Ever since rugby union was first played in Wales in the mid-19th century, the game has been part of the nation's lifeblood.

The first official Welsh team was formed in February 1881 to face England and lost by 82-0 under the current scoring system.

It was to be another nine years until Wales were to first taste success over England, when Arthur Gould's team beat the Auld Enemy to spark the first golden age in Welsh rugby.

In 1893 Wales won their first Triple Crown and in 1905 they inflicted the only defeat on the feared New Zealand All Blacks.

Wales went on to become the first team to complete a Grand Slam, recording a run of 11 successive victories between March 1907 and January 1910.

There were Grand Slams in 1908, 1909 and 1911, and Triple Crowns in 1900, 1902, 1905, 1908, 1909 and 1911 as the Principality took the game to their hearts.

The post-War years heralded another era of success, with a Grand Slam in 1950 ending a 39-year trophy drought and victory over New Zealand in 1953.

In 1969 Clive Rowlands became the national coach and with players like Gareth Edwards, Barry John and Mervyn Davies at his disposal, another golden era was born.

A Triple Crown in 1969 was followed by Grand Slams in 1971, 1976 and 1978, but then came the barren decades of the 1980s and 1990s.

The Welsh team seemed to struggle to adapt to the professional age and the country had to wait until 2004 for their next Grand Slam.