:00:19. > :00:24.The tension in the Pro12 is at breaking point. We have all the
:00:24. > :00:31.action from the penultimate round. It is hotting up in the Premiership,
:00:31. > :00:39.too. It's been a weekend of drama and a weekend of emotion as we bid
:00:39. > :00:45.farewell to some of our most famous faces. Martyn Williams hangs up his
:00:45. > :00:48.boots and reflects on a long and successful career. It's the 17-,
:00:48. > :00:58.18-year-olds, they wouldn't believe some of the stories I could tell
:00:58. > :00:59.
:00:59. > :01:05.them now. Good evening. Welcome to Scrum V. The play-off race is still
:01:05. > :01:15.open but only just. Jonathan Davies and Kingsley Jones are here. We
:01:15. > :01:20.
:01:20. > :01:26.will start with that crucial game tense encounter. Injuries in the
:01:26. > :01:36.Scarlets' camp meant Stephen Jones featured at inside-centre. The
:01:36. > :02:00.
:02:00. > :02:09.Munster forwards are keeping it they go. The chance could still be
:02:09. > :02:19.on. The try for the Scarlets, a glorious counter-attack from the
:02:19. > :02:43.
:02:43. > :02:53.home side. Finished off by Lamont. Zebo for the outside. The Scarlets
:02:53. > :02:53.
:02:53. > :03:38.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds
:03:38. > :03:48.had defenders there in numbers. A for the referee. You may award the
:03:48. > :04:00.
:04:00. > :04:10.try. I may award the try? That's there in numbers and Munster have
:04:10. > :04:10.
:04:10. > :05:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds
:05:25. > :05:28.a hit. You must use your arms in a Munster's lead is ten points again.
:05:28. > :05:34.One try would make things very interesting indeed. It could set up
:05:34. > :05:44.a grandstand finish. Munster have looked dangerous in this second
:05:44. > :05:44.
:05:44. > :06:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds
:06:25. > :06:35.They have the penalty. A big decision there for Stephen Jones as
:06:35. > :07:14.
:07:14. > :07:22.not concede a penalty. Stephen Can they get a penalty from
:07:22. > :07:25.somewhere? The match looked dead and buried. The Scarlets have to
:07:25. > :07:32.get the ball out of there quickly otherwise the whistle will go. And
:07:32. > :07:41.that is it. The Scarlets' hopes are very, very slim now. A tremendous
:07:41. > :07:48.finale. It's ended in stalemate. tight games, referees will decide
:07:48. > :07:51.There were some clear-cut penalties for being off the feet. It wasn't
:07:51. > :07:58.refereed. I am disappointed about that. The pendulum swung back and
:07:58. > :08:02.forth a few times during that game. Jonathan, they couldn't breach that
:08:02. > :08:07.Munster defence? They had to win that game to give themselves any
:08:07. > :08:17.realistic chance. I think it was a clear penalty when Matthew went
:08:17. > :08:19.
:08:19. > :08:24.into the side of the ruck. I can agree there. The referee was flaky.
:08:24. > :08:32.Nigel Davis was frustrated with some of those decisions. If you
:08:32. > :08:40.look at the overall performance, we saw they had chances to win?
:08:40. > :08:48.Scarlets are not far away. I have highlighted a few things. The first
:08:48. > :08:58.three scrums, under pressure. Under pressure, penalty. When they do get
:08:58. > :09:00.
:09:01. > :09:04.a platform, it's a bit sloppy. Poor The Scarlets are going backwards.
:09:04. > :09:07.Look how far behind the game line they are. Here again, the line-out
:09:07. > :09:14.struggled at times. This time, it is a good throw. Poor delivery. On
:09:14. > :09:24.the back foot. And this has been their trouble. They are under the
:09:24. > :09:31.
:09:31. > :09:35.cosh, off the top, Ben Morgan, and this is when they are at their best.
:09:35. > :09:43.If they can get the platform to get this going, off all the set-pieces,
:09:43. > :09:46.they are dangerous. A ball out the tackle. Here again, Shingler, he is
:09:46. > :09:55.great at it. This is when they are at their most dangerous.
