My Life in Rugby with Peter Williams – The former England, Lancashire and Orrell fly-half talks about his life in the game
I signed for Salford Rugby League one Monday, and then the following day, Don Rutherford at the RFU, rang me up to say I'd been selected on the bench for England's game against Scotland. Normally you get a letter telling you that you've been selected but I didn't receive one and, as no one had given me any indication I was in the running to make the team, I thought my England days were behind me, hence the reason I decided to take up a new challenge. When I told Don that I had agreed to join Salford, he went ‘oh'; it wasn't a long conversation after that.
I got grief from people saying I had effectively stuck two fingers up to Rugby Union. But it wasn't like that at all. That upset me because I would've never done that to England. Would I have moved over to Rugby League had the letter arrived on time? There is quite a bit of me that says, probably not. That's not to say I didn't enjoy Rugby League because I had six very enjoyable years at Salford and made good friends for life in both codes. But it's important for me to stress, I never fell out with Rugby Union – how can you fall out with a game that has taken you around the world?
For me, that journey started at Upholland Grammar School (now known as Winstanley College) in Orrell. Our sports teacher was a Sale player called Ken Brown, who understood rugby was a game to be enjoyed. You had Upholland Grammar at one end of the village of Orrell and out the other way, there was the big Catholic school, John Rigby, and they played Rugby Union as well, and the players from the two schools migrated into Orrell and the junior set-up at the club got stronger and stronger.
I was only 17 and still a colt when I made my first-team debut for Orrell in 1977, on Easter Monday away to Pontypool. At that age, I had no fear. It was only when I saw Charlie Faulkner, Bobby Windsor and Graham Price – the infamous Pontypool front row – walking around the changing room, that the situation I found myself in finally dawned on me.
While I started as a scrum-half, Des Seabrook saw something in me that he believed I would be better as a 10. I was bloody awful at first and they dropped me, to the 2nds, but I was fortunate to still be surrounded by some very good players and was able to learn the position. Eventually I won my place back in the first team and things blossomed from there.
Des was a real mentor to me; he understood the game a damn sight more than people gave him credit for, and he knew how to change games and what you should and shouldn't do. Ken Taberner, the fitness coach, was about 25 years ahead of his time when it came to fitness. He'd mark out a track in the woods behind his house for us backs and he would time you and jot it all down and you'd have to beat that time at the next training session. Ian Wilkinson, the winger, was top try scorer in the country one year and he set the standard; he was Ken's rabbit and we all had to follow him. It was hard work but as Ken always said, it (fitness) is in the bank, no one can take it off you.
I was lucky enough to go on a NW Counties tour of South Africa in 1979, Des was the coach and as he was also coach of Lancashire, I think he used that tour to get a team together that could win the County Championship, which we did in 1980 and 1982. I was unbelievably fortunate to be picked in that team. Steve Smith was scrum-half, I was fly-half, the centres were Tony Bond and Tony Wright, the wingers were Mike Slemen and John Carleton and the full-back was Kevin O'Brien. Everyone apart from me and Tony Wright were internationals, and he should have been one.
I'd had approaches to cross codes around that time but money wasn't a factor for me, I just wanted to see if I could play international rugby, which I finally did, in 1987, winning the first of my four caps against Scotland. The one thing that stands out in my mind is when the crowd started singing Jerusalem, what an experience. I don't know why they sing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot now and not Jerusalem.
It was fantastic to go to the first World Cup a few months later. David Campese was given a try in our first game against Australia when it was patently obvious that he dropped the ball over the line. I looked at the touch judge, who couldn't get involved, and then the referee but there was no turning back, it was given. Winters (Peter Winterbottom) also got penalised for a brilliant tackle on their centre, Brett Papworth. He cleaned him out but it was perfectly legal. At that point, I knew we were in trouble. But then again, we were playing Australia in Australia. Did we deserve to beat them? Probably not. But we certainly didn't deserve to lose by the amount we did (19-6). In their wisdom, the RFU took us to Hamilton Island after the game. It's basically a party island. I'd gone over on my ankle so I was getting medical treatment, however iced-cold drinks not ice packs were the order of the day.
We came back and played Japan and Rob (Andrew) played 10 against the USA. But I got back into the starting XV for the quarter-final against Wales. It was an awful game. Paul Rendall got a finger in the eye – so he came off – but they didn't bring a prop on, until after the scrum, and they scored from it. I gave an inception try away right at the end of that game. It was a god awful pass and John Devereux read it. The thing that galled me was that the backs, not the forwards, took the brunt of the criticism. I think that was the death-knell, not just for me but for quite a few of the backs.
Having had a fantastic time in South Africa with NW Counties and again with the Pirates club in Johannesburg in ‘85, I went straight off to South Africa after the World Cup for another spell of club rugby. Unfortunately I tore my hamstring so didn't play as much rugby as I'd have liked but I still managed to get in the Transvaal team and play in the Currie Cup.
On my return to the UK, I went back to Orrell and, by all accounts, I was playing really well. But Rob got in the North team and it was hard to shift him. My next opportunity didn't come at 10 but at full-back, for the game against London. Martin Offiah charged down my attempted clearance and scored about five minutes in. Not the best of starts! But we did go on to win the game convincingly.
After that, I wasn't selected in the England squad so you start to think the writing was on the wall. I was getting a bit disillusioned because they started picking Les Cusworth ahead of Rob and myself. Don't get me wrong, I thought Les was a fantastic 10, but I thought if that is the way it is going maybe my time is up. So when Salford rang me up and I sat down with them to discuss what they thought, I thought, ‘why not, let's give it a go.' I was incredibly honoured to play rugby league for Wales and Great Britain (my father was a Welsh speaker and former rugby league player); I think I am the first person to play international rugby for different countries in the different codes.
I was asked to go back to union as director of rugby at Orrell at the beginning of the professional era. I think this was primarily because I had played professional rugby league and had an insight into player contracts. Safe to say I wasn't the right man for the job and made numerous mistakes but if I am honest I couldn't see how Orrell were going to survive against the likes of Bath, Leicester, Harlequins etc. However, I learnt a hell of a lot in what was a chastising 10 months in the job. Shortly after, I was asked to be assistant coach at Wigan RUFC which I did for two years, winning the league in the second year and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
I didn't think I'd ever say this but I would like France to win this World Cup because I love the fact they have gone back to the way they used to play – like at that first World Cup. I think it would be good for rugby. Too many teams are too structured in how they play. All you are doing is taking the skill out of the game. When England beat New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup, that was an exceptional performance. What I cannot get over is that they have never played like that again.
