Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Shane Williams raring to go ahead of the 2010 Six Nations

Friday, February 05, 2010

Shane Williams raring to go ahead of the 2010 Six Nations

Shane Williams has come a long way from the days when he was considered a third choice scrumhalf for his country. He's now the inspirational figure that Wales rely so heavily on to weave his magic. He says he's fit and ready, and simply wants to score tries in this years Six Nations.

Despite things not going entirely his way last year, he still managed to score a handful of fantastic tries and battled back from injury to today be in a position to light up the tournament once again.

Williams has lived through a career where players around him are far bigger and stronger, which has led to doubt in many coaches minds. The pressure has always been on the 33 year old.

"I get this pressure put on me every year," says Williams. "I want to score tries, that's why I am here and I would love to score on Saturday, whether it is the first or last try.

"What I do know is that I am feeling sharp in training. If the pressure is off me then I am more likely to score," he said.

After all, that's what he does best, as the Welsh top try scorer has shown, having scored almost 50 tries for his country. He's the small guy who's magical feat and grim determination has inspired countless numbers of young players to take up the game.

He says he's fully fit and ready to go for tomorrow's big clash against England at Twickenham, and is hoping that this is his year once again.

"I haven't played a lot of rugby this season and training has been tough," Williams added. "I have been working very hard to make sure I am match fit and sharp and that my speed is up to scratch.

"I have missed so much rugby that I really can't wait to get out there and the signs are good for me. I want to get involved and score tries and I have done everything I can in training to make sure when Saturday comes I am bouncing to get on that field."

This video takes you back to where it all began for Shane, as we get to see and hear about his debut for Wales, and how he got to the top of the world stage, eventually being named IRB Player of the Year in 2008.

Time: 07:39

Great compliment from Gerald Davies. Probably right too.

By Shaft, at February 05, 2010 3:54 pm
great winger even though he's welsh is he really as small as he looks

got to love the jumper must of been filmed around christmas or he borrowed it of his mum shocker

By ugo m, at February 05, 2010 4:55 pm
great inside outside to eat those SA up alive. I just can't get enough of that try.

hope there will be more of those classics from Williams this year in the 6N.

By Jeroz, at February 05, 2010 5:03 pm
Isn't this creepy little guy like 35?

By Anonymous, at February 05, 2010 5:45 pm
no 3 foot 5' is really small

By Anonymous, at February 05, 2010 6:08 pm
Is he really 5ft 7in? He looks a lot smaller and shorter than that really.

By Randomz, at February 05, 2010 6:13 pm
in one hand i hope he keeps up his talent.......

.....and in the other hand, i hope the cocky little bastard gets smashed hard!!!

By Anonymous, at February 05, 2010 6:25 pm
Great player, wish he was English.

By Ted, at February 05, 2010 7:15 pm
Great player nuff respect...

BTW he did get nailed...by Brussow during the Lions tour.

By semperfimamba, at February 05, 2010 7:45 pm
A guy that small will get nailed some times times, but being small can work to your advantage in being as elusive as Williams is.

Rugby would be half the game it is if there is no room for guys of different shapes and sizes. Stringer, Williams and a few others have flown the flag for the small guys at international level for a decade. Respect.

By Mike, at February 05, 2010 8:00 pm
....hmmm as much as i agree with most of the comments on this thread im afraid im going to not join in on this one.....

......im sure beneath its squeaky clean surface there is an 'everybody hates the french' conspiracy thing going on!

By Anonymous, at February 05, 2010 10:21 pm
^ WTF are you on about, anonymous?

Anyways, "but being small can work to your advantage in being as elusive as Williams is." -- yeah, like that try against Argentina where he ducked under a tackle and basically made two defenders run into each other? Beautiful stuff.

I think the main reason I like Williams is that he's so crafty and "elusive" as you say...when he runs inches from touch and flicks the ball in to keep it alive. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. And when it doesn't, it serves him right, but when his tricks work, it's great to watch.

By Gustav, at February 05, 2010 10:39 pm
By the way, why's he wearing a woman's sweater?

By Gustav, at February 05, 2010 10:41 pm
"Isn't this creepy little guy like 35?"

And to think, he's 32 and still so much a better player than you'll ever be. Doesn't it just tear you up inside?

By Anonymous, at February 05, 2010 11:02 pm
Don't understand why fans on a rugby forum would want to slag off such a creative and exciting player. Seems sad to me.

By Phil, at February 06, 2010 12:14 am
Everyone seems to look past his defensive frailties.

Habana, excellent on attack, even better on defense.

By Isia Lomu, at February 06, 2010 12:59 am
To ALL you Shane haters out there:

Great Entertainer, Legend; Gerald Davies 'One of the greatest welsh players to play the game' Enough said!!

