Matt Williams (rugby coach)
| Full name | Matthew Brian Williams | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1960 (age 56–57) | ||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Teams coached | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | ||
| 2000–2003 2003–2005 |
 Leinster Scotland
|
||
Matt Williams (born 1960) is an Australian rugby union coach from New South Wales.
Williams, a teacher by profession, started in coaching at club level with Western Suburbs in Sydney, Australia in 1991. He became head coach of the Eastwood club in Sydney in 1993 and a year later gained representative recognition when he was appointed fitness and skills coach for the Emerging Wallabies' tour of Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa.
In 1995 his coaching stints included New South Wales A; New South Wales Sevens; and an assistant's post for an Australian XV against England A. He was also a coaching assistant at the Wallaby World Cup camps. In 1996 he became manager and assistant coach for the NSW Waratahs Super 12 campaign and then for the next three years he was head coach for the NSW Waratahs. However, during Williams' time as coach the NSW Waratahs failed to reach the Super 12 finals.
Matt was instrumental in mentoring and coaching such great players as David Campese, Matt Burke, Tiaan Strauss, Phil Kearns and Jason Little.
Come the autumn of 1999 he acted as backs coach in Leinster Rugby's European Cup campaign, prelude to becoming the province's head coach in 2000. Williams also undertook the role of defensive coach for the Irish national team in 2001. He was the first Australian Super 12 Coach to move to Europe.
In Matt’s three years at Leinster he “was part of a great group of men” who rose through the European rankings from thirty five to second. Leinster won the inaugural Celtic League Final and were Semi Finalists of the European Cup.
Matt coached the former British and Irish Lions Captain Brian O'Driscoll, as well as Gordon D'Arcy, Shane Horgan, Malcolm O'Kelly and Denis Hickie.
...
Wikipedia