This is only the start, says Williams
His teak-tough as teak 6ft 1in 15-stone frame knocked Ireland back on 14 occasions but it was just one of many telling contributions to a famous Welsh victory by the Cardiff Blues' number seven.
And when calm had been finally restored, Williams carried a proud mark of battle a huge bruise on the bridge of his badly broken nose.
He will delight in telling people about how he picked it up for many a day to come and he replied indignantly to a question as to whether he ever considered leaving the field because of the injury.
You sensed that the man who scored the two most vital tries of the championship early in the second-half of the amazing recovery against France would never allow such a trivial knock to keep him off the field even for a single second!
Williams, who was winning his 53rd cap, has known the bad as well as the good in the scarlet jersey and readily admitted: "If you told me two years ago that we would win a Grand Slam in 2005, I'd have laughed at you.
"We knew we were getting there but I thought it would take a little bit longer so that makes it even sweeter, knowing we were right down at the bottom and that we were now right up at the top.
"This has got to be the start of something rather than the end of something. There are a few guys getting on a bit but the majority of the squad are 24 or 25 so it will be drummed into them that this is only the beginning."
Great credit has to go to Welsh coach and former Leinster leader Mike Ruddock for getting his side on to the Cardiff pitch in a relatively calm and composed frame of mind.
The level of expectation in the country was incredible but they might easily have frozen mentally in much the same manner as Ireland had done in the first half of the previous week's game against France.
Such, in all fairness, was not the case and Ruddock believes he knows why.
"This team draws its strength from the hard times it's been through together," he reasoned.
"The big thing is that we've shown no fear and that's why we have the reward of the Grand Slam. They deserve all the plaudits they get and hopefully this will get quite a few of them going away with the Lions. They're the guys who made the tackles, scored the tries and put their bodies on the line.
"The French game was the defining one of the season. They were playing like the reigning champions and we showed great character and a lot of skill to come back and get the win."
The spirit in the Welsh side is well typified by the manner in which Gareth Thomas, who lost his place and the captaincy because of a broken thumb, lauded his full-back replacement Kevin Morgan. "We know what it's like to be at the lowest of the low so every victory is that bit more special," he said.
"You came in on a Monday morning knowing you're going to be working hard but knowing you want to do it because the guy next to you wants to do it, all for the same cause. We've all pushed towards that cause. They were a superb bunch of boys."
"I spoke to Kev (Morgan) about the situation. There's only one jersey and there are probably five or six full-backs who want that jersey. We all want to play for Wales.
"Unfortunately, I got injured and Kev came in. I want him to perform in that jersey, I want him to keep that jersey, I want him to make me fight for that jersey. He's done it and I'm proud of that."
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
