Live-wire Springbok scrumhalf Grant Williams wants to make magic with exciting flyhalf partner Manie Libbok when they team up against Australia in Joburg on Saturday.
Williams says playing alongside Libbok is always special and they will feed off one another’s energy in the Boks’ opening Rugby Championship clash at Ellis Park (kickoff 5.10pm).
The Boks have dominated Australia in recent seasons and are hunting for a fifth successive victory over the visitors.
However, Aussie hopes of breaking the Boks’ stranglehold improved after a fighting win over the British & Irish Lions two weeks ago.
“It is special playing with Manie and we feed off one another,” Williams said. “If my energy is good in the game, Manie will feed off it.
“In the same breath, it is the same if I play with the other flyhalves in the squad like Handré Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse.
“Whatever the game plan is, I am happy to play with all four No 10s in the Bok squad … it will always be exciting.”
Williams said there was tough competition to earn a berth in the Bok squad.
“I get to start against Australia this weekend, but I know Cobus Reinach, Faf de Klerk, Morné van den Berg and Jaden Hendrikse can all play in the No 9 jersey,” he said.
“My job against Australia is to make sure I nail my role and serve the team. I want to make sure our kicking game, passing and running awareness are all working. These are all important factors for me and I must make sure my all-round game is good.”
Williams said the backing of coach Rassie Erasmus had boosted his confidence after a neck injury sidelined him.
“It is great to have the support of the coaches,” he said. “I have not played a lot this year because I was injured with my neck.
“For coach Rassie to invite me to camp and do my rehab there was great.
“I was available for the second game against Italy in Gqeberha after I was finally cleared to play again.
“The backing from coach Rassie was very important and brought confidence. We have a really good squad, and I think team selection is just about how we want to play each week. I can’t really say that I want to make the No 9 jersey mine, but I would like to compete.”
Erasmus said none of the No 9s in the Bok squad were out of the reckoning for a Test start.
“We are really trying to build a culture where it’s everyone’s jersey,” the coach said. “Faf is not at all out of the picture, and Jaden is not out of the picture.
“We know we normally carry four nines, but just for the sake of repetition and getting some one-on-one intel into players, we cut the squad a little.
“We know if you don’t go four positions deep, maybe suddenly in one game you get two injuries in one position.
“So, they are competing and they don’t want to just give the jersey away, but they also understand that we will rotate.
“Grant got the nod in a very important match.
“The way we want to play in this game, we feel he is the best option there.
“But this squad has accepted now that we have to share jerseys and not say this guy is out-and-out the best.”
Williams was one of the standout players in the Boks’ 45-0 win over Italy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in July, when he scored a try after just eight minutes.
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