GARETH Bale might have inspired Wales to their first appearance at a major football finals for 58 years but he didn't get much of a look-in when the Welsh sports personality of the year awards were revealed last December. Lee Selby, the principality's world featherweight boxing champion, finished third. Geraint Thomas, the likeable Team Sky cyclist who had finished a creditable 15th in the general classification in the Tour de France, took second. And pride of place went to Dan Biggar, the rugby No 10 and place kicker, whose efforts weren't sufficient to win that year's Six Nations (the trophy went to Ireland) nor take Wales beyond the quarter finals of the Rugby World Cup.
What has all this to do with Euro 2016, I hear you ask? Well, the point is that Biggar's award might just have had something to do with one thing he did achieve one particular night in September last year - kicking 23 of his team's 28 points at Twickenham as the Welsh all but eliminated their near neighbours England from the Rugby World Cup. For all the bonhomie the two groups of British-based fans are thankfully displaying in the streets of Lille and Lens thus far, let's just say Bale would be a short price to win this year's award if he rattles in a winner which confirms Welsh progress at England's expense again.
You have to go back 20 years - to Scotland v England at Euro '96, the Gary McAllister penalty and the late Paul Gascoigne clincher - for the last meeting between two home nations at a major finals. These matches don't come around too often. That one has been raked over for years and whatever happens today the heroes and villains again will live on in the memory.
The match could not be set up more perfectly. Armed with a win in their opening match against Slovakia, Wales should be able to approach it with greater freedom, accepting a point but also able to put the fear of God into England with the rapier thrusts of Bale on the counter attack. England, on the other hand, need a result, with Slovakia - now sitting on three points - still to play.
"It's obvious they are under less pressure because, normally, if you win a game with three teams qualifying from the group, you're basically qualified," England manager Roy Hodgson said yesterday. "They've won one and we haven't. So they're under less pressure to win the game."
These two teams haven't met since 2011, but the wily Hodgson has taken some games against his rivals. He overcame Scotland in 2013 and 2014 then drew against the Republic of Ireland last summer. Those matches, of course, were 'friendlies'. November in Wembley, on the other hand, won't be.
Even in the pre-match, Bale has set the tone, displaying a keen sense of mischief when he admitted first that England don't display the same passion for the jersey as Wales do, then insisting that he wouldn't pick a single England player to get in this Welsh side. "You'll have to ask the Wales lads what they mean by the comments, because they've come out with them," said Wayne Rooney. "The tournament makes it more of a special game for both of us, but there are three points at stake."
Dean Saunders, the Wales legend and BBC pundit, wouldn't bet against Bale making the most of his big moment. “He is right up there with Messi and Ronaldo," said Saunders, speaking exclusively to 888sport. "His reputation got him the goal against Slovakia - I mean the ball bounced before it’s gone in – as the goalkeeper was second-guessing it because it’s Gareth Bale. That’s just the start for him. He now has a massive stage against England. For the Slovakia game there was eight million viewers. Imagine how many will be watching Wales and Bale this Thursday.
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