For those of you who like to spend time selecting your favourite pass of the Premiership season, there may already be a winner. Tomos Williams’s flicked no-look pass to set up a try in Gloucester’s rout of Bristol Bears had everyone swooning, a remnant from his days as a basketball player representing Wales at Under-16 level.
Joining the academy at Cardiff Rugby meant Williams pressed pause on shooting three-pointers, a decision which has worked out rather well. Wales potentially missed out on their own Steph Curry but gained an excellent scrum-half. Still, that time spent playing other sports has clearly had its benefits, with Williams sneaking in a bit of recreational basketball with his brothers, Owen and Lloyd, when possible.
“They still play, I mess about with them sometimes in the back garden,” Williams admits. “I’ve said before that I think playing different sports, especially basketball, has helped me a lot in my rugby career.”
Tomos Williams has been named Player of the Month for March 🏆
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 9, 2025
We'll just leave this here...pic.twitter.com/YVPt8zJn0S
Williams has been one of the signings of the season in the Premiership, his arrival allowing Gloucester to transform their attacking game from turgid to thrilling. His Premiership Player of the Month award for March comes as no surprise, winning a public poll ahead of Sale Sharks fly-half George Ford and Bath duo Will Muir and Finn Russell.
With five games to go in the league, Gloucester have already scored three more tries (57) than their total last season (54). Williams has scored seven of them and provided eight assists, his sharp support lines in attack leaving defences in tatters.
Much has rightly been made of the impact made by James Lightfoot-Brown, Gloucester’s young attack coach whose reputation is soaring. Lightfoot-Brown recently billed Williams as “world-class” and “in the absolute prime of his career” – no argument here – and the scrum-half is similarly full of praise for his 31-year-old coach.
“I’ve been really impressed with him and enjoyed working with him. He has been awesome,” Williams says. “The detail and excitement he brings, he always has new ideas, very innovative. When he coaches he feels older than 31. There is a great career ahead of ‘Lights’. I can’t speak highly enough about him. He has been class for me on a personal level.
“It’s good fun to play in [this team]. I think it suits all the boys and our team, suits the players, playing that way and having the freedom to do so.”
Thriving with Gloucester, Williams’s time with Wales has obviously been less enjoyable. The national side, stuck in a grim 17-game losing streak, are currently without a head coach as the summer ...
