Steve Meehan tips Ben Williams to do well
Bath head coach Steve Meehan has tipped 21-year-old Ben Williams to play a big role in Bath's Heineken Cup campaign this season.
Williams has started the season as one of the most effective players in the Bath side. He has scored in the club's last two Premiership games and is quickly becoming one of the best centre players in the
country.
Williams is a player who will be full of hunger and drive. Meehan insists the player is at the right club and he says it's almost certain that Williams will take his place in the Bath team for the match
against Aironi in two weeks.
There are many parts of Williams' game that make him very difficult to play and defend against. However, the youngster has to remember that the standard of opposition in the Heineken Cup is higher.
His game
Williams' all round game is superb. It's clear he has a very good rugby mind for someone who is still very young. He reads the game as well as a 35-year-old who has been playing rugby for over a decade.
This allows him to get into some very clever positions around the field. He is often the best placed player in the Bath side to run onto an opposition pass and steal possession. His positioning also means
he gets into great positions to tackle.
His pace and passing is good enough to get him out of trouble once he has intercepted these passes. He is quick enough to go for the line himself or he can switch the ball quickly to another player to
set-up a counter attack.
Meehan said: "Ben is in a good position at the moment where we can drip-feed him in and pick and choose when we play him. I would be quite happy to take him away and start him in some of these European
matches. He's a quality player. He'll see a lot more time in a Bath shirt this year. He's equally comfortable at 12 or 13 and I'm delighted with him."
Standard of competition
The standard of competition in the Heineken Cup is higher because there are teams involved from all over Europe. Williams must remember that some French and Italian sides will do whatever possible to take
him out of a game early on.
The home nation sides in Wales, Ireland and Scotland will also throw in many heavy tackles and challenges in the centre of the pitch. This means Bath has to offer more protection and Meehan may be forced
to put an extra body in the team to help Williams.
He added: "He'll need to talk a bit more on the field, but we know he's physically very strong and he has very good skills and he's going to get better. We all know how physical and direct he is and he
had some great ball carries at the end today, just as he did against Northampton. He's coming on and with every touch he gets more confident."
Betting advice
Be wary of backing Bath to win the Heineken Cup until it's clear the club has a genuine chance. Supposed weaker sides often raise their game against bigger opposition and betting in play will set you up
for any big Bath wins.
Williams is a great player to back in the Heineken Cup. The club is going to protect him against very aggressive sides and he'll be running around like a mad man trying to get over the try line. Back him
to top score in any match he plays in over the next two weeks.
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