Shane Williams

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Shane Williams news, views, opinion and other content.

Shane Williams column: We’ll see who thrives in pressure cauldron

29 April 2016 0 comments

Next Saturday’s Judgement Day could be just that for the Welsh regions and some players hoping to get into Warren Gatland’s summer squad. Two years […]

Shane Williams column: Innovator Lyn Jones could be a great fit for Harlequins

21 April 2016 0 comments

Lyn Jones is one of rugby‘s great innovators and Harlequins could do far worse than appoint the Newport Gwent Dragons head coach to replace their […]

Shane Williams column: Pro12 must have all its star players on display

14 April 2016 0 comments

The Guinness Pro12 is in danger of becoming completely over-shadowed if something major is not done to raise its profile. Organisers of the league are […]

Shane Williams column: Senior men must take the blame at Ospreys

6 April 2016 0 comments

Ospreys held on for a good win at Newport Gwent Dragons on Friday night but it looks too little too late to save them from […]

Shane Williams column: Wales must believe they can upset the All Blacks

31 March 2016 0 comments

Flexing your muscles on the beach is one thing – doing it in the ring is quite another. I’m sure the plan all week before […]

Shane Williams: It was great to see George North equal my try-scoring record

23 March 2016 0 comments

That’s more like it. After the nightmare of Twickenham it was great to see Wales putting that performance to bed with a much-improved display. Wales […]

Shane Williams’ verdict: Wales were simply terrible

16 March 2016 0 comments

There were times at Twickenham on Saturday when I just could not believe my eyes. I thought, maybe, I was having a terrible nightmare but […]

Shane Williams column: Get smart, Wales, and you’ll win the big one

9 March 2016 0 comments

It doesn’t matter if you’re a new cap or a veteran international, facing England is the game that gets the blood of every Welshman pumping […]

Shane Williams’ verdict: Livewire Gareth Davies is the Welsh gamebreaker but he must learn quickly it’s not all about try glory

2 March 2016 0 comments

Gareth Davies sums up Wales right now – plenty of effort but lacking that final crucial touch. Davies was named man of the match and […]

Shane Williams column: Stand firm up front and put Jamie Roberts on rampage

24 February 2016 0 comments

Hopefully Jamie Roberts is reading this while he is wrapped in cotton wool, being fed grapes and fanned with feathers, because right now he is […]

Shane Williams: So good to see mighty George back among tries

18 February 2016 0 comments

Watching Wales win is great but seeing George North in that sort of form is even better. George gave everyone a reminder of just what […]

Shane Williams column: Wales can roar home with Lions in midfield

5 February 2016 0 comments

Wales have a great chance to win this year’s Six Nations – if they use their heads. But if the World Cup showed us anything, […]

Warren Gatland just kidding about Ireland, he knows Wales have strength to win – Shane Williams

29 January 2016 0 comments

Wales are in a great position to win the Six Nations. I was already confident that Wales could do well in this year’s Championship after […]

Shane Williams’ column: Lions need Warren Gatland but where are our guys?

22 January 2016 0 comments

Warren Gatland would be my choice right now to lead the Lions to New Zealand in 2017, but where have all the British coaches gone […]

Shane Williams column: Cardiff Blues have signed one of Europe’s top talents

14 January 2016 0 comments

Of all the transfers and moves announced so far – Matthew Morgan joining Cardiff Blues is by far the most exciting. I said before the […]

Shane Williams column: Ireland match holds the key to another Wales Grand Slam

7 January 2016 0 comments

No sooner have we all welcomed in the New Year than the Six Nations is upon us. It all kicks-off in the Aviva Stadium for […]

Shane Williams column: Alex Cuthbert finding form at just the right time

1 January 2016 0 comments

Christmas derbies… there’s nothing else like them in Welsh rugby. As a player I loved this time of year. Now, as a punter, it’s even […]

Shane Williams column: Ospreys must not waste that great result in Clermont

10 December 2015 0 comments

That wonderful fightback by the Ospreys in Clermont has given them the chance to make a real push for a quarter-final place in the Champions […]

Shane Williams column: So, could Dai Young and Rob Howley work together?

3 December 2015 0 comments

Rob Howley and Dai Young could be the dream ticket to succeed Warren Gatland. Wales will need a new head coach after the 2019 World […]

Shane Williams World Cup XV

6 November 2015 0 comments

15. Ayumu Goromaru (Japan): The Brave Blossoms deserved more after three wins and he was key against South Africa. 14. Nehe Milner-Scudder (NZ): Habana got […]

Shane Williams column: Taulupe Faletau veto good news for Wales and regions

5 November 2015 0 comments

Taulupe Faletau’s transfer saga may have been a mess but hopefully it could prove a turning point for Welsh rugby. For too long it has […]

Shane Williams column: Our packs lack skillset of the giants down South

28 October 2015 0 comments

It’s no fluke that this weekend’s World Cup semi-finals are like a UKIP manifesto – with no mention of Europe. Over the course of the […]

Shane Williams: Yes, pain will be unbearable but Wales can hold their heads high

21 October 2015 0 comments

Shut the door, close the curtains and play with the kids. That’s my only advice to those brave Wales players who gave everything, but ultimately […]

Shane Williams verdict: Wales lacked nous at crucial times

14 October 2015 0 comments

I would like to say that was the one that got away – but it has been said so many times against Australia that it’s […]

Shane Williams column: Finally, Wales are learning from Wallaby heartbreaks

7 October 2015 0 comments

Warren Gatland should have the last 20 minutes of the game against England on repeat in the Wales team room this week to break their […]

Shane Williams column: Give Tier Two heroes games against the best

1 October 2015 0 comments

The underdogs have done their job – now it’s time for World Rugby to do theirs if we’re going to make the World Cup a […]

Shane Williams’ comment: Dan Biggar was the man and not just for his boot

29 September 2015 0 comments

What a performance and what a result. It certainly wasn’t pretty but no Welsh fan will care when England are beaten in the World Cup […]

Shane Williams’ column: Sam Burgess is a beast, but is he really ready yet?

