Healthy competition and high standards driving Bok scrummy Grant Williams

Springbok scrumhalf Grant Williams is being driven to greater heights by healthy competition and high standards in the Bok set-up, as he prepares for the massive two Test series against Ireland kicking off this weekend.

Williams is in the running to be included in the match 23, with Faf de Klerk currently being managed after picking up a knock in the Boks’ opening season win over Wales, and could thus be in the frame to play with Cobus Reinach as the two scrumhalf picks.

If the 27-year-old does make the cut it will arguably be the biggest game of his fledgling Bok career, although he will hope it goes a lot better than his last game in the country when he was knocked out after 10 seconds in their match against Argentina at Ellis Park in July last year.

“If I get selected that will be in the back of my head (the knockout). But it will just be another opportunity for me to showcase my talent and I must make sure that I do my part for the team,” explained Williams.

“The biggest thing in the (Springbok) environment is healthy competition. I think that is the most important thing for me because I normally grow when the competition is on.

“We have four good nines at the moment and if you look at nines in general in South Africa they have been successful in their departments, so the competition has been healthy and brings out the best in me.

“The Springbok standards are high. There is no time to slack off or drop the intensity. So you have to have mental toughness first of all and then high standards (in training).”

Mixing it up

Williams has enjoyed mixing it up in training with new Bok attack coach Tony Brown, as well as some of the fresh Boks that have joined the squad recently, such as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg.

“It has been awesome. I am still new as well and still learning. With coach Tony coming in we are still learning new things. But I think all of us are on the right track. If we look back a year or two ago things would have been different based on attack,” said Williams.

“Now with the newer guys like myself, Morne, Sacha, Jordan (Hendrikse) and Manie (Libbok), we are learning and building. That is positive for us as we are on the right track.”

Williams was back at scrumhalf for the Boks in their clash against Wales at Twickenham a week and a half ago, coming off the bench in the second half, after he had featured for them twice at last year’s World Cup on the wing.

“Whatever the Springboks demand or ask of me I feel I will be able to deliver and put myself in that position. So it doesn’t matter if its nine or wing, whatever the Springboks demand I will take it on,” said Williams.