EXACTLY a year ago Mike Ruddock was celebrating one of the shock announcements of the season - it was less than one day since he had been appointed to arguably the greatest job in Welsh sport.

It had appeared a one-horse race with Gareth Jenkins favourite to become Wales rugby coach when Steve Hansen left the job after the Six Nations tournament.

But out of nowhere Ruddock came up on the blindside and got the job he had never even applied for.

Yet there was no time to take it all in, for that Friday he was travelling up the M5 by coach to Birmingham Airport through heavy snow which had fallen overnight, en-route for an immediate test in his then job as coach to Newport Gwent Dragons.

The Dragons were heading for Southern Ireland and a Celtic League game that night in Limerick against Munster, and Ruddock's mobile was red hot with congratulatory messages.

A few hours later the Dragons pulled off a remarkable victory. Ruddock was winning then and he's still winning now with Wales.

The immediate future was some unfinished business with the Dragons which ended in mission accomplished, for in May he took the team which he had earlier labelled as 'a bunch of rejects' on to Dublin for a final game Celtic League showdown with Leinster.

It said much for Ruddock's capabilities that such an unsung team were actually ahead at half-time against an international-packed side and still in with a shout of winning the title. They ultimately failed in that aim, but they could hold their heads up high after a marvellous season.

An awards ceremony back in Newport followed and then Ruddock was gone, onwards and upwards with Wales. He's been climbing ever since. His immediate task was to fly out to Argentina and South Africa for three Tests with a Welsh team shorn of 14 players because of injury problems.

But again he showed his strength in adversity by plotting a Test victory in Argentina against all the odds. After returning home there was some time at least to get his act together, to get to know all his back-room staff, to integrate himself and get down to the meticulous planning which is one of his trademarks.

That became another mission accomplished ahead of the next big test - the autumn internationals. Wales immediately played with a style, a flow and a passion which Ruddock encouraged.

They trounced smaller nations Romania and Japan and, more significantly, pushed Southern Hemisphere giants South Africa and New Zealand all the way.

Wales lost both games, but by a combined total of just three points which was quite an effort considering the low base from which they started.

Two years earlier they had suffered a humiliating whitewash including a first defeat by Italy in Rome, and the next season managed just two championship successes.

Now they've played three and won them all, getting the whole nation so excited that upwards of 40,000 fans are heading to Scotland this weekend to support the side in their bid for their first Grand Slam for 27 years and their first Triple Crown for 17.

It's fair to say Ruddock has been the catalyst, not that he accepts all the credit, insisting it's all down to two teams - the one on the field and the one off it.

And he admits he has basically carried on the work he did with the Dragons last season. "It's the same way we worked with the Dragons, it's the way modern rugby is," he said.

"No one man can solve all the problems, you need a team like Clive Griffiths with defence, Scott Johnson's expertise (skills) and Andrew Hore's (fitness).

"Then there is the actual team. Alfie has been great as captain of a team with no egos. "I'm lucky as a coach, I've got the right team, the right substitutes and I've had an element of luck.

"Big decisions have had to be made and a lot of hard work has gone in, you couldn't do it without a bit of luck."

Reflecting on his first year, he said "It's been very enjoyable. I said when I came in it would be two years out of my life (surely he'll get a two-year extension to take him to the 2007 World Cup) and I encouraged players to go out and play with enjoyment and with a licence to thrill.

"It has been exciting and enjoyable, but hard work. There's a lot more to the job than people think. Everyone has got an opinion, there are three million selectors out there, but I'm pleased with the decisions I've made in terms of selection and new captain. Everyone has been positive and decisive."

Ruddock pulled off another master stroke by getting all the regional coaches and former players involved in his Team Wales vision.

"It was great to see Gareth Jenkins come in and do a presentation against England which shows he's right behind us, then Leigh Jones before France, Sean Holley this week and Alan Donovan and Andy Moore against Italy," he said.

"It'll be Dai Young and Geraint John for the Ireland game next week. Don't forget we're all stakeholders in this.

"In the past some coaches were built up to be supermen, but at the end of the day a coach is a coach and I felt there was too much emphasis on one man trying to solve everything.

"When you look back the buck stops with the coach, but you've got to be realistic, it's about a team and his players. A coach has the final say on selection and tactics and the choice of captain, but there's more to it than that.

"At first there were a lot of de-briefs to the players, but if this team is serious about winning championships and World Cups you need a lot of leaders.

"England had Jason Leonard, Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Richard Hill, Matt Dawson, Jonny Wilkinson and Will Greenwood, all with leadership experience, then Mike Catt came on against Wales and changed the course of the game.

"You give the players guidelines, then step back a bit and try to get them to grow and come back with ideas and analysis and make the difference."

After going through his basic philosophy Ruddock explains his attitude to the future and where Wales might go. And he comes up with another surprise.

"You can't set targets. You can't do it because you just don't know," he explained. "A lucky kick could go your way or a decision could go to the video referee.

"It's just that everyone has to do the best he can all the time, do his homework and try to win every game - like Sunday's against Scotland."

As good a note as any to finish on his first anniversary.