16 September 2015 0 comments

Sam Burgess is a beast but he could also be the chink in England‘s armour that Wales can exploit. England have had a decent warm-up […]

Shane Williams’ column: Injuries like these can hit spirit of entire squad

9 September 2015 0 comments

It’s fair to say that was Warren Gatland’s worst nightmare. What we hoped would be a huge send-off for the lads before the World Cup […]

Shane Williams’ verdict: At last we’ve seen the real Wales again, bring it on!

1 September 2015 0 comments

Now that was more like it! What a difference experience can make to a side. Two weeks ago Wales were all at sea against the […]

Shane Williams’ column: Absolute honour to play with a true great like Ryan Jones

26 August 2015 0 comments

Of the hundreds of memories I cherish from playing with Ryan Jones for the Ospreys, Wales and the British & Irish Lions, there is one […]

Shane Williams’ column: Chopping Richard Hibbard will leave Wales exposed

19 August 2015 0 comments

Warren Gatland has wielded his axe and cut some really prominent players from his World Cup squad after last week’s heavy defeat at home to […]

Shane Williams’ Wales verdict: Poor scrum performance remains my big concern

12 August 2015 0 comments

Message to all Welsh rugby fans – don’t panic! As far as World Cup warm-up games go what happened against Ireland is very much par […]

Shane Williams’ column: I’m proof that bolters can earn a late RWC call

5 August 2015 1 comment

Some people may question the need for warm-up games before a World Cup but I am living proof of how they can change your life. […]

Shane Williams’ column: Wallabies are never beaten, just ask Wales!

30 July 2015 0 comments

Same old players, same old Wallabies. Not for the first time, Australia were the second-best team on the pitch and yet, somehow, they managed to […]

Shane Williams’ column: I’m really missing all that freezing and wheezing!

15 July 2015 0 comments

World Cup training camps send a shiver down most players’ spines but I have to admit, I really miss it. It’s a bit like taking […]

Shane Williams’ column: Wales can’t ignore the threat of soccer

9 July 2015 0 comments

Can football overtake rugby union as the national game of Wales? It’s a question I am asking myself more and more these days. I asked […]

Shane Williams’ column: Liam Williams’ loss gives the likely lads a chance

2 July 2015 0 comments

There’s no hiding from the fact that losing Liam Williams would be a major blow to Wales. It would have been hard to imagine saying […]

Shane Williams’ column: Will even champs Toulon escape the Pool of Death?

25 June 2015 0 comments

What a draw we saw for the European tournaments this week – and what a vindication of the decision to move to 20 teams per […]

Shane Williams’ column: Jonathan Davies’ loss more disruptive than Manu Tuilagi’s

18 June 2015 0 comments

With fewer than 100 days until the World Cup, Stuart Lancaster will be far happier than Warren Gatland is right now about his options. Both […]

Shane Williams’ column: Gentle giant Jerry Collins made Ospreys into true Galacticos

10 June 2015 0 comments

Jerry Collins was a typical south-sea islander – a monster on the pitch but a gentle giant off it. I remember clearly the day we […]

Shane Williams’ column: Chris Ashton will lift England but Wales won’t be worried

28 May 2015 0 comments

Stuart Lancaster’s die is cast, but this Dai certainly isn’t downcast! England‘s 50-man squad won’t hold many fears for Warren Gatland and his Welsh players. […]

Shane Williams’ column: World-class Matthew Morgan needs to play in Premiership

19 May 2015 0 comments

I don’t say this lightly but Matthew Morgan is one of the most naturally gifted players in the world. Yes, I said the world. But […]

Shane Williams’ column: Why a Scarlets victory is vital for Wales cause

15 May 2015 2 comments

Scarlets face two ‘cup finals’ in the next seven days and for the sake of Welsh rugby, it is vital they win them both. I’m […]

Shane Williams: Outstanding Liam Williams deserves run at No.15

8 May 2015 0 comments

Liam Williams is playing so well right now that he could do the unimaginable and grab the Wales No.15 jersey off Leigh Halfpenny – and […]

Shane Williams’ column: Lee Byrne paid heavy price for chasing Euro glory

1 May 2015 0 comments

Lee Byrne’s career is both a model and a warning to young Welsh players. For a time, Lee was the best full-back in world rugby […]

Shane Williams: Judgement Day will act as Warren Gatland’s World Cup trial

23 April 2015 1 comment

Warren Gatland might not be there in person but next week’s Judgement Day could be just that for so many Wales hopefuls. The Wales coach […]

Shane Williams’ column: Here’s to next 125 years of Barbarians wizardry

15 April 2015 0 comments

The Barbarians have celebrated their 125th anniversary and are possibly more important to rugby now than ever. People may think that sounds crazy when you […]

Shane Williams’ column: George North will be fit and firing for World Cup if he’s well looked after

9 April 2015 0 comments

I fear for George North and Wales that one of the game’s biggest stars could miss the greatest tournament. It has been a really tough […]

Shane Williams’ column: Can Welsh half-backs rival Irish brilliance?

11 March 2015 0 comments

Warren Gatland faces one of the biggest tactical challenges of his reign with Wales against an Ireland side that have not just mastered the choke-tackle […]

Shane Williams

Recent Posts

Search