Source / Sky Sports
By Aaron Goile, Stuff
Talk about new to it all. Tamaiti Williams had never even faced a South African team of any sort before he squared off with the Springboks in a memorable test debut on Saturday night.
Starting in Super Rugby in 2021, the first year of the Covid-expedited split from the competition by the South African sides, the 22-year-old had been plenty briefed on what to expect, mind you.
The All Blacks’ new heaviest player in history – albeit with a 10kg trim since that maiden Super season – tipping the scales at 139kg (3kg more than Neemiah Tialata) had, room-mate and fellow prop Ethan de Groot said, enjoyed “a couple of good feeds (on all the good stuff)” during the week, but also dined out deluxe on tales of the past in the great New Zealand-South Africa rugby rivalry.
“I was just watching videos and listening to stories,” Williams said as he reflected on the buildup to his big night at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium.
“I don’t know if I can pick out a certain one [as the best]. But it’s got to be their scrum, bro, one of the most dominant packs in the world, and something I idolised growing up as a kid. And it was pretty cool to be able to face them tonight.”
The youngster did more than just face them, in fact, after being injected for a 20-minute cameo to replace de Groot on the loosehead side, enjoying a great first pack-down, in the 74th minute, when referee Mathieu Raynal blew a penalty the All Blacks’ way.
So was that really all the work of Nepo Laulala on the tighthead side, with Springboks loosehead Thomas du Toit pinged for hinging, or could the debutant at least claim some of that glory?
“He’s [Laulala] a great scrummager, man. I’m not too sure, I was seeing stars from the scrum, that’s how hard it was. I was just happy to stand up and the penalty was on our side.”
It was one of just two scrums Williams had in what turned into a frantic final quarter featuring two tries to both sides, which had the big man feeling the pinch, but, with that much-improved fitness of recent years, able to cop it.
“[I felt] pretty good, bro, better than I thought.
“The game was definitely faster, the lungs were blowing a bit out there. But it was fun, man.
“It was actually quite refreshing to play someone other than from New Zealand and Australia.”
And obviously the icing on the cake was the 35-20 scoreline in his side’s favour, which gives the All Blacks a firm grip on the Rugby Championship trophy with one round to play.
After all, Williams, with three Super seasons with the Crusaders for three titles, is rather used to the sweet taste of victory.
“Yeah, I love winning, bro,” he beamed with a big smile, not long after he had enjoyed parading with the Freedom Cup, from a matchup he noted was “the pinnacle” of world rugby.
“You don’t go out there to lose, so when that last whistle’s blown, you’ve won, it makes the night even better.”
So, with a big pass mark to boot from coach Ian Foster, who noted he had been impressed with how Williams had come in and acquitted himself across the entire past fortnight, the test debut was everything he could have hoped for, then?
“And more, brother, and more,” Williams said. My head’s running right now, but I’m sure once I sit down with the family and friends and look back on the week, it’s definitely special, yeah.”
And of the plans for that momentous first jersey? That’s an easy one for the Northland-born, Perth-raised (from three months to 16 years) big bopper.
“Parents, bro. My parents are my why. And now my fiancée – I had to shout her out, bro, she doesn’t like it when I don’t shout her out. But my parents, man, they’ve made a lot of hard decisions for me to be here, and they deserve it more than me.”
