By Exile
October 20 2006

The State of Play's resident poet is back with another offering for site readers. It has been inspired by the form of Welsh wing wonder Shane Williams. The chorus of this came to me while watching the match last weekend however the rest of it has been the hardest song/poem I've ever done so I hope you enjoy.

and thanks to my other half who helped a lot with it.

To the tune of Don Mclean's American pie (the short version)


A long long time ago...
I can still remember
Gerald Davies used to make me smile.
He showed if they had the chance
small wingers who could dance
Could run them in just using speed and guile.

And each winter we all shivered
Warmed by the tries that he delivered.
Bad news when we went pro,
The small winger had to go.

Then came the day we filled with pride
With us up against the All Black's side,
Winkie left them all wide eyed,
Each time, the ball went, wide.

And my-my winkie's in for a try
They keep saying he's too little
But just look at him fly.
He side-stepped once or twice then took the outside
And winkie's going in for a try.
Winkie's going in for a try.

It's the style that we all love
More exciting than an eight man shove,
Or a simple pick and go.
When winkie gets it we all know
He'll dance his way, thru any hole
And makes defenders appear real slow.

Well I know that he went off his game
It's the English media that I blame.
They say he loses ball.
On account of being so small.

Well they told us that he'd come unstuck
Because the modern winger's built like a truck,
So far he's just had the luck
But then, the ball went wide.

And we were singing...
My-my winkie's in for a try
They keep saying he's too little
But just look at him fly.
He side-stepped once or twice then took the outside
And winkie's going in for a try.
Winkie's going in for a try.

Now for some years we in Wales have known
That these claims have been overblown,
In, papers and on TV.
That's why he's still in our first fifteen
Tho I'm sure, that he'd make any team
But of course, the English disagree,

but, winkie's held in high renown,
By other wingers from around.
They don't ask "shane who?"
'cause they know what he'll do.
So our winkie just you go and play
In your own so special way,
The world cup's not too far away
And when, the ball goes wide.

We'll be singing...
My-my winkie's in for a try
You can say that he's too little
But just look at him fly.
He side-stepped once or twice then took the outside
And winkie's going in for a try.
Winkie's going in for a try.