Why I'm up for SA tour - Martyn Williams

Mar 28 2008 by Simon Thomas, Western Mail

GRAND SLAM hero Martyn Williams has told Warren Gatland he is ready to go on Wales’ summer tour of South Africa.

That means Gatland will now be able to pick all his trophy-winning Six Nations stars to take on the world champions in their own backyard.

Following the Slam-sealing victory over France, the Wales coach revealed he would be sitting down with Williams to see if he needed a break this summer.

But, following that meeting, the veteran flanker – who was lured out of international retirement by Gatland in January – has made it clear he wants to be on board for the two-Test trip to South Africa in June.

Williams, 32, says he feels fresh and fit and is keen to help Wales maintain momentum after their Six Nations clean sweep. He reveals he didn’t have to think twice when asked about his availability for the trip by Gatland.

“We just had a very casual chat where he asked me how I was feeling and whether I fancied going on tour,” said the Blues openside. “I said if you want to take me I will definitely go and we just left it at that really.

“I didn’t think I would be going, but by all accounts from when I spoke to him he is keen to take me – and I’m keen to go.”

That will be good news for Gatland with Williams having been man of the match against both Scotland and France during the Grand Slam campaign.

It’s all the more welcome given that fellow Blues openside Robin Sowden-Taylor is an injury doubt for the tour with a damaged shoulder.

The 81-timed capped Williams says he has plenty of gas left in the tank as he looks forward to a summer stay in South Africa.

“I feel good. I’m fresh enough and, physically and mentally, I feel great,” he said.

“It has been a long year, what with the World Cup, but I have been fortunate that I’ve not had to play week-in, week-out for the Blues because Robin has been there.

“At this moment, I feel fine. It is a long season, but we are managed pretty well and the tour will only be a couple of weeks – and just two games.”

Williams says he is excited at the prospect of Wales heading for South Africa with all their Grand Slam stars on board.

“All the suggestions are that Warren is going to take a full crew,” he said. “Things have gone so well, it looks as though he has decided to keep the momentum going and have the boys stay together.

“I think he is going to see what happens between now and the end of the season and how the boys are feeling physically and mentally. But most of the guys are feeling fresh and looking forward to it.

“Everybody is on a high. If we had come off just winning one game in the Six Nations, then the tour might be looked on in a different light. But at the moment, everyone is champing at the bit. Having the success we’ve had, everybody is excited to go out there.

“After the last Grand Slam in 2005, we split up because there was a Lions tour. It will be nice for this group of players to stay together and keep the momentum going.

“It won’t be easy out there because the South African players will be coming off the back of their Super 14 season.

“But the one thing we will have going out there is a bit of confidence. It will be good to see where we are. We want to test ourselves against the best and that’s what we will be doing.

“It will be the European champions against the world champions, so it’s pretty mouth-watering.”

Wales will play their first match against the Boks in Bloemfontein on Saturday, June 7, with the second Test to be played at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, seven days later.

The two games, which will both kick off at 1pm BST, are to be shown live by Sky, with S4C announcing yesterday that they will be broadcasting highlights.

This weekend, a number of Wales’ Six Nations winners are on Magners League duty, with Williams joining fellow Grand Slam stars Tom Shanklin and Gethin Jenkins in returning to action for the Blues.

They will be in the starting line-up at Murrayfield this evening for a clash with in-form Edinburgh, who have lost just one of their last seven league games.

Tom James is also back on the wing following surgery to remove his appendix. Dai Flanagan makes his first start at No 10 since before Christmas, having returned as a sub in last week’s defeat to the Scarlets following a broken hand.

Fellow fly-half Nick Robinson makes a re-appearance on the bench after a length lay-off of his own, having last played in early December, when he damaged a hip muscle against Stade Francais.

Edinburgh: H Southwell; S Webster, B Cairns, N De Luca, J Houston; P Godman, M Blair; G Kerr, A Kelly, C Smith, M Mustchin, C Hamilton, S Cross, D Callam, A Hogg (capt). Replacements: S Lawrie, A Allori, B Gissing, F Pringle, B Meyer, C MacRae, A Turnbull.

Blues: B Blair; J Roberts, T Shanklin, G Thomas, T James; D Flannigan, J Spice; G Jenkins, G Williams, T Filise, D Jones, P Tito, M Molitika, X Rush, M Williams. Replacements: J Yapp, R Thomas, S Morgan, B White, R Rees, N Robinson, M Stcherbina.