Shane Williams: “Wales aren’t utilising their backs properly”

Jamie Hosie chatted to Shane Williams, Wales’ most-capped winger of all time, about their clash against Ireland this weekend, and in particular how Wales can use their talented wingers to greater effect.

Jamie Hosie: It’s a massive clash this weekend – given Ireland’s good form, and their excellent record in Cardiff in recent times, do you make them favourites?

Shane Williams: Yeah, and rightly so. You don’t win ten games on the bounce, having played world class opposition and going unbeaten in the Six Nations, without being given that favourites status. Having only lost two over a number of years in Cardiff, I think they have to be favourites.

JH: A lot has been made of Ireland’s kicking game – speaking from your experience as a back three player, is there a special way that you prepare for an aerial threat like that?

SW: First of all, you’ve got to have a counter attack structure ready. The problem when you play Johnny Sexton is that he doesn’t just kick cross field – he’s got a lot of variety. He kicks to regain possession – he’s got the neat little chip that he puts over the defensive line and he can kick back against the grain, where the ball’s come from.

I imagine the Wales back three have been working very hard in training at covering a lot of kilometres, just to make sure that all of those kicks don’t actually touch the surface. They’re going to have work particularly hard because the Welsh defensive structure is a quick, aggressive defensive line. The wingers are up in the front line, which means there’s room behind.

JH: As you say, Wales, with Shaun Edwards at the helm, are renowned for their quick defensive line – do you think we’ll see them change things up a bit, with that kicking game in mind?

SW: I think so – depending on the position on the field. Anything in the Irish half, I’d like to think they wouldn’t be as aggressive as they usually are. You’d probably like to see the wingers drop a little bit more than usual to give Leigh Halfpenny support on the counter attack, because those kicks are going to come all day. The line speed in their own half will stay the same, but it just means that the blindside winger’s going to have to work twice as hard to help Halfpenny out in those positions.

JH: It’s certainly going to be a busy day for the Welsh wingers – what do you make of the current crop?

SW: I’m a big fan of Liam Williams and I’m glad he’s been given another chance. He’s incredibly creative and has a great kicking game at both fullback and wing, and he perhaps hasn’t had the opportunities that he may have had 12 months ago. George North got involved in the game against France far more than he had against England and looked dangerous.

I don’t think Wales are utilising their backs enough in attack, though. We’ve got some great talent, but at the moment these players are just being used defensively. I know it’s easy to say, but I’d like to see George North used far earlier than he was last week. We know what a dangerous runner he is, but his involvement in the Six Nations hasn’t been enough.

JH: Would you like to see them play a bit of a wider game then?

SW: You’ve got to utilise the strengths you have. I’m not saying that you have to throw the ball out to the wingers every time you get it, because there are other ways you can use these players – support runners off 10 and 12, behind the 13 and 15, using them for kick chase and so on.

It’s difficult to say they just need to get the ball wide, because defensively teams are prepared for that now. You need to use the talent you’ve got, and George North, coming off his wing perhaps in between the nine and ten, perhaps as a different option to Jamie Roberts every time, is one of them. I’d like to see these guys get 15-20 touches plus, and they’re not doing that at the moment.

JH: You played for a number of years under Gatland for Wales – he’s become known as someone who likes to play mind games in the media, and it’s been no different this week. Did that affect you at all as a player in the build-up to a match?

SW: As players we were just told that we had to concentrate on training and not worry about the media – the coaches and management would deal with that. Over the years, we did learn that Warren does enjoy his mind games, and ruffling a few feathers, and you can’t help but get caught up in it sometimes, but we just used to giggle it off. We know the personality Warren’s got, we know he can be a wicked bugger, and he uses that to his advantage sometimes.

If you get caught up in the politics then you’re going to get in trouble. He used to keep us away from that, and take the brunt of it on his own shoulders. He is a character, and it seems to be a New Zealand trait, doesn’t it, winding up the opposition? He does it always with a smirk on his face.

JH: Yeah he’s usually got a grin on his face! Last thing then – a couple of predictions. Who will go on to win this Six Nations, and looking a little further ahead, how far will Wales make it at the Rugby World Cup?

SW: First of all I do believe Wales can win on Saturday – it’ll be very close and I don’t think there will be many points scored in it, certainly not many tries. That would leave the tournament wide open – England, Wales or Ireland could still win it, but it’ll be a lot of work for Wales to go to Rome and get the points needed. I think it’ll be another Irish Six Nations. If it is, there’ll be no grumbles – they’ve been the form side of the last 12 months.

The World Cup is a real tough one. The group Wales are in is going to be hard enough to get out of. With England hosting, and Australia, it’s going to make it very difficult. I do believe that they, along with England, can make it through to the quarters, and after that it’s anyone’s game – we’ve seen that from previous World Cups. After 2011 and the semi-final against France, the Welsh boys and Sam [Warburton] in particular will have a point to prove.

Shane Williams is an Ambassador for GUINNESS, Official Partner of Welsh Rugby. To view GUINNESS’ ‘Made of More’ rugby campaign, celebrating the Integrity and character of heroes from the game, visit www.youtube.com/GUINNESSEurope.