Scott Williams: Centre 'pain-free' after injury nightmare

Scott Williams won the most recent of his 58 Wales caps against Ireland in August 2019 and played in two World Cups

Ospreys and Wales centre Scott Williams says he can now play pain-free for the first time since January 2019.

Williams says it was the "right call" to delay back surgery try to make the 2019 World Cup despite missing out on selection.

The 29-year-old is targeting a return against Glasgow on 24 October after an injury recurrence in January.

"It feels good now, it's probably never going to be 100% but I'm pain-free now," said Williams.

Williams played one competitive game in the first nine months of 2020 before featuring in a friendly against the Scarlets, though a minor groin strain has delayed his Pro14 comeback.

He put off an operation last year hoping for World Cup selection but Wales opted to select centres Jonathan Davies, Owen Watkin and Hadleigh Parkes.

"Looking back it's easy to say I should have had the operation then (in early 2019) but at the time, with the options I had, it was the right call to try to make the World Cup," said Williams.

"You do anything to play for your country and I took the risk to make it back to train and play.

"I managed to get back on the field for the warm-up games but didn't make the cut, though I gave it all I could."

After suffering more pain in early 2020 Williams admits he was struggling with day-to-day pain before surgery.

"I hurt my back again in January and it was an easy call to get it sorted," said Williams.

"I had a bulging disc in my back and pretty bad sciatica, lost all feeling in my leg and movement in my foot, so it was a scary time and it took time to come back.

"I couldn't sit down for longer than five minutes, I couldn't stand up for more than five minutes. It's not nice to deal with but it's something you've got to accept as part of sport."