Wales take heart from Wrexham ‘80 in confusing rivalry with England

England’s tendency to rule the roost makes Wales victories more memorable and a repeat of the shock 4-1 win in 1980 would go down well across the Severn when the teams meet at Euro 2016

“Look what these bastards have done to Wales. They’ve taken our coal, our water, our steel. They buy our homes and live in them for a fortnight every year. What have they given us? Absolutely nothing. We’ve been exploited, raped, controlled and punished by the English – and that’s who you are playing this afternoon. The English.”

The Observer can exclusively reveal that these words will not come out of the Wales captain Ashley Williams’ mouth in Lens on Thursday, and not only because he was born in Wolverhampton. Phil Bennett’s legendary speech, delivered before Wales’s Five Nations victory over England in 1977, belonged to rugby union, where the rivalry between England and Wales is significantly more intense.

Related: Gareth Bale insists Wales will not be a one-man team at Euro 2016

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