AS anticipation builds ahead of the start of the Six Nations this weekend, Martin Wade looks back at some of the greats of Gwent rugby who have made their mark on the annual contest.

THE Six Nations originally was just between four, when it was called simply the Home Nations Championship from its inception in 1883. With the addition of France in 1910 four became five (barring the 1930s when the five were four again). Then with the addition of Italy in 1999, the Five Nations grew to the present six.

In the early days Newport often hosted games at Rodney Parade. Newport had six matches between Scotland’s first visit and victory on 12 January 1884 and the 14-8 victory for Wales over France on 25 March 1912.

Rugby historian and statistician Howard Evans says there are some Gwent players who deserve to be singled out for their prowess as Welsh internationals in the Five Nations.

Foremost, says Howard is Bryn Meredith. The Abersychan-born hooker won 34 caps for Wales, then Welsh record for a forward. Howard adds: "He was a good runner, a captain of Wales and played for the Lions on three occasions, so there's no greater accolade than that."

Brian Price, the Newport lock, captained Newport when they beat the All Blacks in 1963. He led Wales in the 1960s, winning his first cap against Ireland in the 1961 Five Nations. He led Wales to Triple Crown wins in 1965 and 1969.

"Another Gwent great was David Watkins" Howard says, "he was electric - over the first 20 yards he was one the fastest outside halves Wales have had." He eventually went north to play rugby league. Watkins was there when another Newport player burst spectacularly on the Five Nations.

Black and Amber centre Keith Jarrett was only 18 when he made his Wales debut against England in 1967. Jarrett famously collected the ball from an English kick, sprinted down the touchline, outflanking the England defence, to score in the left corner, which he then converted.

The 1970s saw more glory for Wales with Grand Slams in 1971, 76 and 78. Instrumental in the successes of 1978 were some of Gwent's greatest players, the Pontypool front row of Tony 'Charlie' Faulkner, Bobby Windsor and Graham Price.

Howard says of Graham Price: "He was a man of few words and his debut for Wales against France was fantastic” adding “they were always formidable".

The three comprised Wales' first ever one-club front row, soon to be immortalised in song by Max Boyce as the 'Viet Gwent'.

Other Gwent clubs saw their brightest and best appear in the tournament, notably Howard recalls, Alun Pask and Haydn Morgan of Abertillery during the 1960s.

Pask, capped twenty-six times by Wales between 1961 and 1967, captained Wales in six internationals and led the side to victory in the 1966 Five Nations Championship. Flanker Morgan was part of an all-Abertillery back-row with Pask. The ex-para won 27 caps for Wales.

Perhaps the greatest of them was one who preceded them all. Blaenavon's famous all-rounder, Ken Jones won an Olympic silver medal with the Great Britain 4x100m relay team at the 1948 Games in London. He was seen as one of the finest talents of the victorious 1950 Lions tour in New Zealand.

These times saw Jones net honour after honour. He was part of the Grand Slam-winning Wales side of 1950 and again in 1952. A year later he scored the winning try against the All Blacks in Cardiff – the last time Wales overcame the New Zealanders.

Playing for Wales for the 43rd time against France in 1956, Jones became the most capped player in world rugby at that time.

Newport-born Eddie Butler captained Pontypool during their glory years of the 1980s. Between 1980 and 1984 he appeared 16 times for Wales, leading them six times. He has since become one of this country’s most prominent sports journalists and commentators.

Although Wales' fortunes have revived massively over the past ten years, with three Grand Slams since 2005, there is one victory which will always stand as a symbol of a golden age of Welsh rugby. The Grand Slam of 1978 was so good it even spawned a film of the same name. So great was their triumph, the Welsh team was feted at Number 10 Downing Street. The then Prime Minister James Callaghan was a Cardiff MP which made the occasion all the more sweet. One man who could say 'I was there' for all of that glittering campaign and that Downing Street reception was former Argus rugby writer Robin Davey.

By the Monday after the Saturday before, beneath the headline 'One of the greatest Welsh sides', he wrote of how, after beating France and clinching the Grand Slam, coach John Dawes hailed them as "one of the best teams of all time".

Robin told then how this success had followed three Triple Crowns and another Grand Slam in just three seasons. He highlighted the contribution of Gwent players like Jeff Squire and Gareth Evans of Newport and Terry Cobner of Pontypool. They, of course were aided by the mighty Pontypool front row, for whom Davey has special praise. "They were the engine room of the Welsh pack." he says, adding: "without them, Gareth Edwards wouldn't have had the success he did."

It was a special time for rugby in this part of Wales, Davey recalls: "When the British Lions toured New Zealand in 1977 there were 13 Welshmen in the squad and seven of these were from Gwent."

The ex-Argus man admits it was "a privilege to have lived through it and reported on it. As a newspaperman it was a joy to behold - it really was a 'golden age' of rugby."

Let's hope that this campaign will be just as successful for Wales as they were in that special time.