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Wales flanker Martyn Williams says the team still has to take an “extra step” if they want to be one of the best sides in the world, not just in Europe.
Reigning Six Nations champions Wales continue their bid for a first back-to-back grand slam in exactly a hundred years in Paris on February 27 following a bruising 23-15 win over England here at the Millennium Stadium.
Victory at the Stade de France would see coach Warren Gatland’s men equal the record of nine straight Six Nations wins held jointly by ‘Les Bleus’ and 2007 World Cup finalists England.
However, Saturday’s success was far from straightforward with England, belying their billing as a team devoid of both their traditional forward strength and creativity behind the scrum, scoring two tries to Wales’s one and disrupting their hosts’ much vaunted attack.
“We let them (England) back into the game a couple of times when we probably should have seen them off,” said 86-times capped open-side flanker Williams.
“We did the same thing in Scotland last week (when Wales won 26-13). We let them back into the game, and we really should start to bury sides.
“We will take the wins, don’t get me wrong, but that is the extra step we still need to go to be one of the very top sides,” added Williams after a match where Wales were pulled back from leads of 9-0 and 20-8 by a dogged England.
“We know we are not the finished article, and there is a lot to work on,” the 33-year-old Cardiff Blues back-row stressed.
However, Williams said no-one within the Welsh camp took the predictions they’d humiliate England seriously.
“A lot of those England players know what it is like to win World Cups and get to World Cup finals – they are born winners.
“They were always going to make it difficult for us, and that was one of the toughest games I’ve played in for a long time.”
Unlike some recent Welsh sides, the current team seem able to cope with being well-backed to win.
“Our mentality was good (against England). We handled being overwhelming favourites well,” said Williams of a Wales team that recorded the only victory by a northern hemisphere side over one of the Tri-Nations, Australia, during the November internationals in Europe.
After a star-studded Wales side won in Paris in 1975, it was to be 24 years before their compatriots again tasted success in the French capital.
However, Wales have won there on three of their last five visits.
Not that Williams took much solace from that statistic.
France have yet to hit top-form in this year’s Six Nations, although they rebounded from their first round loss to Ireland with a 22-13 home win over Scotland on Saturday.
But the feeling persists that should they get it right, Marc Lievremont’s team could yet produce something really special and Williams said: “France away is not going to be easy.
“It’s good we have got a bit of a break now – there are a lot of battered and bruised bodies after two games in six days.
“Going to Paris is one of the toughest places in the world to play. We’ve had two wins, but we’ve got a lot to work on, which is good.
“Although France lost to Ireland, ball in hand they looked superb. Our defence will need to step up again.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.