Steve Williams (Australian rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Steve Williams is an Australia
n former state and national representative
rugby union
player who captained the Wallabies
in five Test matches in 1985.
in Sydney where his large frame and athletic promise was nurtured at the Joey's rugby nursery. He excelled as a schoolboy sportsman. He rowed in the First VIII for three years, won the GPS Schools
Shot Put
Championship in the Open division two years, played in the school's First XV for two years and was selected in the Australian Schoolboy's XV (1975 and 1976).
from school but later moved to the Manly
club and was there in 1983 when Alan Jones
took over as coach. He captained this Manly team in 1983 to win the final. Jones was the new Australian coach from 1984 and he saw the value that Williams brought to the national pack in his line-out jumping, his surprising pace and fearless scrummaging. Jones also saw Williams' leadership potential.
in the 1980 three match tour. He played in all matches including Australia's 22-9 Test victory. That year he also appeared for New South Wales Waratahs
against the touring All Blacks
and then was selected for the Wallabies
in the first and second Tests of that year's Bledisloe Cup
series. He suffered a broken jaw in the 2nd Test after starting a fracas with New Zealand's Mark Shaw
and was out for the 3rd Test.
He made four appearances in 1981 against the touring French
side - for Sydney, New South Wales and in both Tests. He was then selected for the 1981-82 tour of the British Isles but the first choice second-rowers were skipper Tony Shaw
, and Peter McLean
and Williams generally played in the minor matches other than the Test against England
.
In 1982 Williams toured to New Zealand in the squad led by Mark Ella
and played in eight matches including all three Tests against the All Blacks
. In 1983 he represented against the United States, Argentina
and New Zealand and made the European tour squad, playing late that year in Tests against France and Italy
.
1984 was a golden year for Australian rugby and Williams played a prominent role. Three Tests were played at home against New Zealand where he formed a new second-row partnership with another giant name Steven - Steve Cutler
. The team gained toughness and finessed its combinations in August before heading to the British Isles under captain Andrew Slack
for the 1984 Grand Slam tour
. Jones valued Williams' quiet lead-by-example ethic, his work ethic and the hard edge he brought to the pack especially in his ability to protect the young line-out star Cutler. Jones made Williams the forward leader and squad vice-captain.
Steve Williams proudly debuted as captain of the Wallabies in the first tour match against London Division and in another later mid-week game. He led the pack in all four Tests and was instrumental in the famous push-over try against Wales
at Cardiff Arms
which marked the coming of age of Australian forward play, an indication that the Wallabies could finally field a world-class pack. Howell quotes Mark Ella
"When Alan Jones made Steve the senior forward, it was the best thing that could have happened. He took the responsibility and really drove the forwards. I must say Steve's lineout ability surprised me. Some of his jumping was sensational, particularly in the Irish test. It enabled us to take pressure off Steve Cutler by being able to throw to 2,4 or 6. To Williams up front, Cutler in the middle or Steve Tuynman at the back. Our lineout was complete."
The Grand Slam
victory by the 1984 squad was the first ever for an Australian team. A number of the senior players retired at tour's end and some of the stars took a year off. Williams however played on enabling him a distinguished 1985. He captained the Wallabies in five Tests that year - victories in two match series against both Canada and Fiji before a 9-10 loss against New Zealand. He retired at the top, as his country's captain having played 56 matches for Australia, having made five Wallaby tours, with a then record for a second-rower of 28 Test appearances.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n former state and national representative
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who captained the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in five Test matches in 1985.
Early life and sporting promise
A grazier's son, born in Narromine in far-western New South Wales, Williams was sent to boarding school at St Joseph's CollegeSt. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill
St Joseph's College is a Roman Catholic, Secondary, day and boarding school for boys. It is located in Hunters Hill, a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
in Sydney where his large frame and athletic promise was nurtured at the Joey's rugby nursery. He excelled as a schoolboy sportsman. He rowed in the First VIII for three years, won the GPS Schools
GPS Schools
The Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales ', also known as GPS or Great Public Schools is an association of mostly private boys' schools in New South Wales, Australia that share common interests, ethics, educational philosophy and contest sporting events among themselves...
Shot Put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
Championship in the Open division two years, played in the school's First XV for two years and was selected in the Australian Schoolboy's XV (1975 and 1976).
Club rugby
He joined the Drummoyne Rugby ClubDrummoyne DRFC
The Drummoyne District Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Drummoyne, New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia. It's predecessor Glebe and Balmain Rugby Clubs are among the oldest in Australia and today it competes prominently in the First Division of the New South Wales Suburban Rugby...
from school but later moved to the Manly
Manly RUFC
Manly Rugby Union Football Club are a rugby union club based in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. The club was formed in 1906 and competes in the New South Wales Rugby Union competitions, the Shute Shield and Tooheys New Cup. Manly, known as the Marlins, play their home games at Manly...
club and was there in 1983 when Alan Jones
Alan Jones (radio broadcaster)
Alan Belford Jones AO is an Australian radio broadcaster, former rugby union and rugby league coach and administrator.Jones hosts Sydney's most popular breakfast radio program, on radio station 2GB...
took over as coach. He captained this Manly team in 1983 to win the final. Jones was the new Australian coach from 1984 and he saw the value that Williams brought to the national pack in his line-out jumping, his surprising pace and fearless scrummaging. Jones also saw Williams' leadership potential.
