Shane Williams confirms Wales retirement against Australia

Shane Williams has confirmed he wants to end his international career in Wales' match against Australia in Cardiff on 3 December.

Wales' record try scorer had announced he would give up international rugby at the end of the World Cup.

But the 34-year-old, who has won 86 caps, hopes to be given an opportunity to say farewell on home soil.

"I am going to make myself available for this game. If selected, I want to play," he told the Wales on Sunday.

"If I am picked I will treat it in the same way I have always treated Wales games, but it will be a sad day for me. In fact, I'll be devastated.

"But to bow out in front of Welsh fans and my family and friends would be like a dream."


A try tribute to Shane Williams
Williams helped Wales to a fourth-place finish at the World Cup, with his three tries in the competition extending his record tally to 57 scores.

Before facing Australia in the bronze medal match, Williams had said he was being persuaded to delay his retirement until the Wallabies visited the Millennium Stadium in December.

And after a tournament that promised so much in New Zealand ended in disappointing fashion as Wales lost 21-18 to Australia, Williams hopes victory in Cardiff would be a more fitting farewell.

The wing intends to continue his club career with Ospreys, where he is under contract until the end of the 2012-13 season, but insisted he will not be tempted to extended his international career for this season's Six Nations Championship.

"I always said I would know in myself when the time came to stop playing for Wales and that time is very nearly upon me," said the 2009 International Rugby Board Player of the Year.

"After this last game in December, that's definitely it for me, there'll be no changing my mind."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/15511975.stm

Despite him being a great player and servant to Wales I hope Gatland doesn't pick him just out of sympathy.

If he's playing well for the O's then fair enough otherwise I think it would be far more fitting if he and Nuggett were just introduced to the crowd before the game and ask the corwd to show the appreciation etc etc.

I agree with Bedford on this. All friendlies should be treated as development opportunities, and we need to keep looking to the future not to the past. The players themselves wouldn't want to be picked out of sympathy or as a token gesture. If we're looking to hit the ground running in the first 6N game then this game vs Aus should be where we look at North and 1/2penny on the wings, or continue with 1/2p at full back and try another wing such as Brew or ANother (Dirksen, etc). If shane's not going to be in the 6N then we need to test options for life without him.

Griff,

I hope now he sticks with Halfpenny as our XV and look to other options on the wing as you said Brew, Dirksen, Eli Walker and or course Stoddart will be back soon.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Griff,

I hope now he sticks with Halfpenny as our XV and look to other options on the wing as you said Brew, Dirksen, Eli Walker and or course Stoddart will be back soon.

Yeah, I was worried about 1/2p at FB as he was a bit untried there at international level. However, he did very well, is a very good kicking option both from hand and off the tee, is a great 'tracker' who I've seen covering huge distances very quickly to make the last man tackle and is very good in attack. The question is who partners North on the wings? Suddenly we look a bit threadbare again! Brew is an option but tends to struggle at international level. I think Brew thrives on regular, week in week out rugby and international rugby for him is so ad hoc, bits and pieces here and there that he can't get into it. Eli Walker and Hanno D look very good and ones for the future. K Phillips and Prydie seem to have gone off the radar a bit, and I expected one of them to step into either the future wing or fullback void. Stoddart is another good option, and I personally prefer him there to fullback. Anyone at the Blues who could do a good job?

Tom James is back on form, Cuthbert would be a good bet with Gatland's habit of selecting youngsters on the wing.

Yeah I think Morgans best slot is wing as opposed to XV, what has happened to Harries and how about Hughes, do you think he deserves a look at?

I suppose T James will still be mentioned on occasions.

I know the whole thing of not picking players based on a farewell game but Williams has been in form and does deserve it really.

Even if not in the best of form, i would pick him as he is a big match player.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Yeah I think Morgans best slot is wing as opposed to XV, what has happened to Harries and how about Hughes, do you think he deserves a look at?

I suppose T James will still be mentioned on occasions.

I think Hughes need to be considered as a 13, not a winger - He is a decent winger, but an excellent option at 13 if he gets some gametime there.

