Williams honoured to lead Wales

Martyn Williams has been handed a golden opportunity to lead Wales into the record books and clear of the Six Nations Championship wooden spoon.

The 27-year-old Cardiff flanker was this week appointed captain of Steve Hansen’s Wales side as the Dragons go in search of a first win of the Championship campaign.

And if the side achieves that at the Stade de France tomorrow , Wales will avoid the dreaded wooden spoon and at the same time complete a hat-trick of wins on French soil for the first time in 46 years.

Williams played in the 43-35 victory over the French two years ago and remembers well the 34-33 success on Paris soil two years before that.

So, to get the chance to leads Wales in their pursuit for a record breaking victory over last season’s champions, is a real honour for the former Pontypridd open-side flanker.

“I enjoyed leading the side in Scotland, but I understood that when Humph (Jonathan Humphreys) returned for the Ireland game, I would lose the armband. However, when Steve asked me to lead the team again this week, I was over the moon.

“It is every schoolboy’s dream to play for Wales, but to play and captain your country is something special again.”

Williams has been the outstanding member of the Welsh pack this season - despite the disappointment of finishing on the losing side on four successive occasions. He was man of the match in Rome, excelled against England, led with real authority in Edinburgh and capped another outstanding all-round display against Ireland with a rare but very welcome try.

“It has been a difficult season for all of us. Of course, I have been quite pleased with my own performances, but on a team front we are all desperately disappointed not to have a point on the board going into the last game,” he said.

“If we can put that right this weekend, I think it would lift the nation. Perhaps it would give us a break from the criticism that has come our way in recent times.”

Hansen has made four changes from the side beaten 25-24 by the Irish – Mark Jones and Humphreys are ruled out through injury and Gareth Cooper and Tom Shanklin make way for the more ambitious pair Dwayne Peel and Iestyn Harris.

Mefin Davies comes in at hooker for Humphreys with Cardiff wing Craig Morgan taking over on the left flank from Llanelli’s Jones.

“It’s a pity for the boys who are missing out, but I think it shows that we do have some strength in depth when we can bring in the likes of Iestyn and Dwayne,” added Williams.

“Neither of them has won in Paris but neither of them has lost there either. They won’t have any baggage going into the game and that can’t be a bad thing. I think that’s just as important as having won there.

“If the younger, less experienced players can go in without any worries or concerns, it will rub off on us too.

“Yes, it’s great to have won there and for me, two years ago was one of my best moments in a Wales shirt.

“We were okay last Saturday and perhaps, on another day, we might have been talking about a narrow victory rather than a one-point injury time defeat.

“But we have got to put that disappointment behind us, draw on the positives from that game and make sure that we don’t allow the French to finish their season with a bang.

“If we could turn things around, it would be a great boost for all of us. We have a busy time ahead and unless we start winning and developing, it is going to be a difficult run in to the World Cup.”

One of those youngsters Peel, is simply glad to have regained the shirt after being axed in the wake of the humiliation in Rome.

“That was a real low point for all of us,” said Peel, who was outstanding when he came on as a replacement against the Irish six days ago.

“For me, it was even worse although I took on board what Steve said and I have worked hard to put it right.

“He said he wants me to snipe a little bit more and to provide more of a threat. Hopefully I can achieve that and hopefully we can come home with a positive result. It would do Welsh rugby wonders to finish in that manner.”