:09:55. > :09:58.Unfortunately, they are trying to I know young Rhodri Jones has done
:09:58. > :10:08.a great job. They haven't been able to bring experienced players off
:10:08. > :10:14.the bench. Really, it has been their downfall. They are a top side.
:10:14. > :10:17.All the big clubs have a very good platform. The set-piece is good.
:10:17. > :10:23.Look at how the Ospreys are playing now, on the back of a really solid
:10:23. > :10:27.front five. The first try was one of the best of the season. Wales
:10:27. > :10:31.play well on the back of a good set-piece now. The line-out has
:10:31. > :10:40.improved and the scrum has. I think most of these sides have got to
:10:40. > :10:43.have a good front row, solid, which they play everything off. OK. Not
:10:43. > :10:46.only were the Scarlets desperate for the win, they were also hoping
:10:46. > :10:51.for a few favours from the other teams in the Pro12 and they nearly
:10:51. > :10:57.received a big one from Treviso. They were playing Glasgow and they
:10:57. > :11:01.nearly won. They were ahead with a minute to go. But this try from Van
:11:01. > :11:11.der Merwe sealed the win and put paid to the Scarlets' hopes of a
:11:11. > :11:26.
:11:26. > :11:33.on Friday night, McLaughlin scoring the visitors' only try. So to be
:11:33. > :11:42.clear, Glasgow are four points That means the Scarlets have to win
:11:42. > :11:45.against the Blues with a bonus point next week. It will be a tough
:11:45. > :11:52.challenge now. It will be an interesting end. The Scarlets still
:11:52. > :11:58.have a chance. They have the Blues the last game up. It will be a
:11:58. > :12:03.challenge. The Ospreys look as if they have got it nailed on. I think
:12:03. > :12:06.with it being in Glasgow, there is no hope. If you look at that table,
:12:06. > :12:14.Leinster, Ospreys, Edinburgh, the Pro12 should be as competitive as
:12:14. > :12:17.the French leagues and the English league. There is something not
:12:17. > :12:20.right there. Whether it is qualification for Europe or not.
:12:20. > :12:24.You can't have a side in the semi- final of the Heineken Cup
:12:24. > :12:30.languishing at the bottom. You can see where their priorities are.
:12:30. > :12:33.That is wrong. The Blues didn't have anything to play for today.
:12:33. > :12:43.There was pride at stake after a turbulent few weeks at the Cardiff
:12:43. > :12:57.
:12:57. > :13:06.City Stadium. Edinburgh were the midfield of Edinburgh. Can they
:13:06. > :13:16.finish? Good defence by Edinburgh. It's Blues' ball. Cuthbert at close
:13:16. > :13:16.
:13:16. > :13:24.quarters. That is Gethin Jenkins. He stays on his feet. Just short.
:13:24. > :13:34.Wide to Williams. They have to go left. The space was out wide but
:13:34. > :13:44.
:13:45. > :13:50.Lloyd Williams didn't need it. The themselves under pressure. They
:13:51. > :14:00.have men spare. It is easy for Cuthbert and Edinburgh will be
:14:01. > :14:01.
:14:01. > :14:48.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds
:14:48. > :14:58.stone. That is a great bit of individual skill by Leonard.
:14:58. > :15:04.
:15:04. > :15:14.great way to round off proceedings at the Cardiff City stadium.
:15:14. > :15:27.
:15:27. > :15:32.for fans to say goodbye to a number Well, it has been a turbulent few
:15:32. > :15:38.weeks for the Blues, but that was a welcome victory. What do they need
:15:38. > :15:44.to do now sustain that success? is a poor Edinburgh side a second
:15:44. > :15:50.string side, so they were going to win. But I do feel that the two
:15:50. > :15:55.coaches, you know they have an opportunity for whatever reason...
:15:56. > :16:00.It's not going to happen. They have got to put a rugby director in to
:16:00. > :16:02.give it some leadership. They are going to be short of resources. But
:16:02. > :16:12.they need resolve and mental toughness, and get the defence
:16:12. > :16:12.
