Austin Healey's extreme sledging 'mentally broke' Shane Williams
Shane Williams insists the Guinness Six Nations title clash between Wales and England will be played out against a chorus of “extreme” sledging between the warring players.
The Principality Stadium hosts a seismic showdown between the Championship’s only unbeaten sides that will see the winners march on towards the Grand Slam.
Former Wales and Lions wing Williams, who faced England 11 times in a glittering 11-year Test career, believes that only by shrugging off the inevitable baiting that accompanies such a fierce rivalry can a team thrive.
“A lot of these lads will have played together, but that won’t matter in Cardiff,” said Williams, who is taking part in the LMAX Exchange Everest Rugby Challenge on behalf of Wooden Spoon.
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“They’ll know all their little secrets from their time together with the Lions, the nitty gritty.
What changes do you think will take place in Round 3 of the #GuinnessSixNations?!
Full table here: https://t.co/1jxHTYGtU9 pic.twitter.com/5EL3REGXAc
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 11, 2019
“I can assure you that for however long that game goes on, Alun Wyn Jones won’t shut up. I can vouch for that. Kyle Sinckler likes to talk as well. Owen Farrell doesn’t shut up either.
“The banter is going to be extreme, it really is. It’s about trying to put off your opposition.
“A nice little late hit on Owen Farrell a couple of times to try and put him off, as we saw Ross Moriarty do a couple of seasons ago. That didn’t work!
“If you can make Owen Farrell miss a couple of kicks, then you’ve done your job.
“Or if you can put Alun Wyn Jones off his game, or shut up the likes of Sinckler, then you’re doing your job. That’s the nature of the beast.
“It’s not all physical out there – you have to be mentally tough and be able to take stick. They’ll say anything they can to put you off.
“If you retaliate then it’s a yellow or a red card. Thank you very much – I’ll have that all day long. I’ll take one on the chin for that.
“That’s what rugby is and I’ve experienced it, especially in these big games. But they’ll say whatever they want on the field, but as soon as the whistle goes they’ll shake hands – and that’s rugby.”
Three games into his Test career, Williams was given a brutal taste of how effective a taunting opponent can be.
Wales were thrashed 46-12 by England in his debut Six Nations campaign and Williams was unable to ignore the taunts made by opposite number Austin Healey.
“One of my first games was at Twickenham and we got absolutely pummelled,” Williams said.
“I was playing against Austin Healey, who didn’t shut up for 80 minutes. I remember thinking ‘no wonder my family don’t like the English if this guy is anything to go by’.
The build-up is underway: @EnglandRugby and @WelshRugbyUnion have exchanged tweets…. #WALvENG #GuinnessSixNationshttps://t.co/6rU30JYdK6
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 11, 2019
“He completely put me off my game. He absolutely mentally broke me. He really did.
“He was telling me ‘come on Williams, I thought you had gas. You’re much slower than I thought you’d be’.
“By the end, I was looking at the touchline thinking ‘I’ve had enough now, he’s absolutely broken me’. He’s like that – he’s still chopsy. But it’s banter and that’s how it goes.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments