The little wonder on the wings

WITH several equally-qualified contenders from within his own Grand Slam-winning side, some may contend that Shane Williams wasn’t the player of the Six Nations this season. However, he was certainly the most exciting.

With his dancing feet, his ability to explode with lightning pace off left or right, his willingness to take unusual lines of attack, the diminutive winger defied the ordinary, made many a memorable break, scored many a memorable try.

From an Irish perspective, however, it was a moment strictly from an age-old playbook that stands out; with the Irish defence apparently in good order, 22m from the try-line, Williams simply stiff-armed Andrew Trimble, stopped the much bigger Irishman dead in his tracks, then bolted in for the game’s deciding try.