Shane Williams is growing tired of kicking dominating games © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

Preview: Wales and Pumas eye World Cup boost

Head to Head: History favours Wales over Pumas

News: Howley targets balanced Welsh display

News: Davies replaces Shanklin in Welsh midfield

News: Gatland not afraid of Pumas' pack

Head to Head: Wales look to build winning streak

Features: Warburton's arrival boosts Wales

Players/Officials: Leigh Halfpenny | Shane Williams

Tournaments/Tours: Argentina tour

Teams: Argentina | Wales

Shane Williams is hoping for a swift return to his favoured style of running rugby, but the Wales wing admits that the current kicking craze is a fixture of the modern game.

Wales' leading try-scorer will start against Argentina at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday in search of only his third touchdown of the year. Williams' poor return contrasts sharply with the nine scores that he notched on his way to being named the IRB World Player of the Year in 2008.

He has worked on his kicking game in recent months, but believes that he is not suited to the conservative approach.

"It is probably not a game that suits me," he said. "I watched the England game against Argentina last weekend and there was a lot of kicking. That is the way the game has gone these days.

"But usually with the ping-pong, as we call it, it does create holes and gaps, which is where I come into my own. It is something I've had to work very hard on in training. Kicking and regaining possession and finding space with the foot is something I haven't really had to do over the years.

"I would rather games to be far more open with the ball being thrown around a little bit, but that's rugby at the moment. Sometimes there seems there is kicking for the sake of kicking, which is where you have got to get the mix right. We know the modern game has a lot to do with kicking and regaining and finding space and territory, but there is a time and a place to mix it up as well.

"It would be nice to run a few tries back. There is so much emphasis on kicking the ball these days that every time you get the ball you are thinking 'Am I doing something wrong by running with the ball?' I am afraid that is not my mentality. First and foremost I want to beat players and get involved, but the kicking game does win matches, even if it is not pretty."

Wales have been in a rare try-drought in this year, with Leigh Halfpenny having scored their only two home tries in 2009. Williams is not fazed by the stats however and thinks that Wales still possess plenty of attacking flair.

"We've got the players who can mix it up a little bit and I certainly hope we don't go to a team that just kicks the leather off the ball every time we get it," he said. "I would love to be able to say we are going to play Sevens on Saturday, but the game has moved on.

"Defences are so structured and difficult to break down these days that sometimes the kicking game is the only way to get through it. Personally, I would much rather run around with the ball in my hands and create things, rather than make 60 yards with a left-foot peg down to the corner.

"We are a side that has got plenty of flair in it, we've got players who can score tries for fun. But you have got to get through the gain-line and play phases and patterns. The teams that are very good in the contact area, keep hold of the ball and go through six-plus phases will score the tries. We are more than capable of scoring tries and it will come. It's not a worry."