Devon Williams was born and raised in Pniel, just outside Stellenbosch, and would have grown up being a Stormers and Western Province fan.
In fact, he eventually got to play for both teams, but now that he is with arch-rivals the Bulls, he cannot wait to get stuck in when the two famous sides square off in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship derby at Loftus Versfeld (5pm kick-off).
The 32-year-old Bulls fullback Williams was one of the stars in the 31-19 victory over the Lions in Pretoria last weekend.
He made a number of line-breaks and a few assists for the five tries scored by the hosts, who this time converted their front-foot ball into points after battling in that regard in the 29-19 loss to the Sharks a week earlier.
Now he will hope to produce a repeat performance against his old team, whom the Bulls beat 33-32 in a thriller in Cape Town on February 8.
“It’s the same as any derby. It’s going to be massive. I think for us, it’s also having played three derbies in a row, and now a fourth – it doesn’t do your body any favours,” Williams said on Tuesday.
“So, it’s going to be a big match. There is a lot of history behind us, so looking forward to what’s going to come over the weekend.
“They know that we are forward-dominant, so they are going to focus on how they can stop our scrum and maul.
“On their side, looking at the Sharks game, they will see that we struggled a bit under the high ball during that game – maybe that’s a facet where they will try and target us.
“Otherwise, they will probably look at making the game fast and stuff like that. Both teams know when and what they have to do to get on top over the weekend.”
The Stormers, though, will be well-rested after getting a weekend off, and will be keen to keep their URC playoff hopes alive after losing 30-23 to the Lions at Ellis Park on February 15.
“I always feel like rugby is a game of momentum. It’s never going to be 80 minutes on your side, so if they come out with a bang, it’s about how we handle that pressure,” Williams said.
“The momentum has to swing somewhere in the game, and when it comes to our side, it’s about how we manage that momentum – we need to capitalise on it.
“Both sides prep, and if you have a bad game over the weekend, you need to change it over into a positive. But on the day, things might change and they might come up with a surprise play – so you’ve got to adapt (in the situation).”