Wales fans will be forgiven for taking a second glance at the 19-year-old Cardiff Blues wing if he pulls on the red jersey against the Barbarians on June 2.
Standing at 5ft 9in and just under 13-stone, the teenager cuts a similar figure to that of Wales’ record try-scorer and comparisons have already been drawn in their playing style.
But now they could find themselves on opposite wings when Williams, who retired from Test rugby last December, lines up for Barbarians at the Millennium Stadium next month.
“To be compared to players like that is great because they are legends of the game but I try not to think too much about it. I want to have my own style,” said Robinson.
“No one can be as good as Shane over his career. I’ve always looked up to him and the way he plays the game.
“I played against him for the Blues against Ospreys and I was surprised by how much he moves off the ball. Every time I looked up he was somewhere else. That’s what makes him so influential on a game.
“I certainly hope there’s still space for smaller players in the game.”
Both have had to learn to survive in a game dominated by size and rely on foot-work and speed to dazzle defences.
And Robinson reckons he can use his size to his advantage as well as offering Wales variety on the wing.
“It’s pretty daunting when you look around at the size of the other guys, especially when we’re doing a tackling drill and you’ve got these monsters like George [North] and Alex [Cuthbert] running at you,” added Robinson.
“But my size can also be a weapon. I have a low centre of gravity and that can be hard for the bigger guys to stop.
“I’ve never been the biggest guy at any level I’ve played but I’ve also learned how to get around people, rather than through them.
“But I look up to George a lot. He puts in 100 per cent every time he trains and plays, that’s why he has achieved what he has.”
It has been a rapid rise for Robinson – from the Blues Academy to the verge of a first Test cap and a place on the tour to Australia – in the space of six months.
Robinson, whose father Justin played fly-half for Pontypridd, Newport and Newbridge, was included in Warren Gatland’s preliminary squad for the Six Nations.
He then enjoyed a strong finish to the season and produced an impressive try-scoring performance against the Scarlets, in the final match of the Blues’ campaign.
“Things couldn’t have gone much better this season. I was just hoping to have a few games for Cardiff Blues but then I was asked about going with Wales to the Sevens and then came the call for the Six Nations. That was a real shock,” added Robinson.
“I didn’t have any expectations about playing, but I loved just being involved in the camp and the training. It made me hungry for more and I would love to go to Australia.”
