A Game of What ifs? By Elan Cross

61,535 people woke up for Wales and made their way to Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium to watch Wales play France on Saturday 15^th October in the 2011 Rugby Word Cup semi-final.

Being one of the 61 thousand, I know firsthand that the atmosphere was buzzing and everyone knew that Warren Gatlands’ team were on top form, but on the 19^th minute of that crucial game, you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife, when captain Sam Warburton was given a red card by referee Alain Rolland and sent off for a dangerous tackle.

After the sending off of the captain and prop Adam Jones being replaced because of a problem with his calf, the game wasn’t looking too good and now Wales had to play 61 minutes with only 14 players.

Sitting behind the big screen I had a perfect view of the vast amount of people watching and praying that Wales come out on top.  When half time came and Wales’ male voice choir, Only Men Aloud, tried to raise everyone’s spirits with their rendition of Don’t Stop Believing and get everyone back into the same mood they were at the beginning while singing the national anthem but the only thing on everyone’s minds was beating France and getting into the final, so when Mike Philips’ try came on the 59^th minute the sea of red in front of me came alive and waves began to flow as everyone’s hopes were raised once more.  The missed conversion by Stephen Jones would have put us in the lead but no-one seemed to mind as we were losing 9-8, only 1 point away from the final with 21 minutes to go, but the dashed hopes really came when Leigh Halfpenny came ever so close to the post but sadly it wasn’t meant to be.

Wales fought with all their power and kept pushing their way closer to the try line but on the 82^nd minute our World Cup dream was smashed as France got hold of the ball and kicked it out.  The fans heads dropped and the tears began to flow as everyone heading out of the stadium with the same thing on their minds, what if?, what if that 19^th minute had never happened?  Then it could have changed the World Cup semi-final all together!   

Elan Cross is a resident of Banwen and an aspiring journalist and writer, currently studying at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera.