Thomas took over the tour captaincy last week after Brian O’ Driscoll was ruled out of the series with a dislocated shoulder. As far as Williams is concerned, Head Coach Sir Clive Woodward could not have turned to a more inspirational figure.
“Alfie is a wonderful captain who has the respect of all of those around him. When he was chosen as Wales captain two years ago there were a lot of people who questioned the decisi0on. Those people should have spoken to the players,” said Williams, a former Wales captain himself. “He not only leads from the front but he is never scared to speak his mind. That is all that you can ask for from a captain. He is always straight with you.”
Thomas missed out on the final two legs of this season’s Grand Slam, but Williams admits that he was never far from the action when it came to lending the boys a helping hand.
“It must have been tough for him because he had no chance of playing in the Scottish and Irish games,”continued Williams. “However, he was always there, helping and talking to the boys. Wherever you turned Alfie was there to lend a hand. He has been an inspiration to the Welsh boys and I know that every player on this tour feels the same way. His appointment was fully deserved and he will do a fantastic job, on and off the field.”