Representative rugby career and leadership style
Williams debuted for Australia against FijiFiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
in the 1980 three match tour. He played in all matches including Australia's 22-9 Test victory. That year he also appeared for New South Wales Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
against the touring All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
and then was selected for the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in the first and second Tests of that year's Bledisloe Cup
Bledisloe Cup
Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested by the Australia national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team. It is named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and...
series. He suffered a broken jaw in the 2nd Test after starting a fracas with New Zealand's Mark Shaw
Mark Shaw (rugby player)
Mark William Shaw is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who represented Manawatu, Hawke's Bay and the All Blacks.Shaw was appointed as an All Black selector in 2002.-References:...
and was out for the 3rd Test.
He made four appearances in 1981 against the touring French
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
side - for Sydney, New South Wales and in both Tests. He was then selected for the 1981-82 tour of the British Isles but the first choice second-rowers were skipper Tony Shaw
Tony Shaw (rugby)
Anthony Alexander Shaw was born 23 March, 1953 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Shaw was a rugby flanker who played 36 tests for the wallabies between 1973 and 1982, including some matches as a lock or number eight. He captained the Aussies for 15 of his international matches. He is Australian...
, and Peter McLean
McLean Family (rugby footballers)
The McLean family were a remarkable Australian rugby clan who between them played 77 Tests for the Australian national rugby union team and a number of Tests for the Australian national rugby league team.-Doug McLean Snr:...
and Williams generally played in the minor matches other than the Test against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
.
In 1982 Williams toured to New Zealand in the squad led by Mark Ella
Mark Ella
Mark Gordon Ella is an Indigenous Australian former rugby union player, often considered as one of his country's all-time greats in that sport. In a relatively short career , Mark Ella established himself as one of the all-time greats in world rugby union...
and played in eight matches including all three Tests against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. In 1983 he represented against the United States, Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
and New Zealand and made the European tour squad, playing late that year in Tests against France and Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
.
1984 was a golden year for Australian rugby and Williams played a prominent role. Three Tests were played at home against New Zealand where he formed a new second-row partnership with another giant name Steven - Steve Cutler
Steve Cutler
Steve Cutler is an Australian former state and national representative rugby union player who represented Australia in 40 test matches between 1982 and 1991. He is a former Senior vice president and Chief operating officer of Kendle International, an international contract research organization...
. The team gained toughness and finessed its combinations in August before heading to the British Isles under captain Andrew Slack
Andrew Slack
Andrew Gerard Slack is an Australian former state and national representative rugby union player who captained the Wallabies in 19 Test matches in between 1984 and 1987...
for the 1984 Grand Slam tour
1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland
The 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland was a series of eighteen matches played by the Australia national rugby union team in Britain and Ireland between 17 October and 15 December 1984...
. Jones valued Williams' quiet lead-by-example ethic, his work ethic and the hard edge he brought to the pack especially in his ability to protect the young line-out star Cutler. Jones made Williams the forward leader and squad vice-captain.
Steve Williams proudly debuted as captain of the Wallabies in the first tour match against London Division and in another later mid-week game. He led the pack in all four Tests and was instrumental in the famous push-over try against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
at Cardiff Arms
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
which marked the coming of age of Australian forward play, an indication that the Wallabies could finally field a world-class pack. Howell quotes Mark Ella
Mark Ella
Mark Gordon Ella is an Indigenous Australian former rugby union player, often considered as one of his country's all-time greats in that sport. In a relatively short career , Mark Ella established himself as one of the all-time greats in world rugby union...
"When Alan Jones made Steve the senior forward, it was the best thing that could have happened. He took the responsibility and really drove the forwards. I must say Steve's lineout ability surprised me. Some of his jumping was sensational, particularly in the Irish test. It enabled us to take pressure off Steve Cutler by being able to throw to 2,4 or 6. To Williams up front, Cutler in the middle or Steve Tuynman at the back. Our lineout was complete."
The Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
victory by the 1984 squad was the first ever for an Australian team. A number of the senior players retired at tour's end and some of the stars took a year off. Williams however played on enabling him a distinguished 1985. He captained the Wallabies in five Tests that year - victories in two match series against both Canada and Fiji before a 9-10 loss against New Zealand. He retired at the top, as his country's captain having played 56 matches for Australia, having made five Wallaby tours, with a then record for a second-rower of 28 Test appearances.
Sources
- The Spirit of Rugby (1995) (Collection of Essays) Harper Collins, Australia
- Howell, Max (2005) Born to Lead - Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