Big-game Scotland player looking forward to All Blacks and bidding to shake off rust

Max Williamson didn’t feature in the matchday squad last November when New Zealand’s super-sub Damian McKenzie struck late to clinch a 25-17 win in Edinburgh, but the forward is on course to be involved this time around.

The second-rower has made a bright start to the season with Glasgow Warriors and made a big impression with the national team in the summer when he came off the bench against South Africa at Loftus Versfeld. The Nations Championship match against the All Blacks on November 7 now looms large.

“It's extremely exciting, the idea of having them come again, especially with how close it was last autumn against New Zealand,” said Williamson. “I think everyone's really excited to get into that game first up, and all of the games especially. I think it was positive how summer went for us overall, and there's a lot to take from that into those games.

Going one step further than last autumn

“But we're really wanting to go for that game as well. We want to go one step further than last autumn, actually get over the line and get that win.”

The big games seem to bring the best out of Williamson, who put in a strong performance against the Springboks in the 42-28 defeat in July in Pretoria.

“It was an amazing atmosphere there, and seeing the boys go to work in the first half, you're obviously always up for it anyway, but that properly gets you going, so you're ready to fly in when you get on,” he said. “It was an amazing atmosphere when I got on, and then a couple of passes started going to hand for all of us, and then it just rose from that.

“We took the momentum and got so close in the end, which was part of the frustrating part of that game, but it was big. I did really enjoy that one.”

Williamson, 24, says he is still feeling “a bit rusty” as the new United Rugby Championship campaign moves into its third week but the feeling in the Warriors camp is that the squad is starting to hit its stride. Having beaten Munster and drawn with Ulster, they face a third Irish side this Friday when Connacht come to Scotstoun.

Williamson has partnered Gregor Brown in the second row in the first two games, with Scott Cummings on the bench. He said that the 33-33 draw with Ulster at Scotstoun on Saturday “felt like a loss”, even though Glasgow took three points from the match. With another home game on Friday, there is a determination to make sure there are no slip-ups.

“There's no excuses now about it being the start of the season and being a bit rusty and things like that,” said Williamson. “We're into it now, and what's to be expected of us is at another level to what it was last week and the week before. It's about making that progression each week that we need to see.”