JJ hails Welsh wing legend Shane

Shane Williams surveys the scene after scoring against Italy in the 2010 Six Nations

Wales legend JJ Williams says Shane Williams has had more influence on games than great wings such as Gerald Davies, John Bevan and Ken Jones.

Shane Williams’ Six Nations career is over after a knee injury ruled him out of the weekend trip to face France.

Williams’ Test career is due to end at the Autumn World Cup in New Zealand.

“Gerald Davies, John Bevan, the great Ken Jones, all these guys – they didn’t have the influence on a game that Shane has had,” said 1970s star Williams.

The Ospreys wing’s last act in a Six Nations encounter was to kick the ball dead at the end of Wales’ 19-13 win over Ireland at the Millennium Stadium at the weekend.

His tournament tally of 22 tries will remain two short of Scotland’s Ian Smith’s record, which Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll equalled at the Millennium Stadium.

He’s a brilliant all-round player who got involved enormously. He could change the game himself JJ Williams on namesake Shane

In its aftermath, Williams, 34, confirmed he will retire from international rugby at the World Cup in New Zealand in which Wales face South Africa, Fiji, Samoa and Namibia at the pool stage.

But JJ says his namesake’s contribution to Welsh rugby already puts 79-times capped, 53-try Shane high among the greatest of his nation’s wings.

JJ played alongside Gerald Davies during Wales’ 1970s glory years, having succeeded powerhouse Bevan on the left wing and says Shane can also be compared with another predecessor, 1950s star Ken Jones.

Davies is widely regarded as the greatest Welsh wing of all time with Bevan also hugely admired and Jones’ qualities as an international sprinter unrivalled in his era.

JJ, who also combined international success in athletics with a world-class rating as a rugby wing, believes Williams’ place among Wales’ greats is already secured.

“In the professional era he’s Shane the greatest Welsh wing we’ve seen,” he said.

If he’s the greatest Welsh wing of all time, well we you can debate that, can’t you? I’m not going to say that.

“But he’s up there with the greats and we’ll be looking back at his montage of tries over the next 20 years – you’ll be going ‘wow, look at those tries that guy scored’.

“He’s been a wonderful servant to Wales and he’s saved Wales so often.

“When the games are tight it’s been a piece of Shane Williams brilliance has been the difference between Wales winning or losing.

“And they’re going to miss him enormously when he does hang up his boots after the World Cup because they’ve relied on him without ever mentioning it too much – that they relied on him a bit too much to score and to do things out of the ordinary.

“He’s a brilliant all-round player who got involved enormously. He could change the game himself.

“And as a winger – and you can talk about Gerald Davies, John Bevan, the great Ken Jones, all these guys – they didn’t have the influence on a game that Shane has had.

“He could run that game himself from the wing – that’s very, very unusual to see that.

“Outside-halves or scrum-halves can run a game and they control it, but Shane is involved so much in these games with the Ospreys and with Wales and you can’t say that about many other wingers of world rugby.”