Comparisons with will Jordan ever be of those superstars?
HE’S been called the new Christian Cullen, the next Shane Williams, and rugby’s version of Lionel Messi, but Jordan Williams remains an enigma.
To this day, the full-back or wing is described as the most talented player to grace the Scarlets Academy. He was also their youngest after joining it at 15.
In 2013, he was one of the stars of Under-20 World Championship, helping Wales go all the way to the final for the first and only time in history.
But Williams, who turns 25 his week, has never been capped by Wales at senior level and was unceremoniously dumped by Wayne Pivac in his final season at the Scarlets.
Yet everybody accepts there’s something special about the diminutive figure who made his professional debut at 16, is only 5ft 8in and weighs in at just 12st 10lbs.
Last weekend, Ireland stars including Johnny Sexton and Garry Ringrose were given the Williams’ treatment.
The Dragons may have been hammered 52-10 by Leinster but there were gasps and loud applause from home supporters in a near 14,000 crowd in Dublin after witnessing Williams score a try from the gods that began in his own half.
A post-match conversation between Bernard Jackman and Leinster backs coach and Argentine outside-half great Felipe Contepomi is insightful at this point.
“I spoke to Felipe after the game. He said he talked about him all week but he was too good,” revealed Jackman.
“You know what Jordan’s going to do but, with his balance and his pace, he’s pretty hard to stop. They knew what was coming but he’s just so balanced he can take you on the inside or outside.”
Impressive words, of course, but ones that only fuel the question of just why hasn’t Williams’ career been what is was supposed to be? Let’s rewind to the beginning Scarlets Academy manager Kevin George will never forget 15-year-old Williams walking through the door in Llanelli.
“There’s no doubt he’s a natural talent. We don’t have too many come into our Academy at 15 but we brought him in after seeing him playing in a Dewar Shield match,” he explains.
“He could kick goals with both feet, pass off both hands, had lightening feet and speed. His running ability was second to none.
“His try against Leinster is what he does. Jordan left their stars trailing in his wake because he has got tremendous pace and unbelievable changes of direction.”
So, what are the issues that have held Williams back?
“Talent-wise he’s exceptional but he’s perhaps not the best rugby player at the moment because there’s more to it than just running with the ball,” George says.
“When he touches it you see what he can do but he doesn’t always get involved enough in games to make an impact.
“Games pass him by. It’s such a shame and just frustrating to see. I think he gets frustrated himself.
“The days of having a guy in the team because he’s a ‘Barcelona’ player like Messi are gone. Rugby now is so 50/50 between attack and defence and all players have got to contribute.
“Jordan is a very quiet boy from a nice family. He’s a lovely kid but sometimes you have got to go out and grab games. Maybe it’s not in his personality.
“He’s got all the talent. I just hope somebody can get it out of him because boys like Jordan don’t come around often. If he does come through, he’s a world-level player.”
That last sentence is supported by many of Williams’ peers, with the likes of Wales star Rhys Priestland describing him as “probably the best young player I’ve ever seen”.
Former Wales Under-20 team manager Mark Taylor once said “the world is there for him to grasp”, while New Zealand legend Sean Fitzpatrick likened him to the great Christian Cullen.
The list goes on. Yet Williams certainly never grasped the world, not even close.
The closest he’s come to a Wales cap was back in 2014 when he was selected to tour South Africa as a 20-year-old.
He showed up well in a mid-week match against Eastern Province, with Rob Howley uttering the words: “What a talent. He is Shane Williams-esque in his ability to beat players.”
It should have been Williams’ moment of lift-off, but it wasn’t.
The following season, his career stalled in a major way following the appointment of Wayne Pivac at Parc y Scarlets.
His defence was exposed when he appeared on the wing against Leinster and he spent most of the campaign playing in the shadows for Welsh Premiership sides Carmarthen Quins and Llanelli.
Pivac’s thoughts were very clear on the attitude that was required.
“Jordan has got an immense amount of talent, we know that,” he said.
“He is a player who has undoubted ability with ball in hand. We asked him to go away and work on the other parts of his game.
“That’s when he doesn’t have the ball, his work-rate off the ball, communication in the back three and defence.
“No matter where you are on the field, you’ve got to do your defensive work.
“He needs to be as good without the ball as he is with the ball. It doesn’t necessarily mean making dominant tackles it is just making your tackles, going low, putting players on the ground and giving the players around you confidence that you can do that.”
By 2016, Williams was gone from Wales, joining Bristol where he had mixed fortunes during a two-year