John Kirwan has backed fellow winger Shane Williams to bag the IRB World Player of the Year award © Getty Images

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Players/Officials John Kirwan | Shane Williams

Teams New Zealand | Wales

Former All Blacks star John Kirwan has backed Shane Williams' credentials to be crowned world player of the year. Kirwan believes the Welsh wing wizard would be a worthy winner of the International Rugby Board's prestigious award.

Williams features on a short-list of five alongside Wales captain Ryan Jones, New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter, Scotland skipper Mike Blair and Italy's Sergio Parisse.

The seven previous recipients include Carter, Jonny Wilkinson, Richie McCaw and Bryan Habana - and Kirwan has no doubt Williams deserves to join that elite group.

Kirwan scored 35 tries in 63 Tests for New Zealand, including arguably the World Cup's greatest solo touchdown against Italy in Auckland 21 years ago. He still holds a place among the international game's all-time top 15 try scorers, so fully appreciates Williams' dazzling ability to unlock defences.

The Ospreys speedster is only seven tries short of a Test half-century, and he will go into battle against New Zealand tomorrow level with his opposite number Joe Rokocoko.

Williams is a firm favourite to collect the IRB award in London on Sunday night. He scored six tries during last season's RBS 6 Nations Championship, when Wales landed their second title and Grand Slam in four seasons.

He equalled Maurice Richards' 1969 Welsh championship record, and overtook Gareth Thomas as Wales' leading international try-scorer. Williams also added a try in both summer Tests on tour against South Africa.

"I would hate to mark him," Kirwan said. "He has great acceleration, he feints with his head one way and then moves another, and he has got out and out speed. He has also developed a kicking game, so if the opposition are being too confrontational he can just put it in behind them.

"That slows the defender up, and he thinks: 'What is he going to do now, the magician?' I used to hate playing against guys like him, guys like David Campese. He was so difficult to get a hand on, and I was more brawn.

"Shane is rightly shortlisted for world player of the year. He may well win it - and dead right too."

Ex-Italy coach Kirwan would also be thrilled if Parisse wins the vote this weekend, adding, "I have a bit of a soft spot for Sergio. I picked him as a kid, and he just keeps getting better. He is doing that in a losing team, which makes it even better.

"But I watch wingers closely, and I think it would be great if Shane Williams won that award."

For his part, Williams is concentrating solely on Wales' latest attempt to beat the All Blacks - a feat they last achieved in 1953. But victory in Cardiff tomorrow, followed by further success on Sunday, would mean possibly the finest 24 hours of Williams' glittering career.

He said, "It is great just to be nominated. If I win it, then fantastic, but I am completely humbled that I have been nominated in the top five anyway."

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