Mela (Albi), J Thion (Biarritz), F Ouedraogo (Montpellier), T Dusautoir (Toulouse), J Bonnaire, E Vermeulen (both Clermont-Auvergne).