History of the Wales national rugby union team (2004

The Wales national rugby union team is a very successful rugby team. This article looks at their history from 2005 onwards. During this time, they won the Six Nations Championship five times. Four of these wins were "Grand Slams". A Grand Slam means a team wins all their matches in the tournament. Wales achieved Grand Slams in 2005, 2008, 2012, and 2019. They also won the Championship in 2013 without a Grand Slam.

Wales has found it harder to win against strong teams from the Southern Hemisphere. These teams include Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Wales has not beaten New Zealand since 1953. They have beaten South Africa five times since 2005. These wins were in 2014, 2016, 2017, and twice in 2018. Wales beat Australia in 2005 and 2008. After that, they lost to Australia 13 times in a row. This losing streak ended in 2018 when Wales won 9–6.

In the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Wales lost to Fiji. This meant they were knocked out early. They did much better in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. They reached the semi-finals but lost a close game to France, 9–8. They finished fourth, which was their best World Cup result since 1987.

A Golden Era: 2005 to 2013
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A Golden Era: 2005 to 2013

Grand Slam Glory in 2005

In 2005, with coach Mike Ruddock, Wales won their first Six Nations Grand Slam. They started with an 11–9 win against England. This was thanks to a long-range penalty kick by Gavin Henson. After beating Italy 38–8, they faced France. Wales was losing 15–6 at half-time. But they fought back to win 24–18. This was a very exciting game!

Wales then beat Scotland 46–22 away from home. Their final game was against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium. Wales won 32–20. This victory gave them their first championship title since 1994. It was also their first Grand Slam since 1978.

Later in 2005, Wales played New Zealand. They lost 41–3, which was their biggest home loss ever. They then had a close win against Fiji. After that, they lost to South Africa but finished the year with a win over Australia.

Changes in Coaching and More Success

In February 2006, Mike Ruddock resigned as coach. Scott Johnson took over for a short time. Wales finished fifth in the 2006 Championship. Gareth Jenkins became the new head coach in April. In 2007, Wales and Australia created the James Bevan Trophy. This was to celebrate 100 years of playing rugby against each other. Australia won the first series.

The 2007 Rugby World Cup was tough for Wales. They did not get past the group stage after losing to Fiji. Coach Gareth Jenkins then left his job. Warren Gatland, a New Zealander, became the new head coach in November 2007. He had coached a New Zealand team called Waikato.

Another Grand Slam in 2008

Warren Gatland's first game as coach was against England in the 2008 Six Nations Championship. England was expected to win and led 13–0 at half-time. But Wales fought back to win 26–19. This was their first win at Twickenham (England's home stadium) since 1988. Wales won every game in the tournament. They secured their second Grand Slam in four years by beating France 29–12. Wales only let in two tries during the whole tournament. This was a new record!

In late 2008, Wales lost to New Zealand and South Africa. But they beat Canada and Australia. Their 21–18 win over Australia was special. It made them the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to beat a Tri-Nations team that year. This helped them move up to fourth in the world rankings. In the 2009 Six Nations Championship, Wales lost to Ireland on the final day. This meant Ireland won the Grand Slam, and Wales finished fourth.

World Cup Achievements in 2011

At the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Wales beat Fiji, Namibia, and Samoa. They only just lost to South Africa in the group stage. In the quarter-finals, they played Ireland and won 22–10. This meant they reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1987. In the semi-final, Wales lost a very close game to France, 9–8. Their captain, Sam Warburton, received a red card early in the game.

Third Grand Slam in 2012 and Championship in 2013

On March 17, 2012, Wales won their third Six Nations Grand Slam in eight years. They beat France 16–9 in the 2012 Six Nations Championship. Many people saw this win as revenge for their World Cup semi-final loss. After this Grand Slam, Wales had a tough time. They lost eight games in a row, including four against Australia. They also lost five home games in a row.

This losing streak ended in the 2013 Six Nations Championship. Wales beat France 16–6 in Paris. On March 9, 2013, they beat Scotland. This was their fifth away win in a row in the Six Nations. Wales then kept the Six Nations Championship by beating England 30–3. This was a record winning margin. It was the first time Wales had won the Championship two years in a row since 1978 and 1979.

Despite these wins, Wales was ranked 9th in the world in December 2012. This meant they were placed in a tough group for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. They were in Pool A with Australia and England. The media called this the "group of death."

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Michael Owen takes a line-out.

History of the Wales national rugby union team (2004–present) facts for kids

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