WORCESTER Warriors' fly-half Owen Williams has hit the ground running at his new club following a summer move to Sixways.

Williams, 29, has been one of the stand-out performers in the opening two games of the season for Worcester - scoring 20 points from the tee (the third most from any player in the Gallagher Premiership so far in the 2021/22 campaign).

The former Welsh international Williams this week explained that after a strong start to the season, Warriors are hoping to go under the radar and surprise a few in the process.

"Some people have written us off - but we have the belief and are quietly confident of going well this year," he said.

"We are determined to prove people wrong and people writing us off does give us that motivation."

Personally, Williams said that he feels hungry for the game again after a difficult few years.

The Welshman endured a injury-laden spell at Gloucester between 2017-2020 before a move to Japan with NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes "rekindled" his love for the game.

"When in Japan, I probably got a bit of hunger back, I feel motivated," he said.

"Japan was a totally different experience - they play such an attritional game. But I am glad I have that hunger back and enjoying my rugby again.

"When I was at Gloucester I had a difficult time with injury, I couldn't put a string of games together.

"But going to Japan rekindled my love for rugby."

Worcester supporters will have been overjoyed at the start Williams has made and will be hoping he can continue to show why he earned three caps for Wales back in 2017.

The former Leicester Tigers and Gloucester man was much talked about back then and many had him down as the man to fill the Jamie Roberts void at inside centre.

He had looked set to add a fourth cap back in 2020 but a torn hamstring in the warm-up in Dublin before a Six Nations game ended those chances.

Williams admits he still harbours ambitions of pulling on the red shirt once more.

"I will keep playing well and if the opportunity ever arises, I would love to play for my country again," he added.

The current 60-cap rule used in Wales means that no one playing outside of the country can be picked for selection unless they have over 60 appearances

"I can see why they do it, I can understand you want to keep your players in Wales, I get it," he added.

"But then there's only four regions in Wales.

"Wouldn't you want your players playing in the best leagues and getting game time around the world and then being able to select those players?

"The likes of South Africa do it. They won the World Cup and most of their players play around the world.

"There isn't much I can do about it at the moment, but I get why it is in place."

Talks were held before his move to Worcester, to return to one of the four Welsh regions, in order for him to be in contention for a Wales call-up.

But discussions with Warriors' head coach Jonathan Thomas and the signing of Willi Heinz swung him in the direction of Sixways, as well as factors away from the game.

"There were a few conversations," he added

"But you have to take everything into account. I am 29 now so I have to factor other things into my life other than rugby - I have a wife who works in Cheltenham, down the road.

"It's also the financial side of things , injuries, wanting to play week in week out - but its not like I can make a decision purely based on rugby.

"Maybe when you are younger you can be more selfish but when you're older, you have to taker everything into account.

"I spoke to JT before moving but in all honesty, Willi (Heinz) signing here had a big impact on me, he is a quality player and we get on really well.

"But this is a club with ambition now - a great facility, stadium, they have probably just underachieved in the past few years."