Shane Williams backs Mike Phillips to boost injury-hit Wales

Alam Khan - Reporter 09:50 09/09/2015
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  • Second chance: Veteran No9 Mike Phillips is in the Wales squad.

    Wales legend Shane Williams has backed Mike Phillips to be their Rugby World Cup saviour.

    The British & Irish Lions scrum-half was drafted into Warren Gatland’s squad, along with winger Eli Walker, after scrum-half Rhys Webb (foot) and full-back Leigh Halfpenny (knee) were ruled out of the tournament.

    Many were surprised when Phillips, who has 94 caps, was left out of the original 31-man squad.

    – Wales: Leigh Halfpenny ruled out of Rugby World Cup
    – England: RFU would allow Lancaster to lead British Lions

    – Wales: Team must press on after injuries to key players
    – England: Jonnny May seems set for World Cup spot

    But former team-mate Williams has no doubt the 33-year-old’s return will provide a massive boost at a “dire time” on the eve of the sport’s biggest competition.

    “Mike will change the dynamic within the squad,” said Williams, whose 58 tries is a Welsh record.

    “I know he was disappointed not to be selected in the first place, but his attitude was ‘well, I wish all the other three guys the best, and still wanted Wales to do well’.

    “He will go there now and say, ‘look guys, forget about what’s happened, Mike Phillips is here and I’m here to save the day’.

    “That’s his attitude. He’s such a character, popular and a big-game player. He will tell the guys ‘I’m here now, let’s go and win the World Cup with Mike Phillips’.

    “Make no bones about it, he’s going to come into the camp, he’s going to train hard and train well and push for that starting position.

    “He’s got the experience and the quality and he will go in and break things up too. 

    “Mike’s won big games on his own for Wales and the Lions. He sets such a high standard that every time he plays, people expect him to have a mark of 10. 

    “It doesn’t always happen, it’s international rugby. He hasn’t played poorly the last couple of years, but it’s just he hasn’t hit the form people want him to hit 
    because of high expectations.”

    Those standards saw Phillips shine at the 2011 World Cup, scoring a try in the agonising 9-8 semi-final loss to France.

    Williams, who made 87 appearances for Wales before retiring this year, believes coach Gatland will keep the squad focused on their big task.

    “This will galvanise them and he will assure the squad they are still good enough to win the World Cup – and they are,” he added, speaking to Sport360 at ITV’s World Cup launch.

    “It’s a dire time, but we have got the players who can do a job. 

    “We just won’t have the strength in depth that we would have liked, but it won’t change the mindset of this Wales team. After coming so close in 2011, they will still believe.

    “Full-back Liam Williams, they have been keeping him quiet after his foot injury and he’s not match fit, of course, but he was pushing Halfpenny for a start at 15. 

    “Everyone was talking about him six months ago so he’s still there.

    “Wales have got their strengths and it’s good to see winger George North back out playing after the concussion worries. 

    “Perhaps he’s a bit rusty, but his confidence will be higher after playing.

    “It’s not mission impossible to win the trophy, but the hardest thing is getting through that group with England and Australia.”

    Williams was among those who questioned why Halfpenny was risked against Ireland at the weekend when he had strapping on.

    But Gatland said he used it for kicking and added: “He said he didn’t really need the strapping, but because he’d been using it for the last two or three weeks, he put it on.

    “It was nothing to do with the injury that he picked up on the weekend. 

    “I know there has been some criticism about protecting players and you always question yourself about that. 

    “It’s just trying to get the balance right between players having enough rugby and keeping players fresh.”

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