Grant Williams carries a unique personal motivation into Saturday's Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, with members of his immediate family and wider community among those backing New Zealand.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Sharks scrumhalf acknowledged the allegiance runs deep in his background — a legacy of the apartheid era, when many disenfranchised South Africans aligned themselves with the multi-racial All Blacks sides that toured South Africa. Some have since shifted their support to the transformed Springboks, but others remain firmly in the New Zealand camp, as was evident when the All Blacks faced the Stormers in Cape Town on August 7.
For Williams, though, the dynamic is motivation rather than distraction. "If I get selected, it will be an honour to represent my country. It goes deeper than that. You have family members who are All Blacks supporters, close members," he said. "It will give me bragging rights if we can get one up on the family."
He also indicated he has no trouble managing the noise around him during the build-up. "I'll place myself in a bubble, so I won't get to hear all of the things. My only job — if selected — is to make sure that the team goes forward and that I understand what the team needs."
Rassie Erasmus, speaking on Monday, said he has no issue with South Africans who continue to support the All Blacks during the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour. Both teams announce their line-ups on Thursday.