I grew up watching him and he’s the reason I fell in love with rugby. I would never know who any of the rugby players where but I always knew when Shane Williams played. He lit up the pitch every time he touched the ball. I was brought to tears when he retired. Such a brilliant player

Hands down the best Welsh winger and one of the true greats of the game ... just shows that size isn’t the most important thing, phenomenal player!

@agnostic47

3 жыл бұрын

Best Welsh winger? As usual only recent players figure in the "greatest ever" consideration. You never saw Gerald Davies in action? Also not a big man but produced moments of magic for Wales and the Lions.

@navnig

3 жыл бұрын

@@agnostic47 And had a huge part in THAT try for the Barbarians vs New Zealand....I think one who often gets overlooked is Ieuan Evans.....He played in some pretty terrible or average Welsh national teams but ALWAYS shone. Personally, I'd put him in our top 3 best-ever wingers.

@branominal8564

Жыл бұрын

"best Welsh winger"? As an English person, I hated Shane Williams, but if I were writing my dream team with the best players in history, Shane Williams would be starting winger

@philipmarsden7104

4 ай бұрын

@@agnostic47 Gerald Davies was the closest in style to Shane Williams. He was also someone who could mesmerise with a sidestep without slowing down. With both you always had the feeling that anything was possible. JJ and Ieuan Evans complete the top four, for me, of all the wingers I have seen play. In that order: Gerald, Shane, JJ and Ieuan.

Shane is a great example of someone that knew exactly what their strengths were and leant into them hard. He wasnt even fast for a winger, and obviously was small, but he had amazing acceleration, agility, and ball handling, which meant he could absolutely shred through the defensive line or pop up unexpectedly to recieve last ditch offloads or long passes - so fun to watch.

Being able to side step without slowing down is a pretty amazing ability

Small in height,... Strong in character and ability, superb skills. Shane is irreplaceable . Diolch Mr Shane Williams

I was right on the try line when he went over for his last Welsh try against Australia. You've never heard anything like it - one of the moments of my life. Thanks for the videos Andrew

Even as an Englishman, Shane Williams was one of the few players who made me fall in love with rugby. I grew up watching him in the six nations and he even somehow made me develop a soft spot for the welsh team around 08-09. Relieved to announce that was just a phase and is now a source of deep shame as a diehard England supporter.

A next level winger, who could provide a try whenever Wales truly needed one

The main reason I love rugby, being an ospreys and Wales fan and growing up watching Shane was amazing, just knew something magical would happen when he touched the ball.. in my biased opinion the greatest winger to ever play the game

Insane acceleration. Didn’t have the highest top end speed but that step could beat pretty much any defender on his day

@navnig

3 жыл бұрын

He was actually getting quicker and quicker over the 100m almost right up til he retired.

@tashingalawrencepoperwi7550

2 жыл бұрын

@@navnig wow ...🔥

I'm from Fiji yet Shane Williams is the best Welsh winger I ever seen..trues up

Legend has it he shaved his head to be more aerodynamic

@jacobfaughnan9795

3 жыл бұрын

And got the mullet to slow him down to make it competitive

The most exciting rugby player I have ever watched. Such an effortless but devastating step

Untouchable. 2008 he was king of the world

What a top man , a legend on the pitch, I met Shane in Wrexham in 2018, a nice and genuine person and a great player for Ospreys and Wales

On of the greats of this beautiful game... Also first.

Some U20s footage too bro thanks for the videos over the years lots of love from Uganda 🇺🇬 ❤

@offwithhishead2556

3 жыл бұрын

Go Cranes!!!!

Growing up watching Shane , I always thought what he was doing was normal Looking back how wrong way I 🙈 mans phenomenal

As we study the current game of modern rugby. With its seemingly sterile decline. We look back in wonderment; at not that long ago. Thx Andrew.

Great Video Mate Keep It Up.

