Wales v England: 2015 World Cup hero Lloyd Williams comes in from the cold
- Published
Lloyd Williams (right) kicks ahead to help Wales beat England at the 2015 World Cup
Autumn Nations Cup: Group A - Wales v England |
|---|
Venue: Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli Date: Saturday, 28 November Kick-off: 16:00 GMT |
Coverage: Listen to commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio 5 Live (second half only) and follow live text on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Lloyd Williams is the scrum-half who came in from the cold, ready to make his first Wales start in four years when they face England on Saturday.
The 30-year-old has had to be patient, toiling away for Cardiff Blues before returning from his international hiatus with an appearance from the bench against Scotland last month.
After another against Ireland a fortnight later, Williams earned praise for lifting the tempo of Wales' hitherto sluggish play with his quick service and crisp passing - the bread and butter of a scrum-half.
However, when it comes to matches against England, Williams has garnered something of a cult status for his cameo in a different position.
That was at Twickenham in the 2015 World Cup when Wales found themselves at breaking point against hosts England, trailing 22-18 with 14 minutes left and so severely ravaged by injuries that they had to bring Williams on to replace left wing Hallam Amos.
Wales fell further behind to an Owen Farrell penalty but, as the clock ticked past 70 minutes, Williams scampered clear down the left flank and delicately kicked the ball back infield for Gareth Davies - another scrum-half - to gather and score a sensational try.
After Williams' moment of inspiration, Dan Biggar's penalty secured a remarkable win which sparked ecstatic Welsh celebrations and helped knock their bitterest rivals out of their own World Cup .
So when Williams is asked where on the field his career highlight came, it is little wonder when he says: "Definitely left wing!
"That was five years ago, so I'm looking forward to creating more memories now, but that was a fond memory of mine."
Williams has fonder memories than most from his matches against England, with two wins from his three appearances against the old enemy.
The other victory was the 30-3 demolition in Cardiff in 2013, when Wales stormed to the Six Nations title and simultaneously shattered English hopes of a Grand Slam.
A repeat on Saturday seems unlikely. Wales are reeling from their worst Six Nations since 2007 and needed to beat Georgia last weekend to end a six-match losing run.
England, by contrast, are Six Nations champions and warmed up for their trip to Llanelli with an impressive win over Ireland.
Wales will be underdogs at Parc y Scarlets, not that Williams minds.
"I think Wales do that quite well and it's something the boys will relish," he says.
"I think it's usually the case against England and it's something that excites the players.
"I'm hoping we can show up, play really well as a team and the result will take care of itself."
Opposing head coaches Eddie Jones and Wayne Pivac warm up for the Autumn Nations Cup match on Saturday
On a personal note, Williams' 31st cap for his country will feel particularly special as he starts for the first time since a 2016 win over Japan.
"It was a pleasant surprise," the 2012 Grand Slam winner says of his recall to the Wales set-up.
"Although I was out of the squad, I was just trying to play well week to week and look to the next game.
"I wasn't trying to get too far ahead of myself and the opportunity came up, and I gladly jumped at it.
"Once I was back in the squad, it felt like anything was possible."
Williams will be among the more experienced figures in the Wales side, which will include a number of young players such as James Botham, Johnny Williams and Louis Rees-Zammit making only their second international starts.
England will pose formidable opposition but, after his time away from the gladiatorial intensity of the Test arena, Williams is looking forward to facing the challenge "head-on".
"We're all trying to have a positive impact and, looking at England, we're looking to build as individuals and a team," he says.
"Fortunately I got some ball against Ireland and I was able to speed things up. I'm hoping to do the same on the weekend.
"They [England] have looked really good, organised and playing well. It could be one hell of a game."