Rugby World UK – July 2019

(Rick Simeone) #1
THE ANALYST

IT WAS the 2017 Lions tour that thrust
Liam Williams into the hearts and minds
of all rugby fans and confi rmed what
people in Wales already knew. The
superlatives used to describe top
players take the form of words like skill,
speed, strength and power. For Williams
add guile, bravery, relentlessness,
uniqueness and world class.
After a battle to claim the Wales No 15
shirt from Leigh Halfpenny, Williams is
now a player Warren Gatland cannot
aff ord to leave out and he is just as
eff ective on the wing as at full-back.
Williams can do the unexpected,
which makes him a danger to defences.
He’s quicker than he looks, highly
skilled in the kicking, catching and
offl oading departments, and his added
value is his ability to use his natural

strength and timing to make turnovers
and game-changing interventions.
During his career I’m sure he has been
underestimated and he’s used this to
his advantage. He was integral to the
Scarlets’ Pro12 success in 2017 and has
cemented a starting spot at star-studded
Saracens. He’s added Champions Cup

and Premiership winner’s medals to the
Grand Slam trophy gained last season.
Williams is the type of player any
coach craves as he contributes in so
many aspects of the game. Here, I’ve
highlighted just three: the transition
elements between attack and defence,
turnover and the kicking battle...

A back-three player able to make last-ditch tackles and turnovers when
your team is under the cosh is a dream ticket for a coach. Williams
demonstrated this in the Champions Cup fi nal for Saracens. With the
score at 10-10, Leinster created a three-on-one overlap near the line.
With almost half the fi eld to cover, Williams shot forward to make a man-and-ball
tackle on Garry Ringrose (below left) to save a certain try. Not content with that, he
sprung to his feet, stayed in the contest for the ball against No 8 Jack Conan, and
using his long levers, wide base and pure strength (below right), clasped the ball
one-handed and presented it back to his own side. A game-changing moment.

THE WORLD-CLASS


SKILLS OF LIAM


WILLIAMS


Sean Holley explains why the Welsh full-back stands out from the crowd


TACKLE AND
JACKAL

WHO IS


SEAN HOLLEY?
A former Ospreys and
Bristol coach who has also
worked with Wales and
is now a TV analyst

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