:16:12. > :16:16.sorted. But you need direction, and a rugby director should go in. A
:16:16. > :16:21.lot of people have gone for the job. I think Phil Davies was clearly the
:16:21. > :16:28.favourite. They want him and he wants to go, but he has a two-year
:16:28. > :16:35.contract in Worcester. That is a hurdle to overcome. It needs a guy
:16:35. > :16:38.with experience to lead it from the top. And again do the rugby matters
:16:38. > :16:44.and there is a line and the businessmen keep one side and the
:16:44. > :16:49.rugby men the other. It is going to be a tough couple of seasons maybe
:16:49. > :16:56.for the Blues. But you know, most of it's going to be, it's going to
:16:56. > :17:00.be tough for most regions. A number of names have been bandied around.
:17:00. > :17:04.We asked a man with more than a little cred in the rugby world
:17:04. > :17:12.whether he would be interested. have a lot of respect for Cardiff
:17:12. > :17:22.Blues and the people who run the club. I have always had a soft spot
:17:22. > :17:29.
:17:29. > :17:32.for them. I'd love to do the job, if I can do it from here. Is it a
:17:32. > :17:35.possibility I could be by the sea here, being involved with Cardiff
:17:35. > :17:38.Blues? Anything's possible in the modern game. I will have to talk to
:17:38. > :17:43.Peter Thomas about it. Is that the house they funded? I couldn't
:17:43. > :17:53.comment. Tongue-in-cheek from Mr Henry. Is it a role you would be
:17:53. > :17:54.
:17:54. > :17:59.interested in? Could I do it from Wales? I think as I said, any coach
:17:59. > :18:03.with any ambition would be having one eye on that. It is a great
:18:03. > :18:13.region and it is a massive potential. Doom and gloom about it,
:18:13. > :18:14.
:18:14. > :18:18.but it is time for a change. It is a good time to go. The end of the
:18:18. > :18:21.season hasn't been great. So you go in, a clean sweep and start again.
:18:21. > :18:24.We shall wait and see what happens. One man who has not just played his
:18:24. > :18:31.last game for the Blues, but his last game full stop, Martin
:18:31. > :18:41.Williams has hung up his boots for good. We will look back on a long
:18:41. > :18:43.
:18:43. > :18:50.the tries and everyone remembers you for it. That second half
:18:50. > :18:53.changed a lot of our lives. Not only as rugby players, but off the
:18:53. > :19:02.field. It was coming home from Paris, we thought we could win the
:19:02. > :19:12.Paris, we thought we could win the It was derby night on Friday as The
:19:12. > :19:16.
:19:16. > :19:20.Ospreys welcomed the Dragons. The reception at the Liberty Stadium.
:19:20. > :19:30.At the other end of his career, 17- year-old Hallam Amos made his first
:19:30. > :19:49.
:19:49. > :19:54.It is Amos who has to do the last line of defending and again The
:19:54. > :20:04.Ospreys couldn't get the ball clear. Isaacs is the scrum half who has
:20:04. > :20:04.
:20:04. > :20:50.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds
:20:50. > :20:57.been concerted to centre. He halfway. Failing to stay on their
:20:58. > :21:04.feet. The angle, just pushing the kick over 50 metres. A good strike
:21:04. > :21:14.by Robling. That's a belter. The Dragons get the most important
:21:14. > :21:33.
:21:33. > :21:40.Bishop. But again just short. Around the blind side and Jones
:21:40. > :21:45.claims the try. Everybody looking open. And the touch judge is happy
:21:46. > :21:54.and Ryan Jones gets the try, just when the Ospreys were brought down.
:21:54. > :22:00.The old head snuck over on the blind side. Evans going backwards.
:22:00. > :22:10.And it is all getting very uncomfortable. Get it wide! It is
:22:10. > :22:26.
:22:26. > :22:33.that. Defending two Ospreys backs. He does enough to allow them to
:22:33. > :22:43.arrive. No arms in that tackle. Just straight across the legs with
:22:43. > :23:11.
:23:11. > :23:21.out. Yellow card was not enough. They weren't going to stay in that
:23:21. > :23:21.
:23:21. > :24:05.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds
:24:05. > :24:15.and the Dragons aren't done yet. into the final minute. The Ospreys'
:24:15. > :24:27.
