Eddie Jones believes that Springboks scrum-half Grant Williams is comfortably the quickest half-back in the world.<\/p>\n
The Japan head coach has backed the 29-year-old to nail down the starting number nine Green and Gold jersey during this year\u2019s Rugby Championship campaign.<\/p>\n
The speedy scrum-half has been given the nod in the starting lineup for the tournament opener against the Wallabies at Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday, a selection that the experienced coach has hailed.<\/p>\n
Grant Williams, the quickest half-back in the world<\/p>\n
In his latest Planet Rugby column, Jones<\/a> praised Rassie Erasmus\u2019 \u201cdeeply detailed situational selection\u201d and pointed to the surprise call to name Siya Kolisi at number eight with Marco van Staden on the side of the Springboks<\/a>\u00a0scrum to combat the Wallabies\u2019 breakdown prowess.<\/p>\n Additionally, the former England boss believes that Williams\u2019 selection in the starting role will help implement the more expansive attacking game plan that Tony Brown is heading up with his pace also bound to be an asset on the Highveld.<\/p>\n \u201cAt nine, if all the half-backs in the world had a 100m sprint race, I reckon Grant Williams<\/a> would win it by five metres,\u201d Jones wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cThe guy has electric pace, a real point of difference, one that allows him to challenge a defence that\u2019s retreating and resetting, finding gaps by maintaining pace from the second and third rucks.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Ellis Park, that ruck speed and the cracks that open under fatigue in defence at altitude should be a key strategic focus; players are burning with those fatigue efforts and that gives spaces to attack that you don\u2019t quite get at sea or normal level grounds, and I think Williams might just thrive this season as he nails down the starting spot.\u201d<\/p>\n