Williams awarded BBC Wales crown

Wales rugby wing Shane Williams has won the BBC Wales sports personality of the year award in the face of high Welsh achievement during 2008.

The public voted for Williams ahead of Olympic cycling gold medallist Nicole Cooke and undefeated world champion boxer Joe Calzaghe.

FA Cup finalists Cardiff City won the team award in a contest decided by an independent panel.

Football's Aaron Ramsey and snooker's Ray Reardon also won trophies.

The event celebrated a bumper year of success in Wales.

As well as helping secure Wales' Grand Slam triumph, Williams won international rugby's greatest personal accolade to become the International Rugby Board's world player of the year.

The 31-year-old wing's six tries won him the RBS Six Nations player of the tournament gong after he had scored decisive tries in four of Wales' five tournament wins.

His score in the Six Nations decider against France was the 41st Test try of his career and beat Gareth Thomas in Wales' all-time try-scoring list.

Personal success continued on Wales' summer tour to South Africa where he scored in both Tests against the world champions.

But he faced strong competition for the BBC Wales award in a year of unprecedented Welsh sporting achievement.

Wales had three Olympic gold medallists in cyclists Cooke and Geraint Thomas, plus rower Tom James.

Swimmer David Roberts also triumphed in Beijing, taking four golds to bring his all-time Paralympics haul to 11 golds.

Calzaghe - who had won the award three times previously - cemented his place as one of boxing's all-time greats by stepping up from the super-middleweight division he ruled for more than a decade to beat American greats Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr at light-heavyweight.

Other awards at the event in Cardiff's Swalec Stadium included team of the year, won by Cardiff City FC.

In May, the club reached the final of the FA Cup for the first time in 81 years and only the third time in their history.

The Championship side had beaten Premiership side Middlesbrough in the sixth round and went on to a semi-final win over Barnsley at Wembley before losing 1-0 to Portsmouth in the final.

But Cardiff had faced a significant challenge for this award from Wales' Grand Slam-winning rugby team.

And amateur sport was rewarded with the Welsh Sports Unsung Hero accolade, won by rugby and boxing volunteer Cliff Williams from Pontyclun in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

He was recognised for giving up his time for more than 30 years to help young people improve their lives through sport.

Mr Williams is now in contention for the UK Unsung Hero award made at Liverpool's Echo Arena on Sunday 14 December.

The lifetime achievement award went to retired snooker legend Ray Reardon in recognition of his dominance of the sport for over a decade.

A deadly long potter and tactician in his prime, he was undefeated in 17 world championship matches and won the title four years in succession.

The Carwyn James junior sportsman of the year title went to Caerphilly-born teenage football sensation Aaron Ramsey.

Now playing for Arsenal and Wales, Ramsey transferred to the Gunners from Cardiff City in 2008, having been the Bluebirds' youngest ever senior player at the age of 16, breaking the previous record set by current Wales boss John Toshack.

Carwyn James young sportswoman of the year was golfer Amy Boulden.

Boulden, 15, of Llandudno, has risen through the ranks of the Welsh Girls squad and was included in the full Welsh ladies squad for the first time in 2008, also earning selection for the Great Britain and Ireland squad.

Ospreys play down Williams injury

Shane Williams' dream 2008 has ended on a sour note

Ospreys boss Sean Holley expects Shane Williams to be fit for their 9 January Magners League clash against Munster.

The Wales wing has missed their last two games with a shoulder injury and is a concern for the January Heineken Cup games against Perpignan and Leicester.

But Holley said: "We have given him an injection, some rest and hopefully that will be sufficient for the European games (on 17 and 24 January).

"At the moment our physio is telling me he could be available for Munster."

Holley added: "Shane has a rotator cuff strain and it is a little bit more serious than we first thought.

"He did it out in Treviso (on 13 December) and landed awkwardly on an elbow and therefore there is a bit of damage there.

"We are taking a sensible view not to rush him back with some big games coming up. Whether it will need further exploration we don't know yet."

International Rugby Board player of the year Williams missed his side's 20-6 win over the Scarlets on Saturday after having treatment on Tuesday to help settle the problem in the "short term".

He will also miss the New Year's Eve Magners League derby with Cardiff Blues.

Williams - Wales's leading try scorer with 44 from 61 caps - was a Lions Test player in 2005 and hopes to tour again in 2009.

