Shane Williams Wales And Lions Legend

Wales can challenge but Ireland are my tip.

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I ’m confident Wales can challenge for the Six Nations title. Rob Howley did well in November to get three wins on the board, but he’ll know his team didn’t play anywhere near the level they can.

When I look at this squad, I’m excited by what I see. For a long time Wales have had a settled side, but Rob’s selection gamble means the experienced spine of their team is now complemented by a number of exciting new players.

The performances in November resulted in Wales receiving lots of criticism, but one thing we know when looking at the past is that the team doesn’t have to play well before a Six Nations campaign to be successful.

In my time as a player we won a Grand Slam in 2005 after a very poor year in 2004 and in 2008 we did it again after being knocked out of the World Cup by Fiji in 2007. I’m not sure why that’s the case, but it’s an indication you can’t write Wales off based on their form in the previous six months or so.

I’m hoping history can repeat itself because when you look at Wales, they still retain some of the most dangerous players in Northern Hemisphere rugby. In some ways, too, the pressure is off. They can go under the radar a little bit because of England and Ireland’s recent results. The squad won’t be worrying about that in camp, but it could be to their benefit.

Looking at this year’s Six Nations overall, I think we’re likely to have the most competitive and entertaining Championship for a long time.

Every team boasts a good squad and to have little between the sides is hugely exciting – it can only be a good thing for everyone involved including players, coaches and supporters.