Shane Williams broke Wales's all-time try-scoring record on March 15th 2008 with a touchdown against France in the 2008 RBS Six Nations; a crucial score which virtually secured the Grand Slam of the same season for Wales. It was the occasion of the Ospreys wing's 56th cap for his country. The record, held previously by Gareth Thomas, was taken by Williams seven days after he had equalled Thomas with a try against Ireland at Croke Park on March 8th 2008.

It took Williams eight years to reach the 40 try milestone since scoring his first international try on his second appearance for Wales; against Italy during the 2000 Lloyds TSB Six Nations at the Millennium Stadium. Thomas's record had stood without equal for just 168 days, set as it was on the occasion of Thomas's 100th cap, against Fiji in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, it was broken after just 175 by Williams.

From a record-setting perspective, the 2008 RBS Six Nations was a good tournament all round for Shane Williams. Prior to breaking the all-time Welsh record, his brace against Scotland on 9th February 2008 saw him become Wales's leading try-scorer in the history of the Six Nations with 11 tries. With further touchdowns, including his record-breaker, later in the tournament he stretched that record to 15 and will go into the 2009 competition just two behind Brian O'Driscoll as the overall leading try-scorer in the entirety of the Six Nations.

Gareth Thomas was the previous holder of Wales's all-time try-scoring record which he left at 40 international tries on the occasion of his 100th cap for Wales. The score came against Fiji at La Stade de La Beaujoire on 29th September 2007. Thomas scored during a second half fightback from Wales in the final match of Pool B in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

It proved a bittersweet day for Thomas as the joy of stretching two Welsh records was quickly cancelled out by the agony of an early exit from the tournament for Wales by a late Fijian try. Shane Williams also scored that day taking his tally at the time to 35, five short of Thomas's.

Gareth Thomas equalled the previous record holder, Ieuan Evans, by scoring against England in the 2004 RBS Six Nations, and broke the record by scoring against Italy on the final day of the same tournament just two weeks later. It had taken Thomas eight years and ten months to pass the milestone which had stood for seven years, one month and twenty-seven days.

Thomas's try-scoring potential was evident from the start as his debut in the 2005 Rugby World Cup yielded a hat-trick against Japan; although he would have to wait another 15 months before crossing the line again. Among his other try-scoring accolades, Thomas scored four tries in a Test match against Italy and ran in five against Western Australia in a tour game in Perth on 29th May 1996.

Colin Charvis proved the strength of forward scoring power was alive, well and flourishing in the Principality as his 22nd strike for Wales - which came during the Wales v South Africa Prince William Cup match at the Millennium Stadium on 24th November 2007 - saw him become the world's leading try-scoring forward.

Charvis overtook the previous world record of 21 international tries by a forward set by Italy’s Carlo Checchinato. That record had stood since 6th September 2003, when the Italian lock scored against Georgia after coming on as a replacement in a warm-up match for the Azzurri ahead of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

It was a further record for Charvis who had previously become Wales's first forward to score four tries in one Test match against Japan in November 2004, a record that no Welsh forward has equalled or bettered to date.

Willie Llewellyn set a tough challenge to his successors in the Welsh jersey when he marked his debut for Wales by scoring four tries against England at Swansea in 1899.

The Llwynypia wing set two records that day that have yet to be broken – four tries on debut and four tries in a match. Since then only eight other Welsh players have run in four tries in a match and equalled the record.

In November 2004's Lloyds TSB Autumn Series at the Millennium Stadium the record was equalled twice in the space of fiftten days, first Tom Shanklin scored four against Romania then two weeks later Colin Charvis became the first Welsh forward to score four tries in a match against Japan.