Articles

Size isn’t Everything Posted about 12 years ago

Sidestepping has been an important part of my game, not least because there is little point in a player my size trying to go through opponents.

I never saw Phil Bennett play in the flesh – he retired when I was toddling around – but as a boy I had videos of Wales in the 1960s and 1970s and he stood out.

Phil was an outside-half who was about the same size as me and I remember watching a match against Scotland in 1977 when he finished off a counter-attack by jinking away from two defenders on his way to the posts. Before he touched the ball down, he looked back to see two faces looking at him in disbelief.

It was that moment that made me take a rugby ball and go down to the local field. I was Phil Bennett, sidestepping and jinking, and if I did not end up at outside-half, I never stopped working on my footwork: I would always remain behind at the end of training sessions to work on my agility.

Gerald Davies was another player of the 1970s who had dazzling footwork. A defender would think he had him only to find himself grabbing air as Gerald stepped away from him without appearing to change pace.

In the 1980s, there was Ieuan Evans. His try against Scotland in 1988 was a classic, sidestepping three times to avoid a clutch of tacklers and weave his way to the line for a memorable score.

I like the look of Scotland’s Stuart Hogg. He made an impression against Wales when he came on as a substitute in Cardiff a few weeks ago and he carried that on against France. He evaded Thierry Dusautoir with contemptuous ease, something which is not easily done, and I look forward to watching his progress.

Other modern players I admire for their stepping include the Australian duo, Quade Cooper and James O’Connor, two young men who thrive on attacking rugby.

Cooper has one of the best sidesteps I have ever seen. I really enjoy watching the Super 15, and it is a tournament I would have loved to have played in, a showcase for talent.

When I was first capped by Wales, much was made of my size, or lack of it. The danger for players who are not big and physical is that they are encouraged to bulk up and in the process lose the asset that got them selected in the first place, pace.

It was only when I stopped trying to pretend to be something that I was not that I got my international career back on track. You can spend too much time in the gym. What was important for me was to remain agile and quick.

That did not mean you stopped working on your strength, merely that everything you did was designed to enhance what you were good at. Rugby has become a game of bigger and bigger players – you only have to look at the Wales back division.

But it also includes Leigh Halfpenny, a player who is relatively small and relies on his wits. Any side needs a blend in attack, players who can run through opponents and those who can go round defenders. It must never become a game where the bigger you are, the better you fit in.

I have enjoyed my career because I have been able to be myself. I will cease to be a professional at the end of the season, but I cannot see myself giving up playing for a long time yet. I will drop down the divisions because what else is there to do on a Saturday afternoon?

I still have a few more steps left in me.

Enter your email address to continue reading

We frequently post interesting articles and comment from our world class content providers so please provide us with your email address and we will notify you when new articles are available.

We'll also get in touch with various news and updates that we think will interest you. We promise to not spam, sell, or otherwise abuse your address (you can unsubscribe at any time).

See all Attack videos

Comments

comments powered by Disqus

Shane Williams played 87 caps for Wales and 4 for the Lions. He is Wales’ most capped winger and with 58 tries to his name is his country’s leading try scorer; and third on the list of international try scorers. Shane was first selected for Wales in 2000 by Graham Henry though suffered from injury and doubts over his size in his early years in the national side. He recovered from both and was part of the Wales Grand Slam winning sides of 2005 and 2008, and was named IRB Player of the Year in 2008. The diminutive winger became the darling of the Cardiff crowd as he sidestepped his way around the best defences in the world. Shane retired from international rugby in 2011 and will finish his playing career with the Ospreys at the end of the 2012 season.

Comments
Topic Attack
Applicable to Coaches  

Related articles

Shane Williams on The Rugby Site

Shane Williams talks about why he got involved in The Rugby Site and what skills and tips he wants to pass onto players and coaches about how he plays the game. " The Rugby Site is a perfect opportunity for me to give back to the game and to share what I have learned over the years. Some of it is self taught and some of it is from coaches handed down over the years, it might not be handbook stuff but its what I believe in"

Wales can dominate northern hemisphere rugby for years

Youth and stamina should carry Wales to a Grand Slam despite their poor recent record at home to France.

Wales keep on getting stronger, fitter and better

Shane Williams explains why a Wales Grand Slam this year would mean far more than when they last triumphed in 2005 and 2008.

Shane Williams: Side Stepping & Attack Skills Trailer

Shane Williams breaks the sidestep down, taking you through his skill checklist and showing you how the ball carrier and support runners can manipulate defenders and defensive lines to beat and unlock them. Watch and learn direct from one of the best attacking players the game of rugby has ever seen.

Wales have the mental steel to beat England

Shane Williams says that Wales will dig out a rare Twickenham victory by exploiting England’s lack of a genuine openside.