Mike Ruddock, the Wales coach, was candid about how much of a menace Betsen poses. He made it no secret that he hoped reports that the teak-tough flanker could be sidelined for the match due to a thigh tear were well founded. “It would be good if it was confirmed,” Ruddock said.
Unfortunately for Wales, the news this weekend is that France’s arch-spoiler is expected to be fit after being rested for Biarritz’s game against Agen yesterday. But, for the rest of us, it sets up a fascinating clash between the two best flankers in the tournament.
While some see Betsen’s top tackle count of 15 as evidence of his effectiveness, for Ruddock the real story behind the French victory at Twickenham last Sunday was the way he neutered England’s glut of possession. “He is a great engine in attack or defence, and in the tackle area he has a great ability to slow the ball down and win turnovers. There are a lot of good back-row forwards in France, but Betsen is unique.”
Ruddock’s mantra is quick ball, and he believes Williams has to get the upper hand over Betsen at the breakdown: “It will be a key area for us as we want to get the ball away fast.”
Williams accepts that he will have to outplay Betsen in the tackle area, because physical punishment doesn’t work. “He’s tough enough, all right. When Cardiff played Biarritz last season we tried to wipe him out when he was lying on the ball, but he just kept going.”
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However, Ruddock is old-fashioned in his belief that the openside has to be a master of all trades: “He’s got to be a linkman but also do the donkey work. If there’s a lot of slow ball then he’s got to get his hands in there and do the groundhog stuff. But if we can free up that tackle area quickly, it allows him to play much wider, and we want that.”
He says that Williams, 29, has already proved his ability to do both, crowning his 50th appearance for Wales by doing a Betsen-like job on England in the landmark 11-9 win in Cardiff, and a week later becoming a classic linkman in Rome. “Against England it was a slower game and he had to get in and graft, whereas against Italy we cleared the ball a lot quicker from the tackle area and his angles of running in support were wonderful.”
But, above all, says Ruddock, a flanker must be resilient. And, whether or not Betsen starts, he is convinced that Williams has resilience in bucket-loads, sustaining him when Colin Charvis forced him out of the side for the autumn internationals.
With Charvis having an outstanding run, and Williams suffering a prolapsed disc in his neck in January, it looked odds-on that he would play no part in the opening stages of the Six Nations. However, with Charvis sidelined by a foot injury and Williams making a freakishly fast recovery, he was back. Having outplayed the England back row and blitzed Italy, helping Wales to their first consecutive victories in the championship since 1994, Williams has convinced Ruddock that Charvis will have to take the No 7 shirt back by new deeds rather than past ones.
Williams doesn’t try to hide his relief at having a Welsh coach like Ruddock who emphasises the importance of getting the basics right up front. “Mike’s very much a believer that you need your bread and butter before you can do all the fancy stuff. A big part of our success against Italy was the way our front five competed — it meant I was on the front foot a lot of the time, and our open style makes the No 7 look pretty good if it clicks.
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But, for all his conspicuousness on the field, Williams is quiet off it. “I don’t like the bright lights,” Williams says. “I’d much rather be one of the boys, do my job and get on with it.” He admits that this is the main reason he turned down the Wales captaincy before the 2003 World Cup. Although he has captained the Cardiff Blues for the past two seasons, he has a reputation for being the ultimate team player.
It stems also from Williams, who still lives in his home town of Pontypridd, having been through the mill in his personal life. Four years ago his younger brother, Craig, died of melanoma. “He was 18 when he was diagnosed and he died within three months. Craig was more of a social rugby player, a centre with a bit more gas than me, who could have been good if he’d concentrated. To see what he went through, and to be around hospitals, you realise that we complain about the most pathetic things. When you are training and you think it’s tough, it’s really nothing. It helps you put things in perspective.”
It is a perspective which, in his professional life, tells him that success can be as much of an impostor as failure. Since making his Wales debut in 1996, he has seen them in the doldrums for long periods, including the record run of 10 defeats in a row before the last World Cup. So, he is not into making rash predictions about Grand Slams, championships, or Lions tours.
Williams dedicates his biggest rugby moments to the memory of his brother. These include winning his 50th cap, as well as the masterclass against Italy. Now, all he needs is to keep Wales one step ahead of Betsen, and, if it comes down to resilience, the Frenchman will have met his match.