Rugby: Ali shaping up for Super return

Ali Williams may play a full match for Nottingham this weekend. Photo / Getty Images

Video footage and conversations with Ali Williams have encouraged Blues coach Pat Lam to believe he will get a full season's play from the former All Black lock.

Williams may play a full game for his Nottingham club this weekend as the final rehab act before he returns to link up with the Blues for the new Super Rugby series.

The 29-year-old lock with an All Black pedigree of 61 tests has been easing his way back into rugby after three Achilles tendon operations and nearly two years out of the game.

"Ali is making great progress over there. I have just been looking at footage of him playing and he is going really well," Lam said.

Williams has played stints of 20, 40 and then 65 minutes in his three matches so far.

"He was feeling good and he is looking at the same this week, perhaps even 80 minutes, he will just see how he goes and then he is home," said Lam. "He will go into camp and be ready for our games. He is looking good.

"It is another speed-up for Ali but that was the whole intention. He did not want to come straight in after two years and go to Super Rugby level straight away. This has been great for his confidence and you can see it.

"He is into contact, into tackles and doing his lineout jumping. I have been Skyping him every week and he is in really good spirits and excited."

Lam said the lock was extremely nervous before his first game back because of the mental baggage from several injury-strewn seasons.

But once he got back into work he looked comfortable.

"It is going to take a while to get back to where he was but he is certainly heading in the right direction. I expected that because he is a real competitor and he has been frustrated, but he has done the work and has the motivation to do it," said Lam.

"It did not surprise me. The real question was whether his body, the Achilles, would hold up, and so far, so good."

Only former All Black Brad Mika remains on the long-term injury list after a knee operation. He returns this weekend from his latest contract in Japan and is expected to need another two months' work before he is considered for selection.