Friday 21 November 2008 14:01, UK
All Blacks legend John Kirwan believes Wales wing Shane Williams deserves to be crowned the IRB player of the year.
All Blacks legend John Kirwan believes Wales wing Shane Williams deserves to be crowned the IRB player of the year. Williams is on the five-strong shortlist for the award, alongside Ryan Jones, Dan Carter, Mike Blair and Sergio Parisse. The winner will be announced in London on Sunday and Kirwan, who scored 35 tries in 63 Tests for New Zealand, has no doubt that Williams deserves to follow the likes of Carter, Jonny Wilkinson, Richie McCaw and Bryan Habana in lifting the award. And Kirwan admits he does not envy fellow countryman Joe Rokocoko, who will line up opposite the Welsh flyer on Saturday at the Millennium Stadium. "I would hate to mark him," Kirwan said. "He has great acceleration, he feints with his head one way and then moves another, and he has got out and out speed. "He has also developed a kicking game, so if the opposition are being too confrontational he can just put it in behind them. "That slows the defender up, and he thinks, 'What is he going to do now, the magician?' "I used to hate playing against guys like him, guys like David Campese. He was so difficult to get a hand on, and I was more brawn. "Shane is rightly shortlisted for world player of the year. He may well win it - and dead right too."