HARRY WILLIAMS
England rejection hurt but I’m back working harder than ever
HARRY Williams was so determined to put the disappointment of his omission from England’s World Cup squad behind him that he returned early to training with Exeter Chiefs.
Williams has been a regular in England coach Eddie Jones’ plans since he was given his debut in Argentina two years ago, winning the last of his 18 caps against Wales three weeks ago.
But the Chiefs prop, 27, was the victim of Jones deciding to name just two tightheads in his party for Japan – Harlequins’ Kyle Sinckler and Leicester veteran Dan Cole.
And while his Chiefs teammates were enjoying a two-week break from the club before Premiership Cup preparations kick in, Williams was working away in case a call to re-join the England camp comes.
“We had two weeks off so I stayed in London with my parents just keeping on top of training then I came back down to Devon last week,” Williams said.
“There were not many people about! I was training in the morning and the afternoons I had to myself. This is my first week back fully with the rest of the squad.
“Pre-season will be hard because we graft down here. We have got a real tight group of boys so when things don’t go your way I sincerely feel that we have got each other’s back.
“Ultimately when things like this happen, it’s you who has to deal with it though.”
Williams admits that it took him around 48 hours to get over the disappointment of Jones’ decision which he says was delivered during a face to face team hotel meeting.
But he knows that one injury could see him on a plane to the land of the rising sun so he has
to keep him both physically and mentally prepared.
“The summer didn’t end the way I wanted it too with not making the final 31. I was pretty cut up about it but it is something that happens.
“Eddie told me in person, we were in the hotel. It wasn’t good, I had a rough 48 hours, then I reset and took stock a little bit.
“Sometimes stuff happens and it’s not the end of the world, it was very disappointing but you need to keep on going.
“You cannot completely shut down when bad news comes your way, you have got to keep marching on and get on with things.”
Williams is chomping at the bit for game time – watch out whoever is in his way!
“I just want to get playing, whatever the game I just want to play,” he says. “If nothing happens for me in Japan, the games we have are about a month so I have to focus on getting fit and getting strong and keeping my mental state nice and steady.”
The Chiefs have appeared in the last four Premiership finals, losing three of them to Saracens and winning one.
They have finished the last two seasons top of the table going into the play-offs and Williams is confident this can be their season.
“We want to be the best team in the land, that has always been our aim and we will get there,” he said. “But I don’t think that bitterness or frustration is a particularly good fuel for motivation.
“It hurts to lose a big game and we need to be looking on how to improve on that Premiership final.
“People say they are motivated by the feeling in the changing room after we lost the Premiership final but that doesn’t really motivate me. What motivates me is having won something, the wins stay with me a lot longer than the losses and the positive feeling has a far bigger resonance than a negative experience.
“The negative experience come and go but the positive memories are what stand the test of time.”
“Negative experiences come and go but positive memories stand the test of time”