From hero to zero... so just where did it all go wrong for Williams?
CAST your mind back 12 months and you’ll remember the emergence of a new face on the international scene.
Capped a few months previously on the development tour against Tonga, the playmaker was given his big chance against big-hitters Australia and New Zealand.
Many expected him to fall flat on his face as his selection pandered to many that had called for Wales to change their attacking approach. What he did surprised a few.
His name is Owen Williams, but you’ll be forgiven for forgetting.
When he finally got his chance – which was long overdue in many people’s minds, including yours truly – he was the man who brought something different to the backline.
Experienced in the brutal English Premiership, you backed him to make the step up to international rugby but he was really going in the deep end, having barely come out of armbands.
But he held his own against the biggest names in world rugby. More than that - he impressed.
Whether he liked it or not – whether it was fair or not – he almost became the face for Wales’ new attacking style, the less-direct approach that offered a little more guile.
And, on the other side of the ball, he was uncompromising in defence and made few errors.
Here was a man, two years out from a Rugby World Cup, that had the potential to become a viable option for Wales at No.12 and he’s versatile, able to play fly-half.
The perfect World Cup candidate, or so it seemed.
But what was about to transpire is what many feared when he opted to sign a lucrative contract with Gloucester in 2017 instead of returning to a Welsh region from Leicester Tigers.
Since facing the All Blacks last autumn, Williams has made just seven starts for Gloucester.
With Jonathan Davies out injured, Wales turned to him amid a lack of other options for the Six Nations but he didn’t feature.
He fell into the category that Warren Gatland has often spoken about, the English-based players are required to return to their clubs during fallow weeks.
That lack of time on the pitches at Wales’ Vale Resort training base really counts against someone trying to establish themselves in the squad.
Flitting between Hensol and Gloucester, Williams played twice for the Cherry and Whites during the Six Nations and didn’t add to his three caps for Wales.
He played just one more game for his club before the end of the season as a shoulder injury curtailed his season and ruled him out of Wales’ summer tour.
Whether he was in the frame for that or not anyway is up for debate.
He’s played just 16 minutes in three substitute appearances for the Kingsholm outfit this season, making him
unpickable this autumn.
Just 12 months on from being the talk of Welsh rugby, he wasn’t even part of the conversation when Gatland revealed his 37-man squad yesterday.
So, how did it come to this? First of all, the issues that come with being based in England will always count against him. Gatland has made no secret of this in recent seasons.
Bouncing between club and country during the Six Nations and being unavailable for one of the autumn internationals is an issue.
Only the most-established members of the squad are given leeway on this. And it’s not because of favouritism, it’s purely because Wales prefer their newcomers to be in camp as much as humanly possible to become familiar with coaches and systems.
Which leads us onto our next point. He was unavailable for the South Africa Test last autumn and that is when Hadleigh Parkes announced himself on the international stage, scoring two tries and proving he could make the step up.
Since then, Parkes, playing for the Scarlets, has progressed to becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet for Wales, with Williams left to watch on.
A few niggling injuries and a loss of form didn’t help and then he was dealt another blow in the summer.
Gloucester signed England’s mercurial talent Danny Cipriani. Bad news for the Welshman.
His routes to the No.10 and No.12 jerseys at Kingsholm were now blocked by Cipriani and Billy Twelvetrees.
Williams was given a route out of Gloucester, with the Dragons said to be interested in acquiring his services, but he admirably decided to stay and fight for his place.
But however admirable it may be, it’s fair to speculate that it’s a decision that is likely to ultimately obliterate his chances of making a World Cup squad.
It’s reported that Williams was one of more than 60 players to be invited to a World Cup meeting by Gatland earlier this month, just to let him know he’s still in the management’s thoughts.
But he wasn’t named in the autumn squad in place of the injured Scott Williams – how could he be after barely seeing any game-time this season?
Instead, Tyler Morgan got the nod and even the staunchest Dragons fan would have struggled not to raise an eyebrow at that selection which illustrates where Williams now stands in the pecking order.
So where does that leave us? With a highly-talented individual unable to get a game, with an international career stalling having only just taken off.
Williams is probably going to have to write this World Cup off, but at the age of 26, it’s not out of the question that he’ll be around for the following global showpiece.
But if he wants to force his way back into the Wales fold, a return to a Welsh region must be at the front of his mind.