:24:27. > :24:31.dominance at scrum time gets them a can't believe it! You could not
:24:31. > :24:34.script it! He did it in his final international for Wales against
:24:34. > :24:44.Australia and he's possibly done it again in his final game at the
:24:44. > :24:53.Liberty. It could not have had a better ending for Shane Williams
:24:53. > :24:56.and the Ospreys. Fabulous! Not only did Shane Williams have the last
:24:56. > :25:05.word in terms of try-scoring, he has the last kick as well and just
:25:05. > :25:09.for good measure puts over the conversion. Has a smile like a
:25:09. > :25:19.Cheshire cat, and why not? Because the icing on the cake has come via
:25:19. > :25:22.
:25:22. > :25:26.the icing on the cake has come via Shane Williams.
:25:26. > :25:30.Shane, who writes the script? don't know what it is about the the
:25:30. > :25:34.last game, I don't seem to play well. But a fantastic game. They
:25:34. > :25:39.well. But a fantastic game. They made it tough and what a crowd.
:25:39. > :25:49.Here are the weekend's other results. Scarlets still could
:25:49. > :26:06.
:26:06. > :26:11.overhaul Glasgow and make the top He did it against Australia and he
:26:11. > :26:16.did it again against Dragons. can't say any more good things
:26:16. > :26:22.about him. People are getting fed up! I think he mentioned a
:26:22. > :26:27.gentlemen's agreement. Maybe they left him on the inside to score. I
:26:27. > :26:29.don't think it should be his last game. He has got to play in the
:26:29. > :26:37.semi-final and the way they're playing, they're playing with a
:26:37. > :26:42.smile on their face, the front five is awesome and he should play. He
:26:42. > :26:44.adds something to them. I do think that the way they're playing with
:26:44. > :26:51.the dominant front five and the back rows, they could trouble
:26:51. > :26:54.Leinster. I can see Leinster/Ospreys in the final.
:26:54. > :26:56.They're playing with a big smile and confidence in their game. That
:26:57. > :27:05.is the point, Leinster are favourites, but The Ospreys, that
:27:06. > :27:15.is four in a row and they're looking promising. We spoke about
:27:15. > :27:24.the battle of back rows and it was incredible. The effect he had on
:27:24. > :27:28.the game. Four Dragons players just to shift him. He is the best over
:27:28. > :27:36.to shift him. He is the best over the ball. What it does, the Dragons
:27:36. > :27:46.have lost their attacking pack and Evans comes in with a good tackle.
:27:46. > :27:47.
:27:47. > :27:57.First man over. He does well and now all the Dragons' attacking play
:27:57. > :28:01.
:28:01. > :28:08.has gone. We see young Robling, he has all his team in front of him
:28:08. > :28:12.and he has no option but to kick the ball. And this is just text
:28:12. > :28:19.book. This what is he has been doing all season. Through the
:28:19. > :28:24.middle, take the space. Turn over for The Ospreys and they're away.
:28:24. > :28:27.He is immense. Some amount of work he is doing, you look and think why
:28:27. > :28:36.are the Dragons doing that? They are all playing well. Edinburgh
:28:36. > :28:39.What he does, when he does it, he goes in and does that, you have to
:28:39. > :28:43.commit more to the ruck and then you have got more defenders than
:28:43. > :28:45.attackers. It is difficult when it is a one-man wrecking machine
:28:45. > :28:55.slowing things down. Now to the Premiership where things are
:28:55. > :28:58.
:28:58. > :29:01.getting tight at the top. Aberavon It is the last weekend of the
:29:01. > :29:11.season and a win for Aberavon would guarantee a top three finish and a
:29:11. > :29:15.
:29:15. > :29:25.Cross Quays are playing for pride and giving a number of youngsters a
:29:25. > :29:41.
:29:41. > :29:45.run-out. But they have got two Cup hand side. Chris Lewis - inside
:29:45. > :29:55.goes Lewis - a hand-off and that is the first try for the Wizards after
:29:55. > :29:58.
:29:58. > :30:07.two minutes. Chris Lewis is in. A lovely side-step from Chris Lewis.
