Shane Williams has come out to talk about the pressure and mental strength needed to survive in the environment of an England vs Wales encounter.
“A lot of these lads will have played together, but that won’t matter in Cardiff. They’ll know all their little secrets from their time together with the Lions, the nitty gritty,”
he said while speaking ahead of the LMAX Exchange Everest Rugby Challenge on behalf of Wooden Spoon.
He went on to single out certain player’s that will try and rally one another on in a match that could decide this year’s Grand Slam champions.
“I can assure you that for however long that game goes on, Alun Wyn Jones won’t shut up. I can vouch for that. Kyle Sinckler likes to talk as well. Owen Farrell doesn’t shut up either,” he said.
He spoke of the “banter” side of battle and
noted that if you either team can shake the opposition captains they will be doing
well.
“If you can make Owen Farrell miss a couple of kicks, then you’ve done your job. Or if you can put Alun Wyn Jones off his game, or shut up the likes of Sinckler, then you’re doing your job,” he continued.
The “banter” side can get to some people,
but you need to be prepared to push through it.
“It’s not all physical out there – you have to be mentally tough and be able to take stick,” he said.
After facing England 11 times himself
during his own outstanding career, Williams admitted he fell victim to the
taunting mind games of Austin Healey during his debut season.
“One of my first games was at Twickenham and we got absolutely pummelled. I was playing against Austin Healey, who didn’t shut up for 80 minutes. I remember thinking ‘no wonder my family don’t like the English if this guy is anything to go by’,” he said.
“He completely put me off my game. He absolutely mentally broke me. He really did. But it’s banter and that’s how it goes,” he finished.
Williams will be hoping that his country can add to their 11-match winning streak when they face rivals England in round three of the 6 Nations, and we will all be looking out for the mind games that come with the clash.