What a player!!! World class

For me the best winger of his generation. And that includes the likes of Habana, Clerc, Rokocoko or Caucaunibuca (so basically the best wingers for their respective country at the time, between 2000-2010). He was the last great winger to have had a long international career. It's sad that between 2010 and 2020, we didn't get a world class and consistent winger. Savea probably was the best winger in that timespan, but was only around for 4 years. North has been declining since 2012 or so. Habana was past his peak after 2010. Fijians wingers are everchanging. The only world class longlasting winger I see right now is Jonny May, and he's already 30, while the other top wingers began rather late and/or don't have that many caps to their names (Koroibete, Kolbe Tuisova, Cordero). But hopefully, the new crop of young wingers will be longlasting stars, like Clarke, Jordan, Nkosi, Penaud, Delguy, Rees-Zammit...

@robbiec582

2 жыл бұрын

Wonderful comment.

Perfect blend of balance and speed. An absolute legend!

Shane was one of my first idols in rugby. Such a great video remembering when the Ospreys looked capable of winning titles

He was very easy to score and humiliate his rivals with his steps, I appreciate having seen him play. Excellent video Andrew.

Still my favourite wing. So much more entertaining than the lock forwards they have out there now.

Pure rugby poetry

Legend. Some amount of high tackles on him too🙈🙈

I thank the Gods that Shane was born a Welshman. Thank you Mr Williams for all that you did...

We Forget how good he was, world class

Best video Shane Williams ever

The man made running and scoring into an art.

One word legend

Outstanding

I grew up with all these stories of the "great Gareths , Barrys , Johns and Geralds " while I suppose there is justification for the status they hold ... personally , I feel that Shane Williams is THE greatest to ever play for Wales !!!! Its difficult to argue against that .

What a legend

His sidestep is unreal. He doesnt even slow down. I miss Shane, he brought a different aspect to rugby. It's not all about brute force, sometimes you can pick a lock instead of breaking it

@robbiec582

Жыл бұрын

You know that brawd

Love that you’ve got some neath and ospreys tries in there👍

TOO GOOD.

Es maravilloso.

Such a great player to watch!

incredible player !

The quickest change of direction in rugby history, most players' techniques get figured out and countered but it never happened with Shane Williams The antithesis of Lomu

Shane was magic, not the fastest winger over 40m+ but the acceleration from 0-20m allowed him to beat anyone, no one was close over that distance - plus the step. Incredible

One of the 🐐 of the game

Sublime

Unbelievable!

Shane Williams, the Lionel Messi of rugby.

Can you do a Cobus reinach tribute if you have time

@AndrewDavidForde

3 жыл бұрын

I did make one not too long ago! kzread.info/dash/bejne/rKCh1sWKlLashpc.html

Cracking player.

He always straitens the play.

Some very questionable hairstyles through the years, but what a player he was.

The Skewen Scalpel indeed! Brilliant name!

There are idiots who think and I quote "rugby is just big blokes knocking other big blokes about" Sir, I give you one of the smallest yet greatest international rugby players to have ever laced up a pair of boots.

3:47 WOW !!!

Now THAT'S fast... ! Lol

hes like cheslin kolbe

@AndrewDavidForde

3 жыл бұрын

But better

@jonnybaynham1689

3 жыл бұрын

More like Cheslin Kolbe is like Shane Williams

The wizards Wales produce I tell ya. Second to none.

greatest wing ever

They should give short players more chances. I feel like in his case it often actually was something working in his advantage. Same with Antoine Dupont.

Wonder who's the best between him and Kolbe ?

@tomivins9246

3 жыл бұрын

Williams by a mile

@larvlalo9773

3 жыл бұрын

@@tomivins9246 Aren't you biased ? lol

@tomivins9246

3 жыл бұрын

@@larvlalo9773 no just stating facts

@larvlalo9773

3 жыл бұрын

@@tomivins9246 Are you welsh ? Just asking

@Aliestwill

3 жыл бұрын

Let's enjoy them both. Not enough of these magicians grace the field. When Kolbe has done it into his mid thirties like Shane we can compare

Damm..... That's a lot of high tackles...

Why the hell he wasn’t selected for that first test against the Boks on the 2009 Lions tour is a constant source of amazement to me...

