Williams feeling blue after miss
May 06 2009
Martyn Williams admits he has been left devastated by his miss in Cardiff's Heineken Cup penalty shoot-out defeat to Leicester.
The Wales flanker failed with his place-kick allowing Jordan Crane to seal a 7-6 triumph on penalties that saw the Tigers secure their place in the Heineken Cup final on May 23.
Williams has described the manner of the loss, and his part in it, as a surreal experience, stating: "I can't believe what happened - it's as if you weren't there," he told the Western Mail.
"You never envisage it coming down to that. It's just bizarre how it turned out that way. It was a bit of a lottery and somebody was going to miss - I've just got to live with the fact that it was me.
"There's never been a penalty shoot-out before in rugby, so I guess I've earned myself a place in the record books. But it's not one that I wanted."
However, Williams was quick to pay tribute to Leicester trio Lewis Moody, Geordan Murphy and Martin Corry, all of whom moved quickly to sympathise with him after the shoot-out.
But the British and Irish Lions tourist did concede that he has been unable to bring himself to watch a replay of the dramatic climax to the contest.
"Lewis Moody, Geordan Murphy and Martin Corry all came over to me," he added.
"They said they didn't feel like celebrating that much because of the way the game had ended, and they just said to keep my chin up.
"Fair play to them, they are top men for doing that.
"I haven't been able to face it yet. It was just a surreal feeling. I was a bit more in shock than anything. It was pretty difficult to take it all in.
"It just was a horrible night, but the number of messages I have had since have been incredible.
"It has been really nice, and I am really grateful to all the people that have contacted me. It does help soften the blow."