Grant Williams said the Springboks would take positives from their Rugby Championship loss in New Zealand as they look to bounce back against Argentina at Ellis Park.
The world champions’ hopes of building on their strong start to the competition against Australia were dashed in Auckland on Saturday, as the All Blacks raced into a 20-3 half-time lead which paved the way for a 35-20 victory.
The Boks will play Los Pumas in back-to-back clashes in the next three weeks, starting with the final Rugby Championship match of 2023 in Johannesburg on Saturday, 29 July.
The second Test in Buenos Aires on Saturday, 5 August, is also the first of three Rugby World Cup warm-up games for the Webb Ellis Cup holders.
The Boks will then face Wales in Cardiff (Saturday 19 August) and the All Blacks in London (Friday 25 August) in their remaining matches before making the journey to France for the international extravaganza in September and October.
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Speaking post-match on Saturday from Auckland, Williams – who replaced scrumhalf Faf de Klerk in the 53rd minute – told reporters: “Personally I think we could have been better in the aerial battle. It’s something they made changes to in their game.
“But as a team we’ll take the positives that we can from the match and build on that.”
The defeat may have left the Boks and their fans disappointed, but Williams said it was an honour to be part of the squad and that he was soaking up as much as possible.
“I joined the Boks in 2021, so I’ve been part of the set-up for a little while,” said Williams. “I’m really enjoying it and I’m learning a lot.”
Williams made his Test debut against Wales in Bloemfontein last year, and featured off the bench in both matches so far for the Boks in 2023.
As the clock ticks closer to the World Cup, the 26-year-old finds himself among a pool of talented scrumhalves vying for a spot in the 33-man Bok squad, and his speed and versatility – he can also play wing – make him a force to be reckoned with.
Asked what the recipe was for him to slot into the team so seamlessly, despite being one of the youngsters in the squad, Williams said: “The backing from the team management and the guys around me is fantastic and it makes it easy for us as players.”
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