:30:07. > :30:17.There is the bonus point try and we have barely played 20 minutes.
:30:17. > :30:30.
:30:30. > :30:40.Marcus Johnstone is over for Cross Keys and Keys are on the board.
:30:40. > :30:40.
:30:40. > :30:50.That is a super individual try by the scrum half. Bags of possession
:30:50. > :30:57.
:30:57. > :31:07.in this second half again. John Phillips spots a little gap. Gets a
:31:07. > :31:37.
:31:37. > :31:41.reception committee of three. Drive. You must have been pleased
:31:41. > :31:49.with the wind but it is still tied to the top. Our job was to win the
:31:49. > :31:55.game. All credit to Cross Keys, I wish them all the best at the end
:31:55. > :32:03.of the week. We have to keep our fingers crossed that we win the
:32:03. > :32:11.play-offs. There were a few soft tries in the end. Was your fork is
:32:11. > :32:15.perhaps today on the Cup on Friday night? It has to be, really. We
:32:15. > :32:25.rested some boys but we have some real promising players who played
:32:25. > :32:31.
:32:31. > :32:34.today. Despite that huge result, After three World Cups, three Lions
:32:34. > :32:40.tours and 99 caps, Martyn Williams has finally hung up his boots. The
:32:40. > :32:44.legend has called time on his career. I caught up with him for a
:32:44. > :32:51.cup of coffee and a look back on a career which has spanned three
:32:51. > :33:01.decades. When you have been doing something as long as I have, it's a
:33:01. > :33:06.
:33:06. > :33:08.strange feeling to think, come He was a world-class player. A
:33:08. > :33:18.highly respected guy. Apart from being a world-class rugby player,
:33:18. > :33:24.
:33:24. > :33:27.The only player I have asked to swap jerseys with is Martyn. When
:33:27. > :33:30.Martyn Williams played well, all the teams that he played for played
:33:31. > :33:40.well. He will be remembered as one of the great players of all time.
:33:41. > :33:41.
:33:41. > :33:44.He was a tough number seven. World- Let me take you back to the
:33:44. > :33:50.beginning of your career and Pontypridd! I can't remember that
:33:50. > :33:54.long! You are one of the few players still playing who has
:33:54. > :33:59.straddled that amateur-professional divide. You must have seen some
:33:59. > :34:02.enormous changes? The 17-, 18-year- olds, if they had the eye-opener
:34:02. > :34:06.that I did, they wouldn't believe some of the stories I could tell
:34:06. > :34:10.them now. My introduction in '94 was an away trip with Pontypridd,
:34:10. > :34:20.being handed a can of Heineken on the bus and we had a game the next
:34:20. > :34:25.
:34:25. > :34:31.day. That is how Pontypridd did things then. Any initiation
:34:31. > :34:36.ceremonies? Nothing I could mention on camera! There were some fun
:34:36. > :34:40.times. After Pontypridd you moved on to Cardiff, which was seen as a
:34:40. > :34:45.controversial decision, given the rivalries between these two sides.
:34:45. > :34:51.What do you remember? I remember breathing a huge sigh of relief
:34:51. > :34:56.when Jenkins signed as well. It was a tough move. I changed my mind two
:34:56. > :35:06.or three times. It was a bigger decision for me to travel 12 miles
:35:06. > :35:10.down the road than it was for him to travel 12,000. It was tough. I
:35:10. > :35:14.felt at that stage of my career it was something I needed to do if I
:35:14. > :35:23.was going to improve and move on. I wanted to give it a go and,
:35:23. > :35:29.fortunately, it worked out well. Is there a highlight, or a period
:35:29. > :35:36.you look back on as being the best period? '05 is up there for me as a
:35:36. > :35:42.player, the 2005 Grand Slam. We didn't know what success was like
:35:42. > :35:47.in a Welsh jersey. It was a group of players who had been through
:35:47. > :35:54.Wales' worst run, losing ten games in a row. And to win the first
:35:54. > :36:00.Grand Slam in 28 years, you realise how special that was. It was a real
:36:00. > :36:07.special moment. From a personal point of view, I remember the
:36:07. > :36:13.French game. It was a classic. I didn't play that well. You score
:36:13. > :36:16.the tries and everybody remembers you for it. They are still going!
