Williams taking nothing for granted

Springbok scrumhalf Grant Williams has revealed a personal edge to Saturday’s Test against New Zealand at Ellis Park, writes CLINTON VAN DER BERG.

Williams admitted he has family members who are All Blacks supporters, and that facing them, if selected, would carry extra significance at the dinner table for years to come.

“It will give me bragging rights [in the family] if we can get one up on them. So it will be a massive privilege, if selected, obviously.”

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Asked whether the rivalry might make for an awkward Christmas at home, Williams laughed off the suggestion.

“No, not at all,” he smiled.

But throughout his comments, Williams was careful never to get ahead of himself, repeatedly stressing that the match 23 has not yet been confirmed by head coach Rassie Erasmus.

“We first got to wait till Thursday for the team announcement,” he said, “so it might be Cobus [Reinach], might be Krappies [Morné van den Berg], might be Herschel [Jantjies].”

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Even when pressed on how he might approach a personal duel with an opposite number, Williams refused to make it about himself.

“If I get the honour to play on Saturday, it’s always good for me to put the team first,” he said. “I won’t be focused on my opposition. Obviously, I’ll study him, but if I get the opportunity, then my job is to make sure the team goes forward.”

That same team-first mentality, Williams explained, is exactly what makes South Africa’s scrumhalf depth so dangerous, and what keeps standards so high in camp. Asked about the competition within the group, he was clear that it sharpens everyone rather than creating division.

“If Cobus, Krappies or Herschel gets the opportunity, they’ll do the same,” he said, pointing to a squad culture where senior and junior players push each other upward rather than compete against one another.

“We don’t have younger guys trying to drag the more experienced guys down and vice versa. We think we’ve got a healthy level of competition, and it’s what makes team selection so difficult for us, because the guys all really care.”

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Even amid the growing external noise around the fixture, Williams said he plans to stay firmly insulated from it.

“I’ll be in this bubble, so I won’t get to hear all of the things,” he said. “My only job is, if selected, to make sure the team goes forward and that I understand what the team needs. That will be my week, if selected.”

Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images