NEWPORT Gwent Dragons number eight Michael Owen will captain Wales in their bid for Six Nations triumph as the glory days return to Welsh rugby after years of failure.

Owen steps into the hot seat after Gareth Thomas was ruled out for eight weeks with a broken thumb - legacy of Wales' unforgettable Six Nations Championship victory over France in a Paris classic on Saturday.

It's eleven years since Wales won the title, 17 since they won the Triple Crown and 27 since they won the Grand Slam.

After winning their first three games in the Six Nations Wales are but two steps away from the ultimate.

Owen will lead Wales on down the final straight, having taken over for the second half on Saturday, which involves a potential banana skin against Scotland at Murrayfield a week on Sunday.

But if they win it and Ireland beat France, a momentous Grand Slam showdown awaits against the Irish at the Millennium Stadium on March 19.

If Wales have waited a long time for glory it's nothing compared with Ireland, who have gone 48 years since their one and only Grand Slam.

Owen is already upbeat about Welsh chances and taking over the captaincy.

"Scotland have played pretty well so far, they could have beaten France, they beat Italy and they know what we're all about, so it's going to be tough," he admitted.

But he added, "We'll go to Scotland full of confidence and there's no reason why we can't win up there. You dream about playing for Wales, but it never enters your head that you will one day captain your country."

Owen has led the Dragons seven times this season in the enforced absence of Jason Forster with a record of five wins and two defeats, so he is well in credit, but this will be the first time for him to captain his country.

He will have the inspirational and influential Thomas, whose leadership qualities have been infectious, alongside him because it's impossible to imagine Thomas not being there every step of the way, offering encouragement.

Apart from one game when Kingsley Jones was in charge, Gwent have not had a Wales captain since former Newport hooker Mike Watkins in 1984. Before that it was Pontypool pair Terry Cobner and Jeff Squire in the 70s and early 80s.