Like every young rugby player brought up in Wales, his dream was to play for his country, but those ambitions looked like a pipe dream as he had always been overlooked for age-grade honours and regional academies as he kept plugging away with his home club, Gilfach Goch.
Then one day out of the blue he received a phone call from Wales Under 20 team manager Andy Lloyd, asking him to attend training as Byron Hayward’s side began preparations for the U20 Six Nations Summer Series being held in Treviso, Italy.
“I had a phone call from Andy to say he wanted to get me down to training for Wales U20s and that was unbelievable,” recalls the Aberavon back row.
“To get into the squad was another thing and then to get a place on the bench (against Georgia) and then to get a start (against Italy) is beyond anything I could have imagined.”
To say the talented Williams has got to where he is by sheer bloody mindedness is an understatement. There was never any doubt he could play, but where?
“I went a bit chubby and went to centre but found out I wasn’t fast enough to be in the back-line so I went into the pack as a flanker when I was 12 or 13,” he says.
“By the time I was 15-16 I began shooting up in size, skinny but tall, didn’t really carry at all, but at one of the games the team manager said would you like to try No 8 – so I played a few games there and learned I could carry.”
While others may be bitter about missing out on regional academy contracts and national recognition, the 20-year-old bears no grudges and simply admits: “I was in Rhondda Schools but was never up to it – I was really small and chubby and wasn’t good enough. But I just kept on going, kept on going. I got to Youth and decided I wanted to go as far as I can really.”
Having come through the Gilfach Goch system where his father Andrew coached him, William’s hunger for rugby glory intensified while doing the hard yards on his day job as a carpenter for PJ Saunders Limited who Williams stresses have been extremely supportive of him in his quest.
Williams initially thought of entering engineering when he left school at 16 but instead started a carpentry apprenticeship and completed his level three diploma.
In recent times, having been picked up by Indigo Premiership outfit Aberavon, he was then enduring training sessions between 6.30-9am with the Ospreys before heading off to a full day’s work. It’s that work ethic and drive which is now driving him on.
After only three appearances for the Wizards, he signed a senior contract with the club, progressing from a development contract. Aberavon had spotted his potential when he played for Gilfach against Neath and while the Welsh All Blacks and Swansea were also keen on snapping him up afterwards, he plumped for the Wizards.
Ben Williams claimed his first Wales cap against Georgia as a replacement
He made a conscious effort of trying to put some bulk on his frame during lockdown and with the help of his father, they converted the garage into a gym and together they ‘hit the weights’ for a full year.
“We would spend an up to an hour and a half there every day during lockdown. We borrowed all our weights so had a good solid year on the weights. The garage was full of weights, but I don’t think the mother was very happy about it,” he laughs.
“I got to about 16 stone in a year eating a lot, three, four or five meals a day. I didn’t have a clue about diet – just ate loads of steaks, had barbeques nearly every night.”
It proved a recipe for success as on his return to rugby from the pandemic and while playing for Swansea on permit against Newport, his man of the match performance was watched by Wales U20 assistant coach Shaun Connor. It was then he received the phone call.
“I never gave up hope of making it, I thought if I keep working hard, I might get there in the end. The Premiership has been good to me, and it shows what can be done.
“Jac Morgan is a similar example to me, he held down a job while playing for Aberavon and eventually got into regional rugby. We are both chasing the same dream at the end of the day. Hopefully the fact I have got into the Wales U20s is a bit of motivation for others to keep going.”
Williams immediate target is now to be part of a winning Wales side in the final of tomorrow’s U20 Six Nations Summer Series against a highly talented and fancied South African side.
Williams claimed his Welsh cap against Georgia as a replacement and followed that up with his first start against Italy.
“It was an unbelievable experience to get my first cap, I’m just lucky to be a part of it all – it’s something I never imagined and I’m really enjoying playing six,” he says.
“I’m really confident we can go into this game and take it. If we stick to our game plan, we can come away with a win. They are a physical team but I think we can match them – Georgia and Italy were really physical and that will stand us in good stead for the game of our lives.”
