February brings a lot of positive changes: a (slightly) warmer climate, longer evenings, and the chance of less rain. But, if you’re Welsh, it also brings heart-break, swept in with the waves of green, blue and red from the Six Nations.
Watching an abysmal scoreline has become somewhat of an annual tradition at this point.
If you’re waiting for the rebuild of Welsh rugby, then Cardiff Arms Park may be where you need to start looking for some hope in these dark times.
With most of the seats filled out and Guinness generously flowing behind the stands, France vs Wales U20s match took place on a relatively mild Saturday evening, the crowd was buzzing with energy for the game ahead, but did the juniors deliver.
Spurred on by the looming presence of the Principality setting the scene, the U20s set the scene with great plays and a love for the game, mirrored by the buzzing atmosphere in the stands—80,000 to 12,000 seems like a big jump, but in the thick of the crowd and their chanting, it’s all the same.
The intimate nature of the stadium means that you can actually watch the game you’re paying for, instead of staring at the TV replays and imagining your living room and the same experience you could have had for none of the price tag.
Another bonus? Wales actually winning—at least, for most of the game.
France turned it around in the last ten minutes for an impressive scoreline of 39–28, but as a lifelong Wales fan with the winter blues for the last few years, it was enough to light the beacon of hope that in a few years, it might come home.