The Sprout

Shane's Final Bow

Posted by archifCLICarchive from National - Published on 30/11/2011 at 13:16
5 comments » - Tagged as People, Sport & Leisure

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Yn Gymraeg

On Saturday (3rd December 2011) Shane Williams will play his last game for Wales, against Australia at the Millennium Stadium before he bows out of international rugby.

Since he stepped off the bench against France in the 1999-2000 Six Nations season, Williams has gone on to represent Wales 86 times. During this time he has scored a magnificent 57 tries, making him Wales’ leading try scorer.

During his amazing international career Williams has won two grand slam championships with Wales, been to three world cups and has been crowned IRB Player of the Year. As well as this Williams has been cap four times for the British and Irish Lions.

In the last few years, the Wales team has rarely not featured the talented winger and there’s one reason for this; he is a world-class player. Every game that Williams plays, he seems to get better and better, making him irresistible to watch. Many players have come and gone in the Wales team, but there is always one face that is guaranteed to be there, waiting to score tries.

Over the years that he has paying for Wales, there have been some amazing tries scored, many of which have left people including his opponents baffled as to how he managed to get across the line. With all the tries that he has scored during his international career, it’s no wonder why he is one of the greats in world rugby. Despite all the statistics that you read and hear, there are some things that you have to experience for yourself, and that is being sat in the Millennium Stadium watching Shane Williams playing. The moment that he has the ball and starts to side step the opponent everyone gets excited, hoping that he will burst through the line and score a try, even if there is no possible way that he can.

There have been many games that I have watched in the Millennium Stadium where Shane Williams has shown why he is one of the greats in world rugby. Many tries have been scored, but there is one game in particular that sticks in my mind as one of the best, Wales versus Scotland in 2010. It was the game in which Wales sparked one of the most amazing come backs of all time, from losing 21 – 9 and going on to win 31 - 24.

The fight back began with Shane Williams running across the field creating space for Lee Byrne to cross the line, but Scotland still kept the pressure on adding a further drop goal to the score sheet. Despite this Wales kept the pressure on and took advantage of Scotland’s yellow card, with Leigh Halfpenny crossing for a try which was converted. Wales were gifted a penalty on the 80 minute mark which Stephen Jones kicked, bring the scores level. With the scores level, the game went into its final play, it was during this time that Shane Williams showed his true class and scored a try between the posts, gifting Wales the win.

Sitting behind the posts during the final minutes was amazing; watching Williams cross the line for the final time during the game sent the whole stadium mad. It showed the world exactly what sort of a player Williams was, even if many knew this already.

So on Saturday Wales will say goodbye to one of the greatest players to ever play for Wales, as Shane Williams hangs up his international boots; hopefully it will be cause for celebrating with Wales beating Australia.

But there is one thing that everyone will know whether Wales win or lose; Shane Williams is a legend!

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IMAGE: Shane chips Shane by M+MD