Are Wales actually better without Shane Williams?

I know it's basically heresy because he was such a superb player but watching both the Ireland and Scotland matches I would say that Wales backs look far more dangerous than I've ever seen them. Did Shane stifle their potential a bit by being so...Shane? Is it a coincidence? Personally I think maybe Wales relied on him a bit too much to create something and now they don't have that option they are looking very strong.

No not really, he was a great player, but North has been the better winger for a few seasons anyway.
We are just lucky that as we lose 1 great player, we have a few more wingers coming through, have a look at the try Dirksen scored for the Ospreys. against against Edinburgh.
Or the 2 tries Luke Morgan (Bridgend and Ospreys), and Ross Jones (Bridgend, Ospreys) scored against Scotland U20 to see how much quality young wingers we have coming through,

mckay1402 wrote: Did Shane stifle their potential a bit by being so...Shane?

Get thee behind me satan

I reckon Hanson was right, and SW should have played at 9.

Alyn, I watched that game on BBC ALBA, I must say he took that try really well, a real individual bit of skill. Just for the record, when does he become WQ ?

AlynDavies wrote: to see how much quality young wingers we have coming through,

And I hear the levels of literacy and basic grammar are improving slowly too.

mckay1402 wrote:I know it's basically heresy because he was such a superb player but watching both the Ireland and Scotland matches I would say that Wales backs look far more dangerous than I've ever seen them. Did Shane stifle their potential a bit by being so...Shane? Is it a coincidence? Personally I think maybe Wales relied on him a bit too much to create something and now they don't have that option they are looking very strong.

Hard to say,Wales have beaten Ireland and Scotland with Williams in the team and imo you were far better in the WC match against Ireland than in the 1st 6 Nations game.

The question will be answered over the next year or so.

miteyironpaw wrote:I reckon Hanson was right, and SW should have played at 9.

Hanson were a rubbish band and know nothing about rugby!

I think this is a kind of Father Ted question:

Is Shane Williams a foot shorter than George North or is he just far away?

In 2008 there is no way we would have won the GS without Shane, not a chance in hell. It's the right time for him to retire but we've lost a great great man.

Two games in and we're doing okay but it's only two games. Given time we will come up against opponents who nullify us and at that point who will create that spark from nothing? Not sure yet but Shane did time and time again.

No, our backline is only just starting to function better now with better handling you have to admit there was so lovely takes of the offloads yesterday.

correlation doesn't imply causation, Shane was a great player, but I feel that sometimes we looked to him to provide something, and he was marked heavily after that 2008 season, even then he still managed to create try scoring opportunities.

If George isn't fit for England then we should bring Shane back.

Scare the livin' daylights out of 'em.

miteyironpaw wrote:

AlynDavies wrote: to see how much quality young wingers we have coming through,

And I hear the levels of literacy and basic grammar are improving slowly too.

Is a conjunction now considered befitting as a sentence positional primary outside the realms of poetic whimsy?

Don't get me wrong I want talking about 2008 Shane or 2008 Wales. I know Shane was amazing and one of my favourite ever players but I do think Wales are more complete as a team now

LordDowlais wrote:Alyn, I watched that game on BBC ALBA, I must say he took that try really well, a real individual bit of skill. Just for the record, when does he become WQ ?

Febuary I think mate.

miteyironpaw wrote:And I hear the levels of literacy and basic grammar are improving slowly too.

I do try!

mckay1402 wrote:Don't get me wrong I want talking about 2008 Shane or 2008 Wales. I know Shane was amazing and one of my favourite ever players but I do think Wales are more complete as a team now

sure, but that doesn't have anything to do with Shane, just with the other players, the last couple of years a large part of the team were still developing as players (back row, JD2, North, Priestland). But if they relied on Shane before, it was because he was their best chance of scoring/winning, particularly in the tight matches where his spark was required. A better title for your thread might be is the 2012 team better than the (insert whatever year with SW playing and which you though Wales weren't too great as a unit) team. Shane, in this team (even now although marginally less influential) would just be another asset to a team with a lot of potential.