Shane Williams: Conor Murray can lead Lions
The Munster man is considered a certainty for the starting scrum-half role in Warren Gatland’s squad to face New Zealand this summer and Williams has added him to the mix to skipper the side.
“Conor would make a good captain. He is in a pivotal position there and playing in great form,” said Williams, who appears with Donegal star Michael Murphy in AIB’s The Toughest Trade on RTÉ Two, tonight (9.30pm).
“There is the probability of having his best mate Jonathan Sexton playing outside him as well. So he does have captaincy qualities and the Irish forwards will certainly vouch for that.”
Murray isn’t the only Irish man in the frame for Williams.
He continued: “Rory Best would be a good captain, he is playing well in the championship and he has some cracking props either side of him as well and that has helped his game.”
“I have been captained by Alan Wyn Jones in a number of games and I am biased but he is a no-nonsense captain, a Martin Johnson when it comes to that.
“He doesn’t like doing press as much as Sam Warburton so probably doesn’t take the pressure off his players that much there.
“But, on the field, he leads from the front. Owen Farrell is another contender.
“He is massively admired by his players, doesn’t stop talking all game, he is like a Jack Russell.
“Sometimes those are the types of players you need in your team. I wouldn’t rule out Sam Warburton just yet, Warren Gatland is a huge fan of him.”
Wales host Ireland on March 10th in Cardiff, desperate to bounce back from Saturday’s shock defeat to Scotland. And Williams is still struggling to explain the Welsh capitulation, especially as the victors scored 20 unanswered points in the second half.
“I have no idea what happened in the second-half. Scotland frustrated Wales, they attacked them at the breakdown. Wales sent in one-in runners, looked quite lethargic at times and had no direction with ball in hand.
“When they did break the gain-line, they lost the ball in contact and got very frustrated.
“My worry is that is how Ireland play. They will frustrate Wales, they keep the ball very well. The likes of CJ Stander and Sean O’Brien or whoever, Devin Toner, will be a real pain in the backside and make it difficult for Wales in the breakdown.
“So it’s a massive game for Wales. They could lose two games in a row at home, three in the championship and go from fifth to ninth in the world rankings which doesn’t say a lot for the team.”
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