Gerald Davies says Wales' success has "surprised" the WRU

Wales chase a Grand Slam against France on Saturday and, Davies says, whether or not they succeed, the lessons of what followed 2005 must be applied.

Controversy continues over the manner of 2005 Slam coach Mike Ruddock's 2006 departure and Davies wants no repeat.

He said: "We must manage success. I think that is the critical factor now."

The Wales and Lions wing legend says that the class of 2008 is young and full of potential and can go on to achieve the sustained success under coach Warren Gatland many believed would follow the 2005 success.

606: DEBATE Can Wales sustain their success?

"We won the Grand Slam in 2005 and the whole thing fell apart within a year," Davies told BBC Sport Wales.

"After 2005 there was failure, despondency, defeat and great melancholy about Wales.

"The main task now for the players, as indeed for the WRU and the Welsh public at large, is to ensure that we manage success. I think that is the critical factor now.

There's a huge promise there which I think could go on for five or six years Gerald Davies

"We've got a young team. We've got a good team. There's a huge promise there which I think could go on for five or six years.

"But it won't happen unless we manage - and I mean that - we need to manage the success."

Davies, who will manage the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa, says the WRU's sacking of Gareth Jenkins within 24 hours of Wales' World Cup defeat and exit at Fiji's hands and subsequent signing of Gatland has been fully vindicated.

He joined chief executive Roger Lewis and chairman David Pickering on a head-hunting trip to New Zealand while the World Cup was drawing to a close.

Davies said: "Over the last two years things have been hugely disappointing for us in Wales, but we were determined to try to correct it as far as the WRU was concerned and we've done it.

We are very proud of our decision to go to New Zealand to get Warren Gatland. A lot of fun was poked at us at the time for us disappearing so quickly Gerald Davies

"But I have to say that this kind of success and level of victories has come as a complete surprise to us.

"We didn't expect it so soon. We hoped Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards, with Rob Howley, of course, would pull things together, but that it would, as Warren himself says, come two years down the line.

"We are very proud of our decision to go to New Zealand to get Warren Gatland. A lot of fun was poked at us at the time for us disappearing so quickly.

"People said 'What's the urgency? What's the rush?'. But believe me it was necessary because we knew at the end of the World Cup there would be four or five nations looking for coaches and we needed to answer our problem as quickly as possible, which is what we did."

Wales can already claim a remarkable turnaround in fortunes and Davies believes they can seal it with victory against France.

He said: "They are capable of doing it. Throughout the season, they've shown the style, the talent, the speed, the toughness, the stubbornness and great character that is in the team.

"But they've got to do it one more critical time."