Williams bashes down the door
SA A: FIVE CHANGES TO STARTING XV FOR BRISTOL CLASH
Scrumhalf Grant Williams was one of five changes that South African A head coach Mzwandile Stick made to his starting XV for their second and final end-of-year tour match against Bristol Bears in Bristol on Thursday night.
Williams absolutely bashed down the door to earn himself a starting berth, after putting in a superb performance off the bench in SA A’s loss against Munster last week Thursday, after replacing Bok scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies, who has dropped out of the match-23.
Other changes see Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu come in at flyhalf, after he joined up with the SA A team from the Bok squad, replacing Johan Goosen, who drops to the bench, while Gianni Lombard replaces the injured Aphelele Fassi at fullback.
Andre-Hugo Venter then comes in at hooker, with Joseph Dweba on standby for the Springbok squad, and Marco van Staden replaces Phepsi Buthelezi at flank, with Buthelezi set to play off the bench.
For Williams, who has been part of a number of Bok squads over the past year-and-a-half, without making his debut, it will be another great opportunity for him to impress the management team, if he can put in another sparkling showing against Bristol.
He is also now part of a very exciting halfback pairing with Feinberg-Mngomezulu and they will be keen to show what they can do.
“Both guys (Williams and Feinberg-Mngomezulu) have been in the Springbok set-up and know how we want to play. I think that’s the key thing with that combination, because last week (against Munster) we were guilty in not managing the game well,” said Stick yesterday.
“With Grant knowing our philosophy, how we want to play and what it takes to be at the top, it is very important.
“He has been with us in the Springbok set-up, waiting for his opportunity.
“So I was actually happy to see him bringing that impact into the game last week.”