Dynamic scrumhalf Grant Williams says it would be a massive privilege if he is named in the Springbok starting line-up to face the All Blacks in Saturday’s opening Test in Johannesburg.
Anticipation for the first match in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series has reached fever pitch and a sellout crowd of 62,000 fans will be inside Ellis Park to watch the first shots in the four-Test series being fired (kickoff 5.10pm).
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has delayed naming the team until Thursday in a bid to keep the All Blacks guessing about his tactics.
“The All Blacks will come out on Saturday guns blazing, but whoever is selected for the weekend will try to front up and make sure we represent South Africa well,” Williams said.
“We have to wait until Thursday for the team announcement.
“It might be Morne van den Bergh, Cobus Reinach, or Herschel Jantjies, but if I get the honour to play on Saturday, my job will be to make sure the team goes forward.
“I won’t be focused on my position or who’s opposite me, but if I get the opportunity, my job will be to put the team first, and it will be the same for the other players.”
Asked about the Boks 43-10 over New Zealand in Wellington in 2025, Williams said: “I just remember the win, but it was a whole different week, with a completely different mentality going into the game.”
Bok assistant coach Felix Jones said both the Boks and All Blacks would be equally prepared for a clash between two well-matched sides.
“I think both teams are going to feel really prepared going into the game,” he said.
“New Zealand have had their franchise games, and we’ve had Argentina for some players, while a group of players remained behind in South Africa to do specific work.
“I don’t think any preparation really replicates the level of intensity you’re going to experience when New Zealand plays South Africa.
“But I think both teams would say going into this game that they feel prepared.
“They clearly have a very strong identity around what they’re trying to do in each area of the game, and those threads were present in the franchise games too, even in the wet-weather in Durban.
“They are really committed to the direction they’re going in.
“If you look at the metrics, you’d see significant shifts in their kicking volume, the amount of ball they’re trying to keep in hand, their phase count, and their possession time, so there’s been a clear shift in what they’re trying to do.
“A couple of things caught the franchises out, and a couple of themes were consistent across the feedback we received.
“One was around the breakdown, where they experienced tucked shoulders going in, which the franchises weren’t happy with, and a reversed-arm non-wrapping action.
“The other was that the franchises were actually quite happy with the opportunities they created, getting into scoring positions around 10m out, with multiple lineout opportunities there.
Jones emphasised the importance of starting the match strongly, saying that New Zealand have always prided themselves on starting fast.
“We saw that in Auckland last year where they scored early, and we had to grind our way back,” he said.
“So, we know we have to start with a huge amount of intensity. It’s almost a given when you play New Zealand that they start fast.”
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