Williams surpassed Gareth Thomas' Wales try-scoring record during the 2008 Grand Slam decider against France and broke the 50-Test try barrier during the 2009 internationals thanks to his two scored for the British & Irish Lions. He reached that magic mark for Wales against France in the 2010 Six Nations that also saw him eclipse the legendary Gareth Edwards' Championship record of 18 tries.

His impressive try tally has rightly made him a hero in Wales, although his path to greatness was not a smooth one. He has overcome worries about his size to become one of the most electrifying players in world rugby.

Williams made a try-scoring full debut for Wales against Italy in the 2000 Six Nations clash, but his early years in the Wales camp were blighted by injury and an indifference to his talents from the Wales coaching setup. A series of hamstring injuries ruled Williams out of the Wales squad for two seasons between 2001 and 2003, a time during which he has since admitted he considered quitting rugby altogether.

His return to the Wales team came in the 2003-04 season, in time for selection in Steve Hansen's World Cup squad. Williams played in three World Cup matches, scoring a try in the final pool defeat to New Zealand. Finding himself back in favour, Williams played every match of the 2004 Six Nations, scoring a brace against Italy before securing a hat-trick against Argentina on Wales' summer tour.

Williams was a key part of the 2005 Wales Grand Slam, scoring the decisive try against England as well as a stunning score against Italy. He was selected for the 2005 British Lions tour, but was not selected for the first test due to concerns over his size compared to All Black Joe Rokocoko. Williams forced his way into the second Test squad after scoring five tries against Manawatu for the midweek team. The Lions were comprehensively defeated again, and Williams did not feature in the third Test.

Williams returned to action for Wales that autumn and scored one of his most famous tries, streaking down his wing to score the winner against Australia at the Millennium Stadium. After disappointing campaigns for Wales in both the 2006 and 2007 Six Nations, Williams was selected for the World Cup squad under Gareth Jenkins. Williams scored six tries during the tournament, including a stunning solo effort against Fiji, but Wales slipped out of the tournament at the group stages.

Bouncing back from World Cup disappointment, Williams entered the best period of form of his career during the 2008 Six Nations. His tries against Ireland and France secured a second Grand Slam in four years, and Williams was promptly voted player of the tournament. On Wales' summer tour to South Africa in 2008, Williams scored in both Tests. He was up against Bryna Habana, widely acknowledged as the best wing in the world, and admirably held his own for two stunning scores.

In November 2008 Williams was named the IRB Player of the Year - seeing off a shortlist that included Wales captain Ryan Jones, Scotland's Mike Blair, Italy No.8 Sergio Parisse and All Black Dan Carter.

Williams was selected for the 2009 Lions tour of South Africa, and despite struggling to find form on tour he was selected for the second and third Tests, scoring two tries in the third to help the Lions to a consolation victory. The wing wizard joined the 50-Test try club later the same year with a brace against Argentina in Cardiff.

His latest achievements came during Wales' stuttering 2010 Six Nations campaign. His 49th try in Welsh colours came at the end of a breath-taking victory over Scotland at the Millennium Stadium - his winning score coming in the last play of the game to cap a remarkable late rally. And he reached the half century with another trademark score against France but it was not enough to inspire victory.

At the beginning of the 2010-11 season Williams announced his intention to retire from rugby after the following year's World Cup in New Zealand. He was back in action as Wales lost tight games to Australia and South Africa in November 2010 but suffered a dislocated shoulder against the Sprinboks, meaning a 10-week layoff. His return from injury saw him on the losing end against England in the opening game of the Six Nations but he returned to a happy hunting ground, Murrayfield, and scored twice against Scotland to help Wales out of a long winless run. In the process, he also broke the Welsh try record against the Scots.

After suffering a serious injury in March 2011, Williams returned in time for the World Cup and grabbed three tries as Wales ended a thrilling campaign in fourth place following defeat to Australian in the Bronze Final. He made his final Test appearance in the re-match against the Wallabies in Cardiff at the end of that year, capping an outstanding international career with a try in the last act of the game.