REMEMBER The Alamo, as one rugby columnist dubbed Wales' heroic defence against the Irish onslaught.

Remember the moment Saturday's Welsh defence was a solid stone wall, fighting off attack after attack, and one attack which saw 32 phases.

It was incredible, a 20-minute spell to make the toughest of defence coaches have a tear in their eye. Shaun Edwards must be so proud of what his team achieved against Ireland.

And so are we. The fans were up out of their seats, shouting their heads off all around this country - not just in the Millennium Stadium.

What Wales did in that match, that defensive spell, was something very special indeed.

It was the sort of spirit we saw at the end of the World Cup semi final against France, it is the sort of spirit which unites and inspires a nation.

It's what I love about sport in general and about rugby in particular. Pundits can predict turgid, dull play and 20-point winning margins all they like.

When it comes down to it, no one can predict how a match will be played, on what moments a match can turn.

Pundits can predict an easy Six Nations for England or Ireland all they like.

When it comes down to it, every single test match in the Six Nations is a mighty battle now - gone are the days when Italy was an easy, roll-over win for the other sides.

On Saturday, Wales made a staggering 250 tackles compared to 105 from Ireland.

Luke Charteris made 31 tackles, Sam Warburton made 23 as did the ever-excellent Taulupe Faletau.

Ireland made 461 metres compared to Wales' 195 - the Irish were relentless.

During that famous 'red wall' spell, I could hear cheering from the local pub, nearby houses.

Think the fan base wasn't engaged? Think we didn't appreciate just how magnificent that effort was?

Think again.

So while I understand why those who bemoan the fate of rugby, how 'boring' it is seemingly becoming, take that stance, I don't agree.

Saturday's match was the sort of entertainment for which any fan would pay double the price.

It was the best match I have seen in the Six Nations in years.

And we won having lost Samson Lee to a nasty injury early on, then losing Gethin Jenkins, having captain Warburton in the sin bin.

A few years ago, the loss of just one of those key players would have meant heads dropped and the game was lost.

Saturday's match was a win which builds something very important for the World Cup next year - the sort of confidence we used to dream about having.

Now, we have it in spades. We just need to keep it.

We have the confidence to beat South Africa, and we have the confidence in the Welsh defence to do what they did on Saturday.

Now, of course, the maths mean Wales have to produce a whopping scoreline against Italy to be sure of winning the Six Nations title.

There is the front row injury problem with which the coaching team now has to deal.

Shane Williams is already urging Warren Gatland to give Adam Jones a call and tempt him out of retirement - to help Wales get the forward platform they need for a try-fest in Rome.

Three nations are left in the running for the title on the championship final weekend.

Boring? Hell, no.

And if we need a little inspiration, we'll just remember The Alamo. Of course, we'll also remember that while the real Alamo ended in tragedy for its defenders, our rugby Alamo ended in triumph.

* HERE'S wishing all the best to Samson Lee after that rupture of his achilles tendon during the Irish match - and hoping that the big man can make it back into the Welsh squad for the World Cup.

He must have been in considerable pain after the injury, but chose to get on his crutches and cheer on his team-mates from the stand.

Let's hope that kind of guts gets him through recovery and on the team sheets against the best sides in the world. He deserves it.