Lion looking to end try drought

Double Lions tourist Shane Williams insists he is ready to light up world rugby again by breathing life into the Welsh attack against Argentina in Cardiff. [more]

Lion looking to end try drought

Double Lions tourist Shane Williams insists he is ready to light up world rugby again by breathing life into the Welsh attack against Argentina in Cardiff.

Wales have crossed the try-line just twice in their last four home Tests, with youngster Leigh Halfpenny touching down against England and Samoa.

While fellow 2009 Lion Halfpenny has been on the rise, Williams has shown flickering form since collecting the prestigious IRB World Player of the Year Award for 2008.

Wales’ record try-scorer has shown flashes of brilliance with expert finishes for Warren Gatland’s men in Edinburgh and Rome and then through a brace of scores for the Lions in the stunning third Test win over the Springboks in Johannesburg last summer.

However, it is almost a year since the 2005 and 2009 Test Lion tasted that try-scoring feeling at the Millennium Stadium and a 256-minute drought is something he wants to address.

"There’s no better place than scoring a try in Cardiff,” said Williams, who featured in eight of the Lions’ 10 tour matches of their recent tour of South Africa.

"I love scoring tries and that’s my job. I’d love to score at the weekend and I want a big performance from myself.

“It sounds like a long time ago but I’d like to think it has not been too many games. 

"I need to get involved and that’s all I can ever ask of myself. I’m disappointed when I come off and have only had single figure touches of the ball. I want to create chances or make tackles. But the bonus is scoring tries."

Williams was rested for the game against Samoa last Friday – and that forced him into a weekend of frustration after watching games involving England and his beloved region the Ospreys which placed an emphasis on kicking rather than attacking verve.

But Williams admits he aims to change rugby’s perception by showing that there is still room for entertainers like him when he wins his 67th cap against the Pumas.

"Rugby is a game that changes and evolves but no one wants to be one-dimensional,” added Williams.

"We don’t want to see the likes of James Hook or Leigh Halfpenny kicking the leather off the ball – it’s not pretty to watch.

"I loved rugby in the Seventies and grew up watching Gerald Davies and Ieuan Evans scoring tries for fun – I’d rather score a try than take three points.

"I’d love to be part of a Welsh backline that creates chances, breaks the gain line and scores tries. The coaches here want exactly the same thing. They enjoy the flair in the team and it’s great that we are creating chances.

"Of course, Argentina will come out with all guns blazing and make it hard for us to play rugby. But we’re more than capable of scoring tries. We just need to be more clinical."

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