NICK Williams, the former Munster number 8 pictured here in his days with the province, will return to his former club and indeed Musgrave Park this weekend but he will not be wearing the famous red of the mighty men from Munster. Instead he will be donned in the colours of new Magners League outfit, Aironi Rugby when the new Italian side make their debut in the competition. Williams says that it is their “unpredictability could be a problem for Munster”.
In the Aironi team there’s one player for whom Saturday will be a special day. The Musgrave Park match will be the first game ever for the Aironi in the Magners League, but it will also represent a return to home for Nick Williams.
The massive number 8 spent the last two seasons playing for Munster before signing for the new Italian franchise during summer. With Munster, Williams collected 19 caps in Magners League, scoring 4 tries, included an hat-trick against Newport Gwent Dragons.
The big kiwi was asked about his time with Munster and the game ahead.
You are the only one in the Aironi team who knows what is Munster and what it means to play Munster. What can you say to your team-mates before the game?
– Playing for Munster you feel to be part of an historic club and you also understand how just the name of Munster inspires apprehension in a lot of opponents. I say the one thing that could be on our side is the unpredictability we have, because Munster haven’t seen us before. I say this is the one positive thing that we have to look.
Cork is a beautiful place for you: in Musgrave Park you scored an hat-trick against the Dragons…
– Yes. In Cork was a nice sunny afternoon. We just play great platform that day, the scrum was brilliant and what I’ve done is to run rear it.
In which part of the game Aironi can cause trouble to Munster?
– I think if we just disrupt the set pieces, I know we are capable of doin’ it, we just gonna pick the right times. Stop their line-outs and their scrum from giving them the momentum and using their backs is our aim, and if we can compete in the ruck we go long way.
What does the game against the Saints tell to Aironi?
– I think it was big positive for the team to play with two Second Division teams in France and then with the two Parma teams. I don’t take anything away from them. But if you talk about the level of the competition, it was a good tip for the guys have a test of the level of the game they will play in the Magners League. We just need to build on it and recognized that if the boys have a feel of the level they compete week-in and week-out, Aironi would be wonder.
