Jiffy column: I don't want this to be the end for me but this Six Nations might be
Heading into this year's Six Nations, there's obviously a lot of talk about the TV situation for the tournament for next year and beyond. This is the final year of the contract with the BBC and ITV, with the next broadcast deal yet to be decided.
As things stand, it's all up in the air at the minute. There's been all sorts of reports in the press this week about who will get it and what it means for the tournament on terrestrial television.
If the BBC don't get the rights deal, then Wales v England in Cardiff at the end of the tournament could well be my last Six Nations commentary.
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With TV rights, it's so fickle. If it goes to someone else, you might not get the opportunity again. Don't get me wrong, I'd love that opportunity.
I'm not retiring. But it's just if the BBC lost it, the other broadcasters might not want me on there. Hopefully S4C will still have rights, and I've done a fair bit with them as well, but there's a lot of youngsters coming through.
I've got to still prove worthy of what I'm doing. I still think I am. I'm not doing Scrum V anymore. It's not the same when it was me, Eddie and Stuart Davies. Things change. I stopped doing that through my own choice.
I might still do the odd one. But international rugby union and rugby league are what I'm doing now. I'm happy with that. But with all the talk about the rights, it could well be my last Six Nations. Hopefully it isn't though.
I'm lucky as I'm still doing internationals and I look forward to that. I watch more rugby on TV than I used to, as I'd watch games live. It's interesting as you learn a lot and see different broadcasters.
When it comes to the debate of whether the Six Nations needs to stay on free-to-air, it's very difficult for me to put my opinion out there. I'm conflicted as I've been at the BBC for 26 years. So whatever I say, people will say I'm coming at it from a BBC angle.
I can't win whatever I say. I understand that there's a need for finance in the game. But you've got to be careful with other sports that have gone off terrestrial TV and has fallen by the wayside. Football is different to any other sport. It's so much bigger.
They can afford to do it. Yet, Match of the Day is still important. I feel there's a balance to be struck. I understand the predicament they're in. But for me, if it went off free-to-air, I think it would be a hammer blow for the game. If you go off terrestrial, sponsors would pay less. So there's a lot to look at.
If this is to be my last Six Nations, then I've certainly seen my fair share of highlights in that time. In the past 26 years, I've seen some of the best players and teams. Guys like Jerry Guscott, Keith Wood, Martin Johnson, Brian O'Driscoll, Johnny Wilkinson, Shane Williams, Alun Wyn Jones. You see all these players emerging and you commentate on them.
It's a delight to see. I think the first Grand Slam, in 2005 against Ireland, would have been the highlight. Having watched Wales win Grand Slams growing up, then missing out by a point against France when I was playing, then going through the doldrums in the early 90s.
All of a sudden, on a beautiful day, beating Ireland to win the Grand Slam. That was a special occasion.
It's been 25 years since the Five Nations became the Six Nations and, having been there for all of it, the tournament has perhaps never been as closely-fought as it is now.
I hope there's no 50-pointers this year. It shows it's getting so competitive. You'll always get sides that will dominate, there's peaks and troughs in any sport. But years ago, it was always England and France who were there at the top. Wales and Ireland managed to then win championships and Grand Slams.
It's an amazing tournament that shortens the winter. It's not just the players and teams, it's the fans that make it so special. They're the reason it's the best annual tournament in the world.
In terms of Wales' chances, it's a daunting task at the moment, because of where we are. If you look at it realistically, where we couldn't beat Fiji and Australia at home in the autumn, then you've got to be a bit pessimistic about it.
Unless you're in the squad, with the management, they have to have a belief. From what I hear, there's a desire to be tighter as a group in this tournament and hopefully that comes across in these five games. But looking from the outside, a lot of people are tipping them for the wooden spoon.
It's up to them to prove everyone wrong. As a player, you get huge delight from that. The first game in France isn't the best. Apart from Ireland away, that's probably as hard as it gets, especially the way their players are playing. Damian Penaud is out, which is a shame as a rugby supporter, but great news for Wales.
They have so much depth though, which is why them and England have been so consistent in this tournament. It'll be very difficult. The big game is Italy in Rome.
With Warren Gatland, he came back, set his stall out and made it known what he had to work with. They supported him through the autumn. If he gets another wooden spoon, the pressure will be on him and it'll be down to the Union to decide which direction they want to go in.
But, for now, it's just about getting the best out of this group of players for this tournament. If they do that, and show some improvement, he might stay.
They have to show a vast improvement in performance and nail down how they want to play. They'll need to hang in games and frustrate teams. They'll go in as underdogs and teams will expect to beat them. Do that, get a bit of luck or a card and pressure changes. That's maybe how you get results.
What does success look like? If they get a result in Rome, that would give them a lot of confidence. If they win that game, maybe they kick on. But Italy is the target. It has to be.