Plenty of young lads waiting for Williams to retire.

Walker, Phillips prydie at the ospreys, Liam Williams at the Scarlets, cuthbert and Robinson at the blues.

I think Shane should get the match if he is fit. I cant see his form dropping much between now and Dec.

As regards his replacements its not so bad we have Brew, who can step up in the short term for the 6 nations and maybe beyond he is only 25 after all. I actually really rate Brew but he has never been relaxed and secure in his place when he has played for Wales and I think that affects how he plays. When he is confident and relaxed( as he is for the dragons) he is a deadly finisher with bags of power and pace which would compliment North and halfpenny. Stoddart is another who is a great broken field runner and whose defence has impoved. So with those two in pole position things arent too bad.

Behind them there are a number of pormising youngsters. Cuthbert looks to have it all but is possibly a bit young and looked to have picked up a bad injury yesterday. Eli Walker is another one who looks to have all the skills but not enoy=ugh powr in defence. Phillips has bulked up but plays more for bridgend than the ospreys. Prydie I think is seen more as a full back. Liam Williams looks a promising player down at PYS. Will Harries is injured I think but is another good dragons wing.

I cant see Tom James getting back into the squad, he blew his chances both on and off the field.

Whoever gets picked for the six nations, I think its going to take some time before any of them feels confident in teh 11 shirt. We cant expect another Shane or North just to drop out of nowhere, Shane wasnt one of the best wingers in the world i the first couple of years for wales, he grew into that role with experience and confidence. Long term I think it will be Cuthbert and Brew challenging for the shirt.

Tycroes,

I haven't got a problem with picking Williams if he is in form for the O's but like said who its not done just on sentiment - likewsie Nuggett.

More than deserves it for a great contribution to Wales. And let's not lose perspective of the Australia game in itself, we want to hit the ground running and what better start could you ask for post-RWC than breaking the SH hoodoo? Williams is first choice atm and has simply stretched his availability for Wales a little further, therefore he should be picked to start.

In regards to the above opinion on friendlies, I believe that the term development is often taken out of context. IMO, part of development is confidence from beating good sides, that which we should target against the Aussies. It doesn't consist purely of fielding a team of 2nd/3rd choicers, any new blood should be put in alongside regular starters or else they'll fail and what good does a loss do for the belief of youngsters?

Shane still scores tries at will, tries win games (along with defences and he can sort of do that e.g. owns Bananaman.)

Knowsit17 wrote:More than deserves it for a great contribution to Wales. And let's not lose perspective of the Australia game in itself, we want to hit the ground running and what better start could you ask for post-RWC than breaking the SH hoodoo? Williams is first choice atm and has simply stretched his availability for Wales a little further, therefore he should be picked to start.

In regards to the above opinion on friendlies, I believe that the term development is often taken out of context. IMO, part of development is confidence from beating good sides, that which we should target against the Aussies. It doesn't consist purely of fielding a team of 2nd/3rd choicers, any new blood should be put in alongside regular starters or else they'll fail and what good does a loss do for the belief of youngsters?

Knowsit, totally agree with you about development. I've always said that you should pick your strongest side, and it is better to blood new players alongside experienced and established players. Picking on form means that Shane should get picked. My point really was that, with the 6N round the corner, it must be difficult for Gatland picking Shane knowing that he will definitely be without him in the next game and beyond. If I was coach I would then be thinking, who will I pick instead of Shane, and should I give that player a run in this game to get them up to speed, etc. I'm sure Shane will be subbed anyway at some point so that he can get a standing ovation, so maybe we'll see someone given a chance with an eye on the 6N wing spot.

Griff, I can see where you're coming from but I don't think one game is really going to make that much of a difference whoever ends up starting. You may recall a similar situation four years ago when we were playing the Boks following the World Cup. On that occasion Tom Shanklin of all people started on the wing but that didn't reflect the approach or the success of the following 6N.

Brew, Stoddart (?), Tom James and Harries (?) could all be available for February with Halfpenny capable of covering, all having at least a slight chance of making the spot their own imo.