I hope wales find another stepper for a winger after williams.
I dont know where the next 'Special One' will come from!

Form is Temporary, Class is Permanent!!!

By Abs7, at February 06, 2010 1:21 am
'Gustav said...
^ WTF are you on about, anonymous?'

havent you heard? everyone is against the french, the irb, every nation, the universe....we are all out to 'get' the french and cheat them out of everything.

....duuhhhhh

By Anonymous, at February 06, 2010 1:51 am
such an over rated player, if he was normal size nobody would say anything more than they do for other average to good wingers......decent player, but v.v.v. over rated

By Anonymous, at February 06, 2010 2:04 am
favorite player of all
go shane!

By Anonymous, at February 06, 2010 3:00 am
To really be considered a great of the game you have to have done it with the Lions.
Williams was dire on both Lions tours.....granted the 2005 team was pathetic...but still.

By JPM, at February 06, 2010 4:38 am
overated? Get real.

By Anonymous, at February 06, 2010 5:43 am
JPM what about the guys that don't get to play in the Lions? Like Blanco, Sella, Parisse, Pichot etc? I guess they don't count then...

By maji, at February 06, 2010 6:40 am
"overated? Get real."

what does he do that any other winger doesnt do?
he's got a great step....so do most good wingers....
He's got pace...again so do most good wingers.....
great vision, knack for the game bla bla bla....so do most good players....

good player....not a great player to be talked about so much.....over hyped, over rated and made to be more than he is.

By Anonymous, at February 06, 2010 9:18 am
I'm just glad that most the rest of the rugby-loving world doesn't go by JPM's ridiculous standard.

Would you agree that JPR Williams is one of the great rugby players? Well, what did he do that was so spectacular on his two Lions tours, other than a spectacular drop goal? And that's not meant to put JPR down; I think he had wonderful tours, but Shane Williams has scored test match tries for the Lions...what else would you want him to do? Bake you a fucking cake?

By PeopleCanBeAssclowns, at February 06, 2010 9:55 am
"what does he do that any other winger doesnt do?"

Win a 6N grand slam? Win man-of-the-match for the B&I Lions? Be Wales top try scorer? Earn the IRB Player of the Year award?

Good lord, some people are just retardedly hard to please. You think every winger does that? ANY player who has achieved ANY of those records for ANY international team is a great player. He has more international tries than BOD, Joost, Serge Blanco, and one shy of Rory Underwood and Doug Howlett. Campese is in a league of his own, though. My point is that anyone from that list is a great player and it's ridiculous to call them "overrated" when they've achieved to much. Take the stick out of your ass, why don't you?

By Grenoble, at February 06, 2010 10:11 am
what people dont understand is that he has played with a shitty pack for most of his career yet he has still scored and created so much.
Habana, Howlett and other wingers that have been mentioned have had some of the best packs in the world creating opportunities for them. If i'm honest it is an english attitude really: eg. Monye scores 3 easy tries in a completely dominant team and SW scores one in a team that is losing by 50 points. Then you would get somebody saying that Monye is better.
Seriously open your fucking eyes and see what he created out of nothing!
Rugby is better for SW.

By Anonymous, at February 06, 2010 11:06 am
Great player, ignore the stupid comments on here. They will have come from people who have never even been to a game let alone PLAYED in a game.

By Anonymous, at February 06, 2010 12:46 pm
grenoble, Shane has MORE tries than Howlett! He's equal with Underwood, on 50! Thats an amazing record!

By Anonymous, at February 06, 2010 3:32 pm
JPR was a starting test player in 8 tests on the 1971 and 1974 tours ( and would have gone to NZ in 1977 apart from his medical exams stopped him) and did a heck of alot more than just make a dood drop goal against the All Blacks! He we was a rock and a star player on both tours!

If Shane was amazing as you people say he would have started in the every test in 2005 and 2009. He didn't. When a player is truly world class and at their peak there is no debate if they are going to be on the team. When Rory Underwood went on a Lions team then you knew he was going to start!

I'm not saying Williams is not a good player. He is. He just isn't at the very top.

By JPM, at February 06, 2010 4:10 pm
I'd say Williams is a great in terms of his try-scoring record and what he's achieved, but in terms of consistency in his career, he's a little overhyped.

When you're in your 30's and been playing international rugby for so long, and a wing, naturally your try scoring numbers are going to be pretty high.

But to be truly brilliant you need to do it season after season, and Williams struggles to do that, imo.

Take yesterdays match for example - Tom James (average international winger) got involved more than SW did. Sure, that happens, but great players look for work and make things out of nothing, which Williams can do, but does far too rarely.

By Scotsdale, at February 07, 2010 11:06 am
He really does divide opinion. For me up there with Jason Robinson, tremendous player and worthy of the praise.

By David, at February 07, 2010 6:01 pm