Jeremy Williams identifies key areas in Wallabies’ plan for Springboks

Wallabies lock Jeremy Williams has shared an insight into the game plan for the upcoming Test against the Springboks in Perth, with the looming set-piece battle already emerging as a prominent talking point this week.

Taniela Tupou spoke earlier this week about the challenge that awaits the Wallabies, with the 73-Test prop believing the Springboks set the standard with their set-piece. The Boks showed that during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series, beating the All Blacks three Tests to one.

But the Wallabies have turned their lineout and scrums into a bit of a strength of their own, with the competition for places getting the best out of the players, as assistant coach Tom Donnelly explained on Friday afternoon.

Williams was the most-experienced selected in Australia’s squad for the Nations Championship Tests in July, with Josh Canham, Lachlan Shaw and Miles Amatosero also in the mix. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto was later brought back into the fold by new coach Les Kiss.

Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert will form an experienced Springbok second-row pairing on Sunday evening, while two-time Rugby World Cup winner Lood de Jager provides cover off the bench. It’s no doubt a tough challenge, but the Wallabies have a plan.

“We need to nail our plan, first of all. We’ve obviously got a plan going into the game,” Williams told reporters this week.

“Then double down on the things that we’re good at. That’ll be the plan going into it. At lineout time we want to put aerial pressure on and also focus on defending their mauls, and at scrum time as well, they’ve got a quick pack that engages quickly.

“We’ll do our processes to try and nullify that.”

The Wallabies famously fought their way back to claim a comeback win at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg last August, before going down swinging the following weekend in a thriller at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium.

But the Springboks have largely dominated the recent rivalry with the Wallabies, which included a 2-0 series sweep in Australia a couple of years ago. The Boks remain the top side on the World Rugby rankings, one year out from Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.

South Africa won three Tests on the bounce to overcome New Zealand in a “real physical series” over the last month. The two-time defending world champions have since flown to Australia’s east coast, and will make their way to Perth later this week.

“It’s an awesome challenge,” Williams said.

“The Springboks are a really experienced team and been such a successful team. It’s going to be awesome for us and our pack to go up against them.

“Being back in Perth, it’s awesome to be back home and catching up with the boys that are here and a few of the coaches have been in during the week as well.”

The lock added later: “Every Test match is physical and we’re under no illusion that it’s going to be physical and upfront in the forwards,”

“We’ve been training that this week, we know what’s coming and it’s about going out there and doing it.”