:36:16. > :36:22.We had a shock in the first half. The second half probably changed
:36:22. > :36:27.our lives. It was coming home from Paris that we thought we could win
:36:27. > :36:29.the whole thing. The way it turned round, going up to Murrayfield the
:36:29. > :36:36.week after, putting on an unbelievable game up there and
:36:36. > :36:39.finishing off with Ireland at home was the stuff dreams are made of.
:36:39. > :36:48.For that group of players, who hadn't experienced anything like
:36:48. > :36:53.that, it was a special time. proud were you to be a Lion? A
:36:53. > :36:56.proud Welshman. Is the Lions another notch? It is. The day you
:36:56. > :37:04.get your first Lions call-up, for me, was the proudest moment you
:37:04. > :37:08.have as a rugby player. Your first Welsh cap is great. It is what you
:37:08. > :37:12.achieve. But you never think you are good enough for the Lions. When
:37:12. > :37:20.you get the call and you see your name is on there with Martin
:37:20. > :37:25.Johnson, Keith Wood, you think, "How daunting is that?" Some of the
:37:25. > :37:29.boys would get in next year. There would be a lot of Welsh players
:37:29. > :37:32.going on their first Lions tour. It is one of the best days of their
:37:32. > :37:36.life when they hear that announcement. You have represented
:37:36. > :37:41.Wales on the world stage against the other top teams. How does that
:37:41. > :37:49.differ from a Lions' tour? World Cups I have been involved
:37:50. > :37:53.with haven't been that successful. 2007 was very tough, losing to Fiji.
:37:53. > :37:57.It was one of the darkest times in a Welsh jersey. There is huge
:37:57. > :38:00.expectation on a Welsh side. You retired after that. Then Warren
:38:00. > :38:06.Gatland talked you back into playing for Wales, presumably a
:38:06. > :38:14.decision which was a wise one? Looking back. It was a difficult
:38:14. > :38:18.one at the time. You never want to go back on your word. When I got
:38:18. > :38:21.the phone call prior to the 2008 Six Nations it was to finish the
:38:21. > :38:25.season off. It does seem strange to retire. He said, "Why don't you
:38:25. > :38:29.come back for the Six Nations and be on your way after that?" The
:38:29. > :38:37.rest is history. We went on to win the Grand Slam. It was one of the
:38:37. > :38:40.best decisions I ever made. French game was the deciding game?
:38:40. > :38:48.Martyn Williams dragged out of retirement and here he is - a
:38:48. > :38:58.second Grand Slam for Wales! It was a nice moment to score the try at
:38:58. > :39:01.
:39:01. > :39:06.home and clinching it, knowing you had won a Grand Slam again. When
:39:06. > :39:12.you get a chance to reflect, any major regrets? Not practising my
:39:12. > :39:15.kicking before the semi-final of the Heineken Cup! Yeah, I don't
:39:15. > :39:25.really go along with people saying they have no regrets, everybody has
:39:25. > :39:30.got regrets. I made a lot of mistakes and wish I had done a few
:39:30. > :39:34.things differently. In saying that, I can't complain. I have lasted a
:39:34. > :39:38.long time and loved every minute of it. We are quite proud of the fact
:39:38. > :39:44.we have won a European competition. We have been in the top four over
:39:44. > :39:51.the last few years. I am sure with the players, Sam Warburton, it is
:39:51. > :40:00.still a strong group and the future looks good. You are Wales' most
:40:00. > :40:05.capped forward, on 99. I know the next question! Will that rankle you
:40:05. > :40:10.didn't get the hundred? I would have loved to have got one more.
:40:10. > :40:14.But sport can be cruel at times. Is your glass half-full or half-empty?
:40:14. > :40:18.There's a lot worse things in life can happen to you than 99 caps. In
:40:18. > :40:28.years to come, I am sure I will wake up thinking, "I wish I had one
:40:28. > :40:29.
