Grant Williams is pumped to crank up the Springboks' offense with Manie Libbok by his side in the upcoming clash against the Wallabies at Ellis Park. Fresh off the bench, Williams is sliding into the No 9 jersey, ready to spice things up in the first of two consecutive Rugby Championship face-offs with Australia.
Williams, bouncing back from a stint on the sidelines with injuries, is confident about his partnership with Libbok. "I think it’s quite special playing with Manie," Williams shared with SuperSport.
"If my energy’s good, Manie will also feed off it but in the same breath, it’s the same with Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu], Handre [Pollard] and Damian [Willemse]."
With a lineup that dynamic, the Boks' backline is looking more like a fireworks display waiting to happen.Despite fierce competition for his role, with heavy hitters like Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Faf de Klerk, and Jaden Hendrikse all vying for action, Williams is set to start this weekend. "I think it’s going to be pretty important. I get to start this weekend, but I know Cobus, Morne, Faf, Jaden – any of them can play in the 9 jersey. My job is just to make sure that I nail my role and make sure that I serve the team this weekend," he remarked, determined to leave his mark on the game.
After a tough recovery from a neck injury earlier in the year, Williams is grateful for the support from Rassie Erasmus, who helped him bounce back into top form. "I haven’t played a lot this year. I was injured with my neck and he invited me to camp, to do my rehab in camp and make sure that I was available to play in Italy when I was finally cleared to play again. So that backing from him was quite important and gave me confidence," Williams acknowledged.
With the Wallabies on the horizon, Williams is zeroing in on his responsibilities. He aims to bolster the Boks' forward momentum while keeping his gameplay versatile and alert. "I think just making sure that I save our forwards, first and foremost and making sure my passing game, kicking game, running game, awareness – I think the all-round game is pretty important for me, and I think that’ll be my job," he concluded.