Former Wales international rugby winger Shane Williams says winning two Grand Glams was the pinnacle of his professional playing career.
In addition to topping his country’s try scoring charts, Williams won the IRB Player of the Year in 2008 and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
He was also part of three World Cup squads, helping Wales reach the semi-finals in his final international tournament in 2011.
However, Williams says his involvement in two successful Six Nations Grand Slam winning teams in 2005 and 2008 were his finest achievements in the sport.
“In ’05, that Grand Slam came out of nowhere,” Williams told Betway. “We weren’t expected to do particularly well in that Six Nations.
“We played tough rugby – we defended our hearts out. It was almost like a movie, winning that Six Nations, to be perfectly honest. That’s up there with the best of them.
“Then 2008 was a great Six Nations for me personally, because it was when I probably played my best rugby for Wales.
“We won the Grand Slam. I won player of the tournament and then went on to win IRB World Player of the Year. That was a huge Six Nations for me – I absolutely loved it.
“Both of those rank in the top, top rugby achievements, I’ve got to be honest. It doesn’t come around that often, so I’m very honoured to have done it twice.”
Wales have had a decent amount of success in the post-Williams era, adding another two Grand Slams to their tally in 2012 and 2019.
They have won the Six Nations title on six previous occasions, with only England (seven) claiming more during the 22-year history of the tournament.
However, their hopes of winning the Grand Slam this year are already over after they were beaten 29-7 in Ireland on the opening weekend.
A subsequent 20-17 victory over Scotland has kept Wales in the hunt for the Six Nations title, although the odds are stacked against them.
Upcoming fixtures against England (A) and France (H) will test their mettle ahead of a final fixture at home to Italy in mid-March.
Many fans believe the current squad’s weakness in attacking areas is a major issue – an accusation that could not be levelled at Williams and his teammates.
He was part of many great Wales teams during his 11-year international career, and says ‘self-belief’ was undoubtedly the key to their success.
“I played in Wales teams that probably hadn’t given themselves enough credit, especially the players,” Williams added.
“We had some great players, but collectively at times we let ourselves down. Physically and skilfully, we were always up there with the best, it was just sometimes we didn’t quite believe in ourselves.
“And I think that was the difference in those Grand Slams. We backed ourselves, we backed our physicality, we were mentally tough, and we had a strong enough squad to get us through the tournament unscathed, and that was the difference.”
