Shane Williams took to GAA like a Donegal club player takes to recovery sessions in the North Atlantic Ocean.
The former Wales and Lions winger was an absolute star during Wednesday’s airing of AIB GAA’s The Toughest Trade.
Williams pitched up at Glenswilly, home of Donegal star Michael Murphy, to try his hand at Gaelic football. By all accounts, he could have been a serious prospect had he been born in Ireland and not the Welsh valleys.
Fantastic show, Shane Williams comes across as a gent! Wouldn't want to take a tackle off Murphy either! #TheToughest
— David Smith (@Smith_D17) March 2, 2017
Williams scored 0-4 for Glenswilly in his first ever GAA game and looked a dab-hand at nailing free-kicks in a blizzard.
While he won the acclaim of the crowd and a host of rapt TV viewers, many noticed that the referee of the challenge game was going very soft on him when it came to picking the ball off the ground. Sure, Williams did get his foot under the ball on a few occasions but there were more than a few clips of him plucking the ball straight off the deck.
Think the ref missed this… #yoink pic.twitter.com/lJMPbnBSah
— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) March 2, 2017
The transgression was picked up by a few eagle-eyed viewers.
Shane Williams coming across as a real Sond bloke & a good Footballer but he definitely got away with picking it off the Ground #TheToughest pic.twitter.com/biftX6wbeE
— Buff Egan (@buff_egan) March 1, 2017
No hope of Shane Williams being blown for a pick up.. #TheToughestTrade
— Seosamh Ó Faircheall (@jpmf1989) March 1, 2017
https://twitter.com/ireland_90/status/837218497017032705
Shane Williams would be a dream for Maurice Deegan, ball off the ground every time, nice left boot though #TheToughest
— Niall Mc Nelis (@Nelly6750) March 1, 2017
Williams came across so well that the programme makers could surely chase him up for another Toughest Trade appearance and get Murphy to show him the knack of properly getting the ball in hand.