In a golden 2008, the Glanaman man helped Wales to the Grand Slam, won the RBS Six Nations Player of the Year award and was voted BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year as well as taking the IRB accolade.

Williams scored decisive tries in four of Wales' five Six Nations wins.

His score in the Grand Slam decider against France - the 41st of his international career - broke Gareth Thomas's all-time Welsh try record.

The winger went on to lift the EDF Energy Cup with the Ospreys, before outshining Bryan Habana on Wales' summer tour to South Africa.

The autumn Test series proved more challenging, but Williams was back to his best against Australia.

He scored the stunning opening try as Wales triumphed 21-18 to claim a rare Tri Nations scalp.

Harlequins grab late point

Nick Evans produced more last-gasp heroics as Harlequins snatched a 26-26 draw with Leicester at Twickenham.

A fortnight ago, Evans' successful drop-goal with the final kick of the game had sealed Harlequins a famous Heineken Cup victory over Stade Francais.

On Saturday night, the former New Zealand fly-half sent Ugo Monye in for a last-minute try before landing a touchline conversion to complete a stunning Harlequins comeback.

With five minutes remaining the Londoners had been 10 points adrift.

But Leicester flanker Lewis Moody was sin-binned as Quins mounted a late rally and Evans took full advantage to send the 50,000 crowd home in festive spirits.

Ospreys claim derby spoils

Scrum-half Mike Phillips celebrated his first start for nine months to score a try in the Ospreys' 20-6 win over the Scarlets.

The Welshman, who had surgery on his knee ligaments in March, crossed on the hour mark for what turned out to be the winning score after the home side had trailed 6-3 at half-time.

A second try for Wales captain Ryan Jones five minutes into injury time denied the Scarlets a losing bonus point.

After a frenetic start the Scarlets opened the scoring in the third minute with a Rhys Priestland penalty after the Ospreys had erred offside.

The Scarlets doubled their lead seven minutes later with a second Priestland penalty from in front of the posts after referee Nigel Owens had to warn home lock Jonathan Thomas after tempers were lost.

The Ospreys also spurned the best tryscoring chance when Gavin Henson broke through up the left and on 30 minutes James Hook was off-target with a penalty goal shot from 30 metres away. But five minutes later Hook found his range planting a penalty after Mark Jones and Regan King had collided trying to collect a Priestland cross-kick.

Seven minutes into the second half blood replacement Marty Holah crossed the line but the score was ruled out for a knock-on from Hook.

But on the hour mark the try stalemate was broken when Phillips skipped past two would-be tacklers to slide in by the posts for a converted try to give the Ospreys a 10-6 lead.

As the match entered its last 10 minutes Hook planted his second penalty to extend the Ospreys' advantage.

And at the death Ryan Jones went in under the posts for the second converted try.

Saracens claim Irish triumph

London Irish slipped to a first defeat in 11 matches as Saracens reignited their season with a 16-13 victory.

The Exiles produced a lacklustre performance after their impressive victory over Gloucester last week as Saracens triumphed after a scrappy affair boasting just one try each - both scored in the first half.

The cold, blustery conditions tested the skills of the Premiership's two leading goal kickers to the full. Both Glen Jackson and Peter Hewat missed early penalty opportunities.

After Saracens had dominated the first quarter territorially, Jackson was able to slot from the kicking tee to open the scoring but the Exiles response was immediate.

Sailosi Tagicakibau and Hewat combined and the big Australian full-back strode down the wing before stepping inside and handing flanker Declan Danaher a clear run to the posts. Hewat converted and the league leaders appeared to be off and running.

England prospect Noah Cato, 20, was causing Irish problems and after Tagicakibau allowed the Saracens winger's kick to bounce, the home side induced a penalty which Jackson knocked over to bring up 900 career Premiership points on 24 minutes.

Hewat quickly restored the Irish lead to four points, his side's aggressive midfield defence repelling Saracens, despite the vocal backing of the packed crowd. It was some nifty footwork from Cato and Jackson which at last led to Saracens breaking through the green and white wall just after the half-hour.

Irish scrum-half Paul Hodgson was carried over his own line and, from the resulting scrum and initial ruck, opposite number Moses Rauluni spotted a gap and dived over.

Jackson's conversion put Saracens into a 13-10 lead, which they clung to until the break.

There was to be no repeat of the Exiles' 11 points in the final six minutes of November's reverse fixture in Reading. Hewat missed from the touchline with the Exiles' final attempt to save the game.