Williams pays tribute to team performance

Wales’ joint record try-scorer Shane Williams paid tribute to an outstanding all-round team performance in the 16-12 victory over Ireland at Croke Park which today kept him and his team-mates on course for the RBS 6 Nations title.

Williams scored the decisive try, equalling Gareth Thomas’ all-time Welsh record of 40, as Wales wrapped up the triple crown and can now set their sights on the grand slam with a title-clinching victory over France next week.

The vast improvement in form – since Wales’ disappointing World Cup campaign last autumn – is a significant endorsement of the impact made by new coach Warren Gatland.

Wing Williams, for one, is not interested in hogging the limelight for himself.

“It is amazing. It was a very good performance by the Irish, but we stuck at it,” he told BBC1.

“The last five minutes were the longest five minutes of my life. But the forwards stuck at it, and we deserved it.”

Williams believes credit is due to New Zealander Gatland, who has helped to transform Wales’ fortunes along with assistant coach Shaun Edwards.

“It is a lot to do with Warren – and the players, and everybody else,” said Williams. “Warren has come in with his own ideas; we’ve trained very hard, and it’s going very well.”