Williams hot to trot after a brush with greatness

World's highest-paid artist has a new subject: a Welsh wing wizard. James Corrigan reports

Some cruel japesters have already started calling Shane Williams "Rodney Trotter", but he is not complaining. After all, not every rugby player has their portrait painted by the world's highest-paid living artist – and then pops round his sister's home in Neath for tea.

Yes, on the face of it, the Wales wing and Andrew Vicari make a decidedly odd couple, with little in common apart from their birthplace. Williams, 31, lives in Ammanford and plays for the Ospreys; Vicari, 69, resides in Monaco and receives the bulk of his paycheques from the Saudi royal family. It is fair to say the former's salary is somewhat dwarfed by that of the latter.

In one "Rich List" Vicari was adjudged the fifth-wealthiest man in Britain, after selling a series of epic oil paintings depicting the first Gulf War to the Saudi government for £150m. That is a lot of try bonuses.

Earlier this week, Williams laughed before revealing that the pair's relationship runs far deeper than a few pots of oils.

"It's not just the fact that Andrew is doing my portrait but we're now very good friends as well," he said at the Wales team hotel in the Vale of Glamorgan.

"I talk to Andrew almost every day. He came with me to watch Neath v Tonmawr a few weeks ago. It's weird – I'm going to his sister's house for tea and biscuits and this guy's the highest-paid artist in the world who's painted princes. Kings, state leaders. He's a great guy, a great artist and this is a great honour."

Not everyone is so enthralled, however, and on seeing the early stages of the portrait one Welsh rugby website captioned the picture: "Crap Six Nations lookalikes: Shane Williams and Rodney Trotter."

"I probably do look like him, anyway," joked Williams, "but hang about. It's not finished yet."

Vicari, who has painted Sir Alex Ferguson and Carwyn James, is planning a triptych, an image of Williams sprinting for the line and another of his famous touchdown dive flanking the main portrait. It will be auctioned at one of the dinners Williams is staging in his benefit year, although Vicari's contri-bution may not stop there.

"He's been helping me out with my testimonial plans and has said anything I need, just to give him a shout," said Williams.

In return, Williams has offered his newest "butty" tickets for the Six Nations matches against Ireland in Dublin next Saturday and at home to France a week later. Vicari has declined the offer. He gets too nervous if he watches Wales live.

Vicari must be the only one in this position as the nation clamours to see if Wales can record a second Grand Slam in four seasons and if Williams can break Gareth Thomas's try-scoring record in the process. After two tries in each of Wales's victories against Scotland and Italy, Williams is one behind his former teammate's haul of 40. He senses something special is about to happen.

"You know, I've never scored against Ireland and France and I'm not sure if there's many other teams that I haven't, so it would be incredible to score one against the both of them, wouldn't it?" he said. "Providing that means we win the Triple Crown and Grand Slam, it would be tremendous. It would mean everything to break the record. To be able to say I've beaten the likes of Gareth Thomas, Ieuan Evans, Gerald Davies and Gareth Edwards would be incredible. Just to have your name in the same sentence is truly incredible.

"At the start of my career, I just wanted to play local rugby for Amman United and score tries as they came. Eight years later I'm up there trying to become the highest try-scorer for Wales. Saying it now I still can't believe it. It doesn't sound right coming out of my mouth. But I've got to keep my feet on the ground."

That has not always been possible for the dancing back with the double-jointed ankles who has perfected the art of sidestepping when seemingly in mid-air. "Ickle Shane's" inclination has always been to attack.

"I am a striker, I enjoy scoring the tries. I suppose that's my job," he said. "What I have learned is you can't be too greedy, you can't go looking for the ball too much and popping up everywhere. I'm a lot more patient these days, which means I'm scoring tries in the corners rather than picking up at scrum-half and trying to score from 40 yards. I am sure the tries will come. I just have to bide my time."

Vicari would no doubt confirm that beautiful things do indeed come to those who are prepared to sit and wait. Preferably, without moving.