:40:29. > :40:33.more." The big question is: what is next? I will take the summer off. I
:40:33. > :40:36.will try and enjoy, spend as much time as I can focusing on the
:40:36. > :40:39.family and then it is the real world. I have been doing financial
:40:39. > :40:42.advising for the last few years with a company in Cardiff.
:40:42. > :40:49.Hopefully, still involved with the Blues next year. I have been there
:40:49. > :40:53.since the start. I would love to help out in some shape or form.
:40:53. > :40:57.Hopefully, we can sort something out. It's been a pleasure watching
:40:57. > :41:07.you over the years. Whatever you do next, we wish you every success.
:41:07. > :41:07.
:41:07. > :41:11.Martyn Williams, top player and top bloke. We sent a tweet asking if he
:41:11. > :41:15.was the best seven ever to play for Wales. There was a flood of replies,
:41:15. > :41:21.all of them saying emphatically, yes, he was. Do you go along with
:41:21. > :41:28.that? Shane Williams and Martyn Williams, if you are picking a
:41:28. > :41:31.world all-time Welsh 15, those two would be in it. I think coming from
:41:31. > :41:38.where he's come from and playing for Ponty and having a crossover
:41:38. > :41:42.from the amateur days. The footballing ability put him in good
:41:42. > :41:47.stead, but he is knocking on a bit now because he played with me in
:41:47. > :41:55.the World Sevens in Dubai. He was very young then. I saw the
:41:55. > :41:58.potential. What he had was a rugby brain. He wasn't the quickest. He
:41:58. > :42:04.wasn't the biggest. What he had was a rugby brain that put him in
:42:04. > :42:09.places where he knew the ball would be. You can't coach that sometimes.
:42:09. > :42:14.It is a natural player. He's been fantastic. I think he's a great
:42:14. > :42:18.bloke. The Blues will get him involved. They have to. He's that
:42:18. > :42:25.type of bloke that if any problems arise, you can send him in and he
:42:25. > :42:30.will iron it all out. A top bloke. You started your international
:42:30. > :42:34.career at the same time? Something I am proud of. I kept Martyn out of
:42:34. > :42:42.the Welsh team. He was 12! He was 15 years old at the time - you
:42:42. > :42:45.pinched my punchline! I played with him in his first game of senior
:42:45. > :42:49.rugby against South Wales Police and I was in the changing room with
:42:49. > :42:59.him and we were looking to see who was going to play six or seven, and
:42:59. > :43:05.he did. A few years later we played for Wales together at six and seven.
:43:05. > :43:12.He has had hardship in his life. He is one of the top people in the
:43:12. > :43:18.game. I coached the Barbarians in 2011/12. Martyn Williams was the
:43:18. > :43:24.same then. He really is a great ambassador for the game and needs
:43:24. > :43:28.to stay involved with the Blues and Wales. The chances are he will stay
:43:29. > :43:33.involved with the Blues in a team manager capacity, perhaps. He has a
:43:33. > :43:36.lot to bring to that organisation? Yes. Look at the experience he has
:43:36. > :43:46.got. A lot of these youngsters, he's coped with the press, the
:43:46. > :43:48.
:43:48. > :43:54.media, that's changed. These youngsters are cocooned. Martyn has
:43:54. > :43:58.been through it. I think there will be a lot of people out there - I
:43:58. > :44:01.know he's got a job already. Also, he is going to do the bike ride,
:44:01. > :44:08.the charity bike ride with myself in September. Looking forward to
:44:08. > :44:11.that. It will be a laugh - and Shane is. He has to keep his
:44:11. > :44:15.fitness up and he has to put that suntan cream on. He doesn't want to
:44:15. > :44:19.get burnt. I'm hoping to get him a job on Fridays, Saturdays and
:44:20. > :44:22.Sundays. He took my place off me and he is pretty good here! Let's
:44:22. > :44:28.hope he works Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays so he doesn't take
:44:28. > :44:34.another job off me! Whether he wants to go back and put a
:44:34. > :44:38.tracksuit on, I'm not sure. He has been doing it for so long. He's
:44:38. > :44:42.given so much to the game. It's taken so much time from him. He can
:44:42. > :44:46.sit down, assess what he wants to do and do whatever is best for