Shane Williams reflects on days when size wasn’t everything

Shane Williams is talking about endangered species in rugby union. His own kind. The little men. Craig Gilroy gets a mention. All six foot (183cm) and 93 kilograms of him. Same sparkling, spinning Ulster winger who can't get into Ireland's 36-strong training squad.

Stuart Hogg is a slightly slighter but better example, even if he’s also six foot, as at 84 kilograms he’s the resident Scottish fullback. But not many Shane Williams’s out there though anymore. Certainly none to be found at the Millennium Stadium this weekend. We’re talking 5ft 7in (170cm), 80 kg sprites.

Aaron Cruden (5’ 9” – 175cm – and 82kg), the incumbent All Black outhalf, and a few scrumhalves, but these days it’s easier to spot a corn crake than a little winger.

“I’ve seen a massive change in size since I finished,” said Williams, speaking to Irish media as a Guinness app ambassador.

Could the teenage version of you make it out of the Valleys and into the professional game now?

“Maybe not so much these days . . . ”

Told he was too small to make it as a pro, Neath took a chance with the tiny 21-year-old in 1998.

“I started my professional career very late. When I was found, I suppose, by Neath and by Lyn Jones, I was playing Division Five West local rugby with Amman United as a scrumhalf which I played with from about the age of 10.

‘Just fun’

“It was the place I grew up. It was a stone’s throw away from my house and was the park I used to go and play with my mates and my brother.

“For me, it was just fun. I never took rugby seriously in school. I was told I was too small which pretty much went on throughout my international career, which was the story of my life.

"I played a lot of soccer in school. I played a season for Amman United as a scrumhalf and was selected to play with Neath from there. Within a year and a half I was playing for Wales on the wing which was a roller-coaster of a two years really."

He retired in 2012. Well, he went off to Japan, which is the same. His last act as an Osprey was to deny Joe Schmidt's Leinster the 2012 Pro12 title at the RDS. His parting gift to Ireland was a cleverly worked touch down in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final.

That day in Wellington Ireland's tactical naivety under Declan Kidney was badly exposed. Williams was switched from left to right wing to avoid his former club mate Tommy Bowe as the plan to bludgeon Stephen Ferris and Seán O'Brien through the heart of Wales was foiled by the chop tackling of Dan Lydiate among others.

"The whole conversation of that game was to win the breakdown," Williams remembered. "It's an area where Ireland have been the best in the Six Nations for some time now with the likes of O'Brien and Heaslip being very effective. On the day our backrow of Toby Faletau, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton really dominated that area.

‘Counter ruck’

“It’s going to have to be really similar on Saturday. It’s an area where Wales haven’t been effective yet whereas Ireland are, especially on the counter ruck and turnover.

“It will be the same tactics I think. Two big lads on the wing for Wales so I don’t think we have to worry about that. But this game will be won and lost with tactics rather than the physicality of the game.”

It will be won and lost in the respective "war rooms" of Schmidt and Warren Gatland.

“Ireland have been the better team at tactically working teams out, choking teams, not only in the choke tackle, but they seem to be choking teams into submission at the moment and playing the style of rugby that suits them.

“If Ireland manipulate Wales into playing the way Ireland want to play on Saturday, it’s going to be an easy Irish victory. I think. It makes for a great game to be honest with you.

"There's a lot of pressure on the likes of (Johnny) Sexton and (Dan) Biggar and obviously Rhys Webb and Conor Murray which I think is going to be a great match-up. Whichever combination works the best will win the game."