Wales rugby exclusive - Lloyd Williams on Warren Gatland's gruelling fitness regime
By Mark Lawford
Wales and Cardiff Blues scrum half Lloyd Williams has lifted the lid on the gruelling fitness regime that has made the Dragons the fittest team in world rugby.
The 22-year-old was in the squad that reached the World Cup semi-finals last year and now has his sights firmly fixed on RBS 6 Nations glory.
And although Mike Phillips, the formidable 6ft 3in, 16-stone Bayonne half back is the current Wales No 9, Williams is doing his utmost to convince Warren Gatland to increase his cap collection.
The pre-World Cup fitness camp in Poland helped Wales to the top of the fitness pile, and a pre-Six Nations camp in the same place might not have been as tough but reinforced the levels expected from Gatland and his team of coaches.
Lloyd Williams looks to impress Warren Gatland at a Wales training session
And Williams told Rugby Coach Weekly: “We blast the fitness – we are getting our running economy levels high to make sure there is less leg fatigue late on in matches.
“Wales is a step-up from the Blues but the training games are so good and varied that you forget just how hard it is. We train very hard indeed but the period of recovery between each drill is just enough to ensure maximum benefit every time.”
Williams revealed it is not the distance of the runs they are put through but the quality of them. “We do a lot of speed work, long sprints, to replicate on-pitch situations rather than five-mile runs. For instance we’ll do 10 40-metre shuttles, have a 15-second rest then do the next 10.
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“This focuses on top-end speed and is very game-related, such as going flat out with the ball then having to track back.”
Williams admitted there are times during the arduous sessions that it really hurts but these enhanced levels of fitness have toughened up the Wales squad both physically and mentally.
He added: “Sure it hurts but you have to keep telling yourself how much good it’s doing. The fact we are still going strong at the end of matches shows just how much good it is doing us. There’s nothing like pushing yourself to the max.”
Wales coach Shaun Edwards keeps a close eye on Lloyd Williams
There is no good-coach, bad-coach element to the national team as they all work to the highest standards at all times.
Williams added: “Because we have seen the effects of their specialist coaching and the fact they have played and coached at the top levels, every single player here respect for what they putting us through.
“The hardest thing we do is being pitched against each other position for position. We are all desperate to outdo our rivals so work really hard in skills, technique and fitness drills.
“And because I know I am not the biggest player (Williams is 6ft and just under 14stones) I do extra work in the gym to build up muscle levels. I also work very hard on the basics like passing and kicking and later stages on team sessions also concentrate on the basics.”
“My favourite element of coaching is anerobic such as touch rugby which we do for long periods. The onus really is on decision-making and passing rather than big hits touch, and it’s a great way to hone skills. It’s refereed a bit but for the most part, self-governed.”
Lloyd Williams was speaking on behalf of Thomas Cook Sport, official travel partner of the WRU. Packages for the remaining RBS Six Nations are still available from £177 by calling 0844 800 9900 or visiting www.thomascooksport.com
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