2:23 When you see the score and the time on the clock.

Am I the only one who doesn’t feel he gets the respect he deserves as one one of Wales’s all time greats?

He looked a right nightmare the play against, the type that would leave you looking very silly :)

On dirait le déplacement des joueurs dans rugby 08 😆 incroyable 😮

You cannot mark pace - as a winger myself, a long time ago, I knew if I was quicker than the man marking me, he was in for an afternoon of twisted blood !!

Song tho😏

No two ways about it, he was a handy player.

He was alright that boy, wazn't he?

Christian Wade could have been like that if he had had the chance!

Can you imagine if Jonny may did even one of these? The English would be creaming in the newspaper columns

@newspaper9949

3 жыл бұрын

Watch May’s highlights big guy.

@Aliestwill

3 жыл бұрын

@@newspaper9949 Johnny May is great, but nowhere near Shane.....one of the greatest of all time

@newspaper9949

3 жыл бұрын

@@Aliestwill I don’t disagree mate, but may is world class, and you don’t even have to watch his highlights to see that.

@Aliestwill

3 жыл бұрын

@@newspaper9949 On current form a Lions starter for sure, and there is no substitute for that kind of pace. Shane was more of a jack in the box player that popped up everywhere. Some of his best highlights weren't his tries or what you see on YT. I once watched him sidestep through a pack of 5 or 6 Bok forwards in the space of about 15 or 20 metres.....For those who watched him regularly these were routine plays . Like Kolbe is today, he was almost impossible one on one. Justin Marshall who played with him at the Ospreys said he had the best feet of anyone he had played with or against.....and that's pretty high praise.

@newspaper9949

3 жыл бұрын

@@Aliestwill yeh mate, arguably one of the greatest ever welsh players, second only to Gareth Edwards and Warburton (had he not retired at the age of 29). Having not watched rugby for ages as I am still fairly young, I never massively watched Shane Williams, but you just need to watch his highlights to see what a player he was. However Warburton I did watch, and his tackle on manu tualagi was one of the best ever in terms of technique. The welsh sure do produce a fuck load of quality players, even if I do hate the sheep shagging bastards sometimes!

In his prime Jesus he was rediculas at times and almost funny to see players in his wake literally flying in the opposite direction clutching at thin air

Look AT thèse hips AT each support

Making the impossible easy *except beating the springboks*

@AndrewDavidForde

3 жыл бұрын

And Cheslin Kolbe has never beaten Wales, your point?

@werieawesome8530

3 жыл бұрын

@@AndrewDavidForde says who I watched the game live in Mbombela where he scored the winning try making it 31-30 to wales

@werieawesome8530

3 жыл бұрын

@@AndrewDavidForde just stick to SA tributes

@AndrewDavidForde

3 жыл бұрын

werie awesome that was Cornal Hendricks😂 are you seriously that stupid?! Kolbe has never beaten Wales, pls show me a time he did. And no, I won’t stick to SA tributes, especially when I’m told so by people who can’t even tell the difference between their players...

@werieawesome8530

3 жыл бұрын

@@AndrewDavidForde m8 I was there in Fucking Nelspruit I live there soo I'm sure you don't know the difference and you making this video is just giving false hope to the lions that are gonna tour in SA I'll be in Cape town watching the second test live!!!!!!!! Be sending the final score to you😉

And yet he was told he was "too small" to play rugby

Hard to believe he is only 4'7"

.

The same refrigerator physically strap because church naively trust underneath a wandering forehead. mere, incredible objective

and he retired gracefully unlike AWJ

@Mikefoot1

3 жыл бұрын

I'm sure AWJ will retire after this comment. He must be absolutely heartbroken you think that.

@BN-go1xp

3 жыл бұрын

@@Mikefoot1 Don't get salty over an opinion buddy :) have a nice day

@ryanevans688

3 жыл бұрын

Tom smith off ur rocker mate

@BN-go1xp

3 жыл бұрын

@@ryanevans688 you must be Welsh

@thottobot7444

3 жыл бұрын

What had bin